Oxford Studies in Experimental Philosophy has a new Call for Abstracts, and the deadline is in less than a month, on Dec. 15.

To submit, all you need to do is prepare a brief (1,000 word) abstract. The editors then invite full papers based on these abstracts, and those who receive an invitation will be asked to write a full paper by August 15th.

Just in the past year or so, a number of political philosophers have begun conducting experimental studies (e.g., Freiman & Nichols 2011; Hassoun forthcoming), and it will be exciting to see how research in this area continues to develop!

 The Department of Politics at the University of York is now accepting applications to its long-established MA programmes in Political Philosophy and Political Philosophy (The Idea of Toleration). We typically welcome 20+ postgraduate students each year to read for these two interlinked programmes.

Our postgraduate students come from all over the world, as well as from a variety of institutions in the U.K. The size of our MA programme means that we always have a lively community of graduate students in political philosophy, with events such as the biweekly Morrell Political Theory Workshop providing a focus for staff and students working in the area.

We are a distinctively pluralistic department, which means that students on our MA degrees in Political Philosophy and Political Philosophy (The Idea of Toleration) have the opportunity to pursue a broad range of interests, from the history of early modern political thought, to contemporary liberal egalitarianism and philosophy of law, international political theory, recent European political thought, and democratic theory.

Students accepted to study for the MA in Political Philosophy (The Idea of Toleration) are eligible to apply for one of up to eight studentships generously funded by the C and JB Morrell Trust, which cover fees at the Home/EU rate, plus a £2000 contribution to living expenses.

Each year the Geoffrey Heselton Prize (worth £500) is awarded to the best dissertation written by a student on either of the programmes. There is a further prize for the student who produces the best work over the whole degree.

Previous graduates include many who have gone on to successful careers in academia, as well as high flyers in the world of business, the civil service, the media, NGOs, and a range of other careers.

Further details about these programmes, including profiles of previous students and information on the research interests of staff, is available here:

http://www.york.ac.uk/politics/prospective/postgraduates/pg-courses/ma-in-political-philosophy/

The Twin Cities Review of Political Philosophy is seeking quality undergraduate papers in political philosophy for publication in its Summer 2012 issue. The journal is published as a freely available electronic interactive magazine. Undergraduates, with or without faculty support, are encouraged to submit research work.

The Twin Cities Review of Political Philosophy is interested in diverse subject matter.  As a policy, we prefer scholarly work that: (1) clarifies an unclear or challenging concept, passage, or author in political thought; (2) publicizes a lesser-known argument that merits greater attention; or (3) offers new insight into existing works’ arguments or methods.

Submission deadline: January 30, 2012

Read the rest of this entry »

Matthew Noah Smith has written the following open letter from the faculty of US universities and colleges to to their chancellors and presidents regarding the use of violence against student protesters. If you would like to add your name to the letter, please email Matthew at matthew.noah.smith [at] yale.edu

Open Letter to Chancellors and Presidents of American Universities and Colleges From Your Faculty

We have witnessed, over the past two months, police departments using significant amounts of force against individuals peacefully participating in the Occupy movement. But during the week of November 13 – November 19, there was an astonishing escalation of the violence used by municipal police departments against non-violent protesters.

We hoped that even as politicians and municipal police violently responded to the Occupy movement, college and university campuses would remain safe locations for non-violent political dissent. But that has not been the case. In fact, universities and colleges appear to be using the same tactics in their interactions with unarmed, non-violent members of the university community as we have seen municipal police use against the broader Occupy movement.

In particular, we are concerned with the actions by police associated with two University of California campuses. At UC Berkeley, police beat faculty and students who were peacefully attempting to establish an Occupy camp on Sproul Plaza. At UC Davis, police casually pepper sprayed protesting students who were peacefully sitting with their arms linked. The message sent by university officials is clear: if you engage in non-violent political protest on the university campus, you run the risk of being assaulted by university police.

We condemn this and any deployment of violence by university officials against members of the university community who are non-violently expressing their political views.

We condemn university officials using violence or the threat of violence in order to limit political dissent to the narrow confines of print and university-sanctioned events.

We condemn university officials using violence and the threat of violence to prevent members of the university community from peacefully assembling.

For more than three generations, American university and college campuses have been crucial locations in which inspiring and important political activity has occurred. From the founding of SNCC at Shaw University and the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley in the 1960’s, to the divestment movements across American college campuses in the 1980s, to the establishment of student labor alliances in the 1990’s, American college campuses have pulsed with hopeful and positive forms of dissent and visions of alternatives. This admirable tradition is being threatened by the use of violence by university officials against their own students and faculty who are acting within this tradition.

We therefore call on chancellors and presidents of universities and colleges throughout the United States to declare publicly that their campuses are Safe Protest Zones, where nonviolent, public political dissent and protest will be protected by university police and will never be attacked by the university police.

We call on these chancellors and presidents to commit publicly to making their campuses safe locations for peaceful public assembly.

We call on these chancellors and presidents to institute immediately policies that reflect these commitments, and to instruct their police and security forces that they must abide by these policies.

We believe that this action is necessary for the protection of one of the principal virtues of our higher education system, namely that it is an environment that cultivates an active and engaged political imagination.

We call on the leaders of America’s universities and colleges to stand with us.

IDEALS AND REALITY IN SOCIAL ETHICS
University of Wales, Newport (Caerleon Campus), 11-13 April 2012

Keynote speakers:
Prof Marc Stears (University of Oxford)
Prof Daniel Weinstock (Université de Montréal)
Prof Jonathan Wolff (University College London)

Those who theorise about social values (freedom, equality, justice) like to think their insights have public application and resonance.  Meanwhile policymakers and practitioners spend little time reading ethical theory.  Are these bad habits?  Is either side at fault?  Should we prioritise ideal values, or theoretical models, over the messy, impure reality of the social, political, economic and professional contexts in which decisions are put into practice?  Is it possible to combine due attention to both?  If so, how should this be done?  Is it possible, or desirable, to combine the nuanced language of theory with the differently complex imperatives of practice?

This conference aims to attract academics, activists, practitioners and others with an interest in the relationship between ethical ideals and the concrete demands and possibilities of social life.  Key themes and questions will include:

- (how) do theoretical insights actually enhance practice?
- ideal vs. non-ideal modes of theory
- the relationship between political ideas and the reality of political practice
- the relationship between ethical codes and actual practice, e.g. in professional contexts
- are notions of ‘reality’ and ‘practice’ always inherently contested?
- the relationship between descriptive and normative approaches to the study of politics and society
- the relationship between theory and activism

The research interests of the Newport Social Ethics Research Group include equality, citizenship, disability, migration, well-being, professional ethics, democracy, multiculturalism, environmental and animal ethics, social inclusion and exclusion, the ethics of dialogue and communication, and theories of social justice.  We would especially welcome submissions addressing any of these areas, from those working across relevant areas both within and outside universities.

We particularly welcome proposals of themed panels of 3 papers, and will be happy to consult on the development of ideas in this regard.

Deadline for proposals of papers (300 words) and panels (including a brief description and any paper proposals already solicited): 30 November 2011.

Registration will open in December 2011, with a non-residential fee expected to be £100, plus optional conference dinner.

A number of subsidised places will be available for postgraduate students and those without institutional financial support.

Enquiries: Dr Gideon Calder - gideon.calder@newport.ac.uk 

This is shaping up very nicely, with proposals for panels and individual papers across a wide range of areas of theory and practice — from whether there’s any such thing as a ‘public sector ethos’ to theethics of sustainability, from parenting to the usefulness (or otherwise) of institutional codes of ethics, from universal basic income to the relationship between access to transport and social justice, and from contrasting forms of realism in political theory to the very possibility of linking theoretical critique with social activism.

Further proposals are very welcome, by 30 November.

Deadline for submissions: April 1^st, 2012

Tentative publication date: Winter 2012

About the Journal

Raisons Politiques is a well-established journal of political thought currently building an international reputation with the support of Sciences Po, the French renowned research institute for social sciences. The journal endeavors to provide a forum where scholars from various backgrounds and traditions can fruitfully engage with contemporary social and political issues. By contrast with publications intended to a particular discipline, Raisons Politiques adopts a thematic approach and welcome contributions from all branches of social sciences. It encourages submissions in English or French, from both established academics and aspiring members of the scientific community.

Among notable contributors are Pierre Bourdieu, Judith Butler, Gerald Allan Cohen, Mitchell Cohen, Ronald Dworkin, Norman Daniels, Clifford Geertz, Robert E. Goodin, Jürgen Habermas, Martha Nussbaum, Thomas Nagel, Philip Pettit, Ian Shapiro, Quentin Skinner, Judith Jarvis Thomson, Michael Walzer and Iris Marion Young.

Raisons Politiques is available online through CAIRN, the French portal for social sciences. For more information about the journal, please visit the editor’s website.

Special Issue in English on “Global Justice & Practice-Dependence”

Over the last few years, a new generation of political theorists working in the field of global justice has come to endorse a practice-dependent view about justice. In this view, the content of a given conception of justice depends on the nature of the practices it is intended to regulate, where “practices” refer to existing institutions and every system of formal or informal rules defining the rights and duties of agents involved. Global social and political practices would thus not be governed by the same conception of justice that applies to domestic practices, dramatically different in nature, and that would help to account for the normative discontinuity between the domain of nation-states, where strong egalitarian standards of justice prevail, and the world beyond national borders, where requirements of justice seem closer to a humanitarian moral minimum.

This special issue of Raison Politiques aims to assess the legitimacy of the practice-dependent approach as well as to explore the conclusions that might be drawn from it in the debate on global justice. Authors are thus invited to submit:

-       Articles arguing in favor of the practice-dependent approach from a Rawlsian perspective or within a wider constructivist framework;

-       Articles offering a non-constructivist foundation for the practice-dependent approach;

-       Articles discussing different types of practice-dependence, such as conventionalism, institutionalism and functionalism;

-       Articles exploring whether the practice-dependent approach is supported by a particular view about the nature of justice;

-       Articles rejecting the methodological commitment to practice-dependence and offering reasons to favor an alternative approach to global justice;

-       Articles endorsing the practice-dependent view to develop a substantial account of global justice.

Submission Process

Manuscripts must be 1.5-spaced and no longer than 7,000 words, including footnotes and a 150-word summary. All bibliographical references must come in footnotes, formatted as follow:

-       David Miller, National Responsibility and Global Justice (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007).

-       Thomas Hylland Eriksen, “Formal and Informal Nationalism”, Ethnic and Racial Studies (16/1), 1993, 1-25.

-       Kok-Chor Tan, “The Problem of Decent Peoples”, in David Reidy and Martin Rex (eds.), Rawls’s Law of People. A Realistic Utopia (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006), 76-94.

To facilitate blind review, please remove author-identifying information from the text and provide in a separate file a short biographical note (up to 80 words) specifying your title, current affiliation, research interests and relevant publications within the last three years. Send your manuscript and the file containing your personal information in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format to hugo.elkholi@sciences-po.org.

All manuscripts are anonymously peer-reviewed by two referees within a two months delay – typically, one member of the editorial board and one external expert. Note that works under simultaneous consideration for publication elsewhere and works that have already been published in any form will not be considered.

Debating Toleration: Attitudes, Practices and Institutions

3 - 5 November, 2011 - University of Pavia (Italy)

3 November

13:30 Registration

14 -15 Presentation of current European Research Projects on toleration
Emanuela Ceva (University of Pavia), Coordinator RESPECT Project
Zacharoula Kouki (European University Institute), ACCEPT PLURALISM Project
Silvia Rodriguez (Centro de Estudos Sociais), TOLERACE Project

15 -16:30 Keynote speaker: Anna Elisabetta Galeotti (Piemonte Orientale University, Vercelli), A Case ofz
Disrespect: the Contested Mosque in Vercelli
Chair: Federico Zuolo (Institute for Advanced Study of Pavia)

16:30 - 17 Coffee break

17-18:30 Session 1
Panel a - Toleration and education
Tore Vincents Olsen (Aarhus University), Tolerance and Intolerance in European Education
Michele Bocchiola (University of the Witswatersrand), Illiberal Views and Liberal Education
Chair: Roberta Sala (San Raffaele University, Milano)
Panel b - Toleration and groups
Sune Lægaard (Roskilde University), Toleration, Groups and Multiculturalism
Bart van Leeuwen (Radboud University Nijmegen), Urban Civility or Urban Community? A False Opposition
in Richard Sennett’s Conception of Public Ethos
Chair: Enzo Rossi (University of Wales, Newport)

4 November

9:30-11:00 Keynote speaker: Colin Bird (University of Virginia), Does Religion Deserve our Respect?
Chair: Ian Carter (University of Pavia)

11-11:30 Coffee brea

11:30 -13 Session 2
Panel a - Respect, toleration and the treatment of minorities
Sune Lægaard (Roskilde University) & Maria Paola Ferretti (University of Darmstadt), A Multirelational
Account of Tolerance and Respect
Emanuela Ceva (University of Pavia) & Federico Zuolo (IUSS, Pavia), A Matter of Respect. On the Relations
between the Majority and Minorities in a Democracy
Chair: Enrico Biale (Piemonte Orientale University, Vercelli)
Panel b - Toleration and the Roma population
Ladislav Toušek (University of West Bohemia, Pilsen), What’s ‘Out of Place’? Tolerance and Intolerance As
Functions of the Construction of the Public Space
Alexei Pikulik (European Humanities University, Vilnius), Sedentary Roma and the Regimes of Bounding
Space in Lithuania
Chair: Claire Moulin-Doos (University of Darmstadt)

13-14:30 Lunch

14:30 - 16 Session 3
Panel a - Toleration and respect
Ian Carter (University of Pavia), Are Toleration and Respect Compatible?
Peter Balint (University of New South Wales), Respect, Toleration and the Citizen
Chair: Sophie Guérard de Latour (University of Paris 1, Sorbonne)
Panel b - Toleration and the social imaginary
Ayelet Banai (Goethe University, Frankfurt), Can Crucifixes be Secular? Towards a ‘Social Contract’
Approach to Diversity and Toleration
Daniel Augenstein (Tilburg University), The Principle of Tolerance in the Liberal Social Imaginary
Chair: Charles Girard (University of Paris 4, Sorbonne)

16-16:30 Coffee brea

16:30-18 Session 4
Panel a - Toleration and racism
Katy Sian (University of Leeds), (In)Tolerance and (Anti)Racism in Employment: Muslims in the UK
Magali Bessone (Université de Rennes I), Will the Real Tolerant Racist Please Stand Up?
Chair: David Weberman (Central European University)
Panel b - Respect, discrimination and difference
Frej Klem Thomsen (Roskilde University), Discrimination, Disrespect and the Bigoted Billionaire
Irina Mirea (European Humanities University, Vilnius), A taxonomy of difference - from tolerance to respect
Chair: Gideon Calder (University of Wales, Newport)

5 November

9:00-10:30 Session 5
Panel a - Toleration, respect and differential treatment
Filippo Santoni De Sio (Delft University of Technology), Blaming as a Form of Respect: The Cultural Defence
and its Limits
Yossi Nehushtan (Haim Striks Law School), What is Tolerance Really About?
Chair: Chiara Testino (Piemonte Orientale University, Vercelli)
Panel b - Tolerating the intolerable
Robert Brecher (University of Brighton), On not Tolerating the Intolerable
Makoto Usami (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Tolerating the Hardly Tolerable: The Offence Principle
Reconsidered
Chair: Constantinos Adamides (University of Nicosia)

10:30-11 Coffee brea

11-12:30 Keynote speaker: Peter Jones (University of Newcastle), Should we tolerate identities?
Chair: Emanuela Ceva (University of Pavia)

For further information, please contact: respect[at]iusspavia.it

The conference is kindly supported by the Society for Applied Philosophy (UK) and is a part of the activities carried out within the framework of the RESPECT research project (GA no: 244549), funded under the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme.

The views expressed during the execution of the RESPECT project in whatever form and or by whatever medium are the
sole responsibility of the authors. The European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information
contained therein.

Tim Scanlon has an essay up at Boston Review on libertarianism and liberty:

“Libertarianism presents itself as a simple, clear, and principled view. It appears to provide a moral basis, in the value of individual liberty, for a specific political program of limited government and low taxes. The moral significance of liberty seems obvious even to those who believe it is not the only thing that matters. But the claim of the libertarian political program to be founded on this value is illusory. Three lines of thought lead to conclusions that might be seen as libertarian. But none of these shows that respect for the value of individual liberty should lead one to support the political program of low taxes and limited government that libertarians are supposed to favor.”

Replies by Will Wilkinson and Brad DeLong are forthcoming tomorrow, with a response from Scanlon.

The editors over at the Cato Unbound blog are hosting a symposium on Jerry Gaus’s version of public reason liberalism. Jerry provides a lead essay. Three commenters have response essays. Readers of the blog will know the first two commenters, philosophers Richard Arneson and Eric Mack. The third is Peter Boettke, an economist at George Mason University who blogs at Coordination Problem. All four pieces are thought-provoking and will be of great interest to Public Reason Blog readers. Jerry will add a concluding response essay in a few days. Cato Unbound welcomes discussions at other blogs, so if anyone wants to discuss some of the issued raised in the symposium on this blog, Cato Unbound will link to it.

Here are links to the main essays, with summaries included:

Jerry’s Essay: The Range of Justice (or, How to Retrieve Liberal Sectual Tolerance)

Summary: In his lead essay, Gerald Gaus argues that today’s political philosophy is a confused jumble of opposing factions with little prospect of consensus. He then proposes a way out of this “crisis of credibility”: We should recognize that there may be a range of institutions, each of which suffices to win our assent given the benefits that accrue from agreeing to any of them. Just as liberalism is a response to religious sectarianism, it can also be a response to philosophical sectarianism.

Dick Arneson’s Essay:  Toleration and Fundamentalism: Comments on Gaus

Summary: Richard Arneson rejects the analogy between religious and political toleration. In the latter, we are called to exercise reason, and we may well be justified in excluding from consideration those who hold unreasonable views. Indeed, given fully rational and fully informed interlocutors, agreement is inevitable, and there is no need for toleration at all. Gaus’s argument, while clever, is flawed. Arneson founds toleration on consequentialism: We tolerate even unreasonable beliefs because persecuting them has obviously bad results.

Eric Mack’s Essay: Peter Pan Strikes Back

Summary: Eric Mack argues that while classical liberalism seems to be a part of Gaus’s “range of justice,” its focus on prohibiting certain methods of attaining one’s goals will always render it unacceptable to some members of society. For all that, the prohibition of certain means, with very few restrictions on individuals’ chosen ends, makes the classical liberal position distinct from many other mere political sects. As a further problem, focusing on a range of justice whose member theories can potentially be found agreeable by free and equal moral persons may simply push the whole question back to a deeper level: Who then gets a place at the public reason table with the grownups? Are those agents who don’t come to the public reason table subject to any of the principles of justice?

Pete Boettke’s Essay: Living Better Together

Summary: Peter J. Boettke likens Gaus’s argument to the work of Friedrich Hayek and James Buchanan in political economy and public choice. He argues that property rights are integral to any generalized liberal system; without them, and without the means of increasing economic wealth through the market process, society will devolve into a fight over resources. Private property is thus a part of the basic framework of any liberal society.

(le français suit)

THE ANNUAL MONTREAL POLITICAL THEORY MANUSCRIPT WORKSHOP AWARD

Call for applications: The Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en philosophie politique de Montréal (GRIPP), spanning the departments of political science and philosophy at McGill University, l’Université de Montréal, Concordia University, and l’Université du Québec à Montréal, invites applications for its 2012 manuscript workshop award. The recipient of the award will be invited to Montreal  for a day-long workshop in April/May 2012 dedicated to his or her book manuscript. This “author meets critics” workshop will comprise four to five sessions dedicated to critical discussion of the manuscript; each session will begin with a critical commentary on a section of the manuscript by a  political theorist or philosopher who is part of Montreal’s GRIPP community. The format is designed to maximize feedback for a book-in-progress. The award covers the costs of travel, accommodation, and meals.

Eligibility:

A. Topic: The manuscript topic is open within political theory and political philosophy, but we are especially interested in manuscripts related to at least one of these GRIPP research themes: 1) the history of liberal and democratic thought, especially early modern thought; 2) moral psychology and political agency, or politics and affect or emotions or rhetoric; 3) democracy, diversity, and pluralism. 4) democracy, justice, and transnational institutions.

B. Manuscript: Book manuscripts in English or French, not yet in a version accepted for publication, by applicants with PhD in hand by 1 August 2011, are eligible. Applicants must have a complete or nearly complete draft (at least 4/5 of final draft) ready to present at the workshop. In the case of co-authored manuscripts, only one of the co-authors is eligible to apply. (Only works in progress by the workshop date are eligible; authors with a preliminary book contract are eligible only if no version has been already accepted for publication).

C. Application: Please submit the following materials electronically, compiled as a single PDF file: 1) a curriculum vitae; 2) a table of contents; 3) a short abstract of the book project, up to 200 words; 4) a longer book abstract up to 2500 words; and, in the case of applicants with previous book publication(s), (5) three reviews, from established journals in the field, of the applicant’s most recently published monograph. Candidates are not required to, but may if they wish, submit two letters of recommendation speaking to the merits of the book project. Please do not send writing samples. Send materials by email, with the subject heading “2012 GRIPP Manuscript Workshop Award” to Arash Abizadeh <arash.abizadeh at mcgill.ca>. Review of applications begins 10 January 2012. Contact Arash Abizadeh <arash.abizadeh at mcgill.ca> with questions.

Previous GRIPP Manuscript Workshops:
May 2011: James Ingram (McMaster), Radical Cosmopolitics: The Ethics and Politics of Democratic Universalism
April 2010: Hélène Landemore (Yale), Democratic Reason: Politics, Collective Intelligence, and the Rule of the Many
April 2009: Alan Patten (Princeton), Equal Recognition: The Moral Foundations of Minority Cultural Rights
March 2009: Kinch Hoekstra (UC Berkeley), Thomas Hobbes and the Creation of Order

————————————————

LE PRIX ANNUEL DE L’ATELIER DE MANUSCRIT DE PHILOSOPHIE POLITIQUE DE MONTRÉAL

Appel à candidature: Le groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en philosophie politique de Montréal (GRIPP), qui réunit des chercheurs des départements de science politique et de philosophie de l’Université McGill, de l’Université de Montréal, de l’Université Concordia et de l’Université du Québec à Montréal, fait un appel à candidature pour son prix 2012 de l’atelier de manuscrit. Le lauréat sera invité à Montréal en avril ou mai 2012 pour un atelier d’une journée complète consacré au manuscrit de son livre. Cet atelier du type « l’auteur rencontre ses critiques » comprendra quatre ou cinq séances de discussions critiques sur le manuscrit ; pour chacune d’entre elles, un spécialiste de théorie politique ou un philosophe membre de la communauté montréalaise du GRIPP lancera la discussion par un commentaire critique d’une des sections du manuscrit.  Ceci a pour but de faciliter les échanges sur un livre en chantier. Le prix couvre les dépenses de voyage, d’hébergement et de repas.

Éligibilité :

A- Sujet : De façon générale, le manuscrit doit traiter de théorie politique ou de philosophie politique, mais nous sommes tout particulièrement intéressés aux manuscrits qui correspondent à l’une des thématiques de recherche du GRIPP : 1) l’histoire de la pensée libérale et démocratique, et notamment du début de la pensée moderne; 2) la psychologie morale du sujet (ou encore de l’agent) politique, ainsi que la politique et les affects, les émotions ou la rhétorique; 3) la démocratie, la diversité et le pluralisme; 4) la démocratie, la justice et les institutions transnationales.

B- Manuscrit : Sont éligibles tous les manuscrits de livres en français ou en anglais, non encore publiés et non en version acceptée par une maison de presses, et dont l’auteur a reçu un doctorat avant le 1er août 2011. Les candidats devront avoir une version complète, ou presque (au moins 4/5e de la version finale), à présenter à l’atelier. Pour ce qui concerne les manuscrits coécrits, seul l’un des coauteurs est éligible.

C- Soumission : Vous voudrez bien fournir les documents suivants, en format électronique, dans un seul fichier PDF : 1) un curriculum vitae; 2) une table des matières; 3) un court résumé du projet du livre de moins de 200 mots; 4) un résumé plus long, de moins de 2 500 mots; et, dans le cas de candidats ayant déjà publié, 5) trois recensions parues dans des revues spécialisées et reconnues dans le domaine de la plus récente monographie publiée. Les candidats peuvent, s’ils le souhaitent, joindre deux lettres de recommandation présentant l’intérêt de leur projet de livre. Nous vous prions de ne pas envoyer d’extraits de manuscrit. Envoyez ces documents par courriel, avec le sujet « 2012 GRIPP Manuscript Workshop Award » à Arash Abizadeh <arash.abizadeh at mcgill.ca>. L’examen des candidatures commencera le 10 janvier 2012. Pour toute information supplémentaire, veuillez contacter Dominique Leydet <leydet.dominique à uqam.ca>

Ateliers de manuscrit précédents:
Mai 2011: James Ingram (McMaster), Radical Cosmopolitics: The Ethics and Politics of Democratic Universalism
Avril 2010: Hélène Landemore (Yale), Democratic Reason: Politics, Collective Intelligence, and the Rule of the Many
Avril 2009: Alan Patten (Princeton), Equal Recognition: The Moral Foundations of Minority Cultural Rights
Mars 2009: Kinch Hoekstra (UC Berkeley), Thomas Hobbes and the Creation of Order

Hi everyone.  I’m conducting an advanced undergraduate course on the morality of war next erm and would be very appreciative if anyone has any suggestions on which books or articles to assign.  Obviously, I know Walzer’s book is a classic, and there’s McMahan’s book Killing in War – but I’m not a specialist, so I could really use some help.  Many thanks in advance to everyone who posts a suggestion!

Call for Applications:
Political Theory Track of CEU Doctoral Program in Political Science,
CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY

DOCTORAL SCHOOL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, PUBLIC POLICY, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

We invite applications for the Political Theory Track of the CEU Doctoral Program in Political Science for the Academic Year 2012-2013. The Political Theory track is designed to prepare students for a career in academia and institutions of applied research. It is highly competitive and welcomes applications from graduates of Political Science, Philosophy, Law, Sociology, Economics, and related disciplines.

About the Program

The Political Theory track of the CEU Doctoral Program is one of five specialized tracks in CEU’s political science PhD program. It focuses on theoretical and applied perspectives in normative political theory. Major topics include justice, political obligation, democratic theory, applied political theory, philosophy of the social sciences and its application to normative problems, transitional justice among others.

While being operated by the Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations, the Political Theory track is at the same time jointly announced by the Departments of Political Science and Philosophy. This provides students engaged in this track with relatively easy access to courses offered by Philosophy and an opportunity to share seminars with philosophy students.

PhD studies comprise coursework and a research phase. Probationary Doctoral Candidates earn 24 credits over the course of their first two academic years. Course work focuses on the development of professional level research and analytical skills in the fields of normative political theory, distributive and transitional justice, democracy, ethics, and applied political theory. After passing the comprehensive examination and successfully defending the Prospectus, PhD Candidates conduct research on their doctoral project. During the research period for their dissertation, students have the opportunity to spend time at another university.

Much of the student work in the doctoral program is centered on doctoral student workshops and departmental seminars, where PhD candidates also have the opportunity to get in touch with visiting scholars from the most outstanding European and US universities. As the department’s faculty is actively involved in European Union-funded research projects, doctoral candidates gain direct access to academic networks, workshops, conferences in their field, both at CEU and beyond.

Funding

Students admitted into CEU doctoral programs are eligible to receive the CEU Doctoral Fellowship for up to three years. Doctoral enrollment may continue up to a maximum of six years. Numerous additional funding opportunities exist, such as the Doctoral Research Support Grant Program, the Erasmus Mobility Scheme, and various research and travel funds. Travel support from CEU for participation in major academic conferences and summer schools is also available. Further information on financial aid is available at: www.ceu.hu/admissions/financialaid/doctoral.

Admissions

All applicants must meet the General CEU Admissions Requirements (see: www.ceu.hu/admissions/apply), and submit:

• a curriculum vitae
• proof of relevant English language competency
• a 1,500-word research proposal
• a 500-word statement of purpose
• two confidential letters of recommendation;
• relevant undergraduate and graduate transcripts and diplomas;
• a summary of the MA thesis.

The deadline for applications is January 25, 2012.

More information and inquiries

For further information on the Political Theory Track please visit http://pds.ceu.hu or contact Andres Moles at the Department of Political Science, Central European University.

Email: molesa@ceu.hu.

For further information on the Doctoral School’s academic programs and courses, specific entry requirements, and a list of faculty, visit the Doctoral School’s website and contact the Doctoral School at http://pds.ceu.hu. Email: ds@ceu.hu

CEU Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy, and International Relations: Nador u. 9, 1051 Budapest, Hungary

21 October 2011, University of Milan, Faculty of Political Science, via Conservatorio 7

PROGRAM

10:00 - MORNING SESSION

Chair: Antonella Besussi (University of Milan)

John Horton (Keele University)
Toleration and reasonable disagreement

Discussant: Roberta Sala (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan)

Anna Elisabetta Galeotti (University of Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli)
Toleration revisited

Discussant: Federico Zuolo (IUSS - Pavia)

15:00 - AFTERNOON SESSION

Chair: Roberta Sala (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan)

Enzo Rossi (University of Wales, Newport)
Can tolerance be grounded in equal respect?

Maria Paola Ferretti (University of Darmstadt and Cluster of Excellence “Die Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen”, Frankfurt University)
Toleration and the limits of human reason

Emanuela Ceva (University of Pavia):
Why toleration is not the appropriate response to dissenting minorities’ claims

Opens the discussion: Nicola Riva (University of Milan)

Organizing committee:
Roberta Sala (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan)
National Research Program “Truth, Politics, Justice: Theories and Practices” - PRIN 2008

Click here to download the program

Stanford 2012-13 | Application deadline 11 January 2012

A message from the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society at Stanford regarding their postdoctoral fellowship opportunities for 2012-2013:

For 2012-2013, we  seek up to four new postdoctoral fellows. We welcome candidates with substantial normative research interests from diverse backgrounds including philosophy, the social sciences, and professional schools. We are especially interested in candidates with research interests in inequality,  human rights, immigration, and environmental justice, but we welcome all applicants with strong normative interests that have some practical implications. Fellows will teach one class, participate in a Political Theory Workshop, interact with undergraduates in the Ethics in Society Honors Program and help in developing an inter-disciplinary ethics community across the campus.

The appointment term is September 1, 2012 - August 31, 2013; however, the initial term may be renewed for an additional year. Applicants must have completed all requirements for their PhD by June 30, 2012. Candidates must also be no more than 3 years from the awarding of their degree (i.e., September 2009).

Stanford University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty.  It welcomes  applications from women and members of minority groups, as well as others who would bring additional dimensions to the university’s research and teaching missions. Salary is competitive.

The application deadline is January 11, 2012 (5:00pm Pacific Standard Time).

To access the online application system, click here

For more information on the Center and our fellowship program, click here.

For inquiries, please contact Joan Berry.

UCSD has just posted a position in Global Justice — at the Associate or tenure-track Assistant level. The position is housed in Political Science and formally designated a “political theory” job, though we are open to other subfields as appropriate.  The position is affiliated with our new Center on Global Justice.  We launched the Center last Spring, at a conference with Amartya Sen, Elinor Ostrom and 25 scholars across disciplines.  www.globaljustice.ucsd.edu  The university has committed to building the Center over the next years, and it will be an exciting opportunity for whomever takes this job.  The Center is committed to “social science research in action” — and refocusing “global justice” from transcendental thinking toward concrete problem  solving, and the identification and amelioration of manifest injustices on the ground.  Applications from philosophers are welcome.

The ad will be posted on APSA shortly, but for now can be found here:  http://polisci.ucsd.edu/faculty/employment.html

If you know any individuals or networks who should know of this opportunity please pass it along.  Thanks.

Gerry Mackie and Fonna Forman-Barzilai, Co-Directors
UCSD Center on Global Justice

“Democracy and Its Critics: Ancient and Modern”, 22 October 2011 at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. Organized by the Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the U.K. The keynote address will be given by Professor Richard Bellamy (UCL / Chair, Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought). Another keynote speaker will be Dr. Ricardo Blaug (University of Westminster).

As a number of people wrote to me yesterday and today to ask if they can still register for the above conference, I have decided to extend the call for registration for ten more days. So people who did not have the time to register are now given the opportunity to do so until 10 October 2011.

Please send a cheque for £37.00 made payable to “Zenon Stavrinides” to Dr. Zenon Stavrinides, Research Fellow, School of Law, The Liberty Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. People from abroad who would prefer to make a bank transfer, please contact Dr. Stavrinides directly (e-mail: z.stavrinides@leeds.ac.uk). The participatory fee will cover mid-morning tea/coffee and biscuits, a sandwich lunch and mid-afternoon tea/coffee and cake.

For queries concerning accommodation please contact me (evangelia.sembou@hotmail.com).Best Wishes,

Evangelia Sembou

–

Dr. Evangelia Sembou
Convenor, Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United  Kingdom
http://www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/39/polthought.aspx

Readers of Public Reason might be interested in the New Books in Philosophy interview I conducted with Jason Brennan about his new book, The Ethics of Voting (Princeton UP, 2011).  Follow this link.

Cheers,  –Robert Talisse

The Katherine A. Pearson Chair in Civil Society and Public Policy

Applications are currently invited for The Katharine A. Pearson Chair in Civil Society and Public Policy tenable jointly in the Faculty of Arts (www.mcgill.ca/arts) and in the Faculty of Law (www.mcgill.ca/law), McGill University. The appointment is expected to be at the rank of Full Professor. The Katharine A. Pearson Chair in Civil Society and Public Policy was created through a generous gift from the McConnell Foundation.

The Faculties of Arts and of Law seek applications from scholars of international renown with impeccable academic credentials in Arts and in Law, and demonstrated interdisciplinary expertise. The purpose of the Chair is to contribute to the teaching and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students in the two faculties. The holder of the Chair will also be expected to assume leadership within a new Civil Society Program at McGill University, develop new research directions in civil society and foster research grant applications to sustain the Program.

The Civil Society Program will rest on a broad meaning of civil society as an analytic term for the social sciences and humanities. Moving beyond the now-standard opposition of civil society to the State, the Program will explore both formal non-governmental structures and organizations (the “community sector”), and informal associations, practices, beliefs and values that mediate between the self and the State. The Program will study the role of individuals and non-governmental institutional forms, groups, communities and organizations in the development of legal and public policy. It will explore innovative, pluralistic and adaptive approaches to governance in meeting local and global challenges posed by health, environment, personal and economic well-being, social diversity and equity in a context of declining public resources.

The Civil Society Program will draw on McGill University’s identity as a socially important institution in public life in Canada and a respected voice internationally. McGill’s embrace of the advantages of study in Montreal – bilingualism, bicultural and bijural institutions, a cosmopolitan urban setting – are understood as central to the success of this venture. It will focus on Canada as a laboratory for study and public action, and recognize that Canada represents, at its best, a model setting for teaching, research and public outreach on matters relating to civil society in the international community.

Applicants shall provide a letter of intent, a summary of research interests (including proposed research program), complete curriculum vitae, copies of three representative publications, and the names of at least three references to the Staff Appointments Committee by October 15, 2011. However, applications will be accepted until an incumbent for the Chair is found. Email applications are preferred (linda.coughin@mcgill.ca) but hard copy applications can also be mailed to:

Staff Appointments Committee
c/o Dean’s Office
Faculty of Law
McGill University
3644 Peel Street
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1W9

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. McGill University is committed to diversity and equity in employment. It welcomes applications from indigenous peoples, visible minorities, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, women, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities and others who may contribute to further diversification.

The conference of the Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom on the theme of “Democracy and Its Critics: Ancient and Modern” is approaching.

The venue and conference programme is as follows:

DEMOCRACY AND ITS CRITICS: ANCIENT AND MODERN

22 October 2011

at
St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University
09:30-10:00: Arrival / Registration

10:00 -10:10: Welcoming talk by Dr. Evangelia Sembou (Convenor, Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom)

10:10 -10:50: Keynote Address by Prof. Richard Bellamy (University College London,U.K. / Chair, Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought) Title to be confirmed

10:50-11:30: Mr. Matthew Landauer (Harvard University, USA),Wagging the Demos? Demagoguery and Popular Decision-Making in Democratic Athens

11:30-12:10: Dr. Jaroslav Danes (University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic), Origins of Classical Political Theory as a Criticism of the Ideals, Values and Operation of the Athenian Democracy

12:10-12.50: Dr. Andros Loizou (University of Central Lancashire, UK), Democracy, Polity and Aristotle’s Middle Constitution

13:00-14:00: LUNCH

14:00-14:40: Mr. Barry Macleod-Cullinane (Councillor, London Borough of Harrow), The Agora,the Ballot Box & the Politician: Bertrand de Jouvenel on Democracy& The Enterprise of Politics

14:40-15:20: Dr. Ricardo Blaug (University of Westminster, UK), Information Processing in Public: The Assembly and Its Council

15:20-16:00: Ms. Ana Rita Ferreira (Portuguese Catholic University/University of Minho, Portugal), Social-democratic Ideology: Liberal Democracy’s Best Friend?

16:00-16:20: COFFEE / TEA BREAK

16:20-17:00: Professor Joseph Femia (University of Liverpool, UK), The Classical Elitist Critique of Democracy: a Re-evaluation

17:00 - 17: 40: Ms. Anthoula Malkopoulou (University of Jyvaskyla, Finland), Against Elections: The Political Thought of Abstention

17:40-18:20: Dr. Yossi Nehushtan (The College of Management, Law School, Israel), Is Democracy Possible?

18:20-19:00: Dr. Marta Nunes da Costa (CEHUM, Portugal), Democracy and Democracies - Between Theory and Facts

There is a participatory fee of £37.00, which will cover mid-morning tea/coffee and biscuits, a sandwich lunch and mid-afternoon tea/coffee and cake.

Those interested in attending are kindly requested to send a cheque made payable to “Zenon Stavrinides” to Dr. Zenon Stavrinides, Research Fellow, School of Law, The Liberty Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. by 30th September 2011. Please note that for logistical reasons we are now asking interested participants to make cheques payable to “Zenon Stavrinides”. People from abroad who would prefer to make a bank transfer, please contact Dr. Stavrinides directly (e-mail: z.stavrinides@leeds.ac.uk).

Please do not hesitate to contact me (evangelia.sembou@hotmail.com), should you have any queries (including questions about accommodation in Oxford).

Dr. Evangelia Sembou
Convenor, Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom
http://www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/39/polthought.aspx

This year, we’re looking for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Moral and Political Philosophy with interdisciplinary research and teaching interests. It’s a 2/2 load, including a graduate seminar. Applications should be received by 14 November and applicants MUST complete the online application (per university policy) in addition to sending the department a complete dossier. Here’s the ad that will appear in the JFP:

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. The Department of Philosophy and the interdisciplinary program, the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT), invite applications for a tenure track position in the Philosophy Department, to begin August 10, 2012.

Rank: Assistant Professor
AOS: Moral or Political Philosophy
AOC: Moral and Political Philosophy

The department is a major component of the ASPECT interdisciplinary PhD program. Since this position is part of an ASPECT cluster hire, the successful candidate will have a special interest in and a commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research connected with the ASPECT program.

Teaching load is four courses per year, including one graduate seminar. Evidence of excellence in research and teaching required. Salary: competitive. Ph.D. completed by August, 2012

The department offers a strong MA in Philosophy, and is also involved in an interdisciplinary PhD program in Science and Technology Studies. Virginia Tech is an EO/AA employer and particularly encourages applications from women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and minorities.

Interested candidates are REQUIRED to complete a brief on-line application at www.jobs.vt.edu (posting # 0110928) and send dossier (cover letter with statement of interest, CV, 3 letters of recommendation, graduate transcripts, a writing sample, and evidence of teaching excellence) to ASPECT Search Committee, Department of Philosophy—0126, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061. We will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received, until the position is filled. Applications should be received by November 14, 2011, for full consideration.

Here are podcasts from a lecture series on the state, which took place recently at the University of Oxford. The lectures are by Stefan Bird-Pollan (University of Kentucky), Nadia Urbinati (Columbia University), Thomas Pogge (Yale University), Erika de Wet (University of Pretoria), Paul Guyer (University of Pennsylvania), and Quentin Skinner (Queen Mary, University of London). Please follow this link: http://beta.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/state-state

Cheers, Reidar Maliks

“DEMOCRACY AND ITS CRITICS: ANCIENT AND MODERN”, 22 OCTOBER 2011, ST. HUGH’S COLLEGE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY

This is a reminder that the Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom
will hold an one-day conference on the theme of “Democracy and Its Critics: Ancient and Modern” at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford on Saturday,
22nd October 2011. For the conference programme please go to http://www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/39/PolThought11.pdf.

There is a participatory fee of £37.00, which will cover mid-morning tea/coffee and biscuits, a sandwich lunch and mid-afternoon tea/coffee and cake.

Those who would like to attend are kindly requested to send a cheque made payable to “Political Thought Specialist Group of the
PSA” to Dr. Zenon Stavrinides, Research Fellow, School of Law, The Liberty Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. by 30 September 2011. People from abroad who would prefer to make a bank transfer should contact Dr. Stavrinides (z.stavrinides@leeds.ac.uk).

There will be a small number of rooms in university accommodation for those traveling from afar. Please contact me (evangelia.sembou@hotmail.com) for more information (including guest houses and hotels in Oxford).

Moreover, please do not hesitate to contact me or Dr. Zenon Stavrinides (z.stavrinides@leeds.ac.uk), should you have any more queries.

Dr. Evangelia Sembou
Convenor, Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom
http://www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/39/polthought.aspx

Jason Brennan (Georgetown) and I (Bowling Green) have put together a conversation on public reason/political liberalism and its treatment of religious contributions to public life (which would not have been possible without the help of the great folks over at Phil TV, especially David Killoren). In the video, I argue that there are relatively unexplored versions of public reason that are considerably friendlier to religious contributions to public life than public reason’s proponents and detractors believe. Jason presents me with a number of sharp challenges and observations.

Watch us here.

Public Reasoners,

I am pleased to announce the premier of the Twin Cities Review of Political Philosophy. TC Review is a journal that combines scholarship from professionals and academics written toward an undergraduate audience as well as research work from undergraduates. Our undergraduate staff worked hard to get this issue assembled, but it also could not have happened without the wonderful student papers submitted to the Review as well as the cooperation and support of senior faculty from around the country, many of whom are fellow public reasoners. If I may be permitted one last thank you in this space, the posting of our Call for Papers on Public Reason was met with numerous responses, so we all wish to express our gratitude for everyone who goes into making this online community what it is. We have PDF files for those interested that are accessible from the link at the beginning of the paragraph, but I thought I would also take the liberty of adding a link to a site where you can read the review from your web browser. Thanks again to all.

Public Reasoners might be interested in checking out the interview I conducted with Elizabeth Anderson about her recent book, The Imperative of Integration, for New Books in Philosophy. 

Follow this link.

Cheers,

–Bob Talisse

Tulane University Center for Ethics and Public Affairs | Deadline: 15 November 2011

This is a great fellowship opportunity in a great place:

The Murphy Institute’s Center for Ethics and Public Affairs at Tulane University invites applications for up to three Faculty Fellowship positions for the 2012-2013 academic year. These fellowships are available to support outstanding faculty whose teaching and research focus on ethics, political philosophy, political theory, or questions of moral choice in areas such as, but not restricted to, business, government, law, economics, and medicine. While fellows will participate in conferences and seminars organized by the Center, they will be expected to devote most of their time to conducting their own research. Faculty Fellows receive a stipend of 60,000 USD and are eligible for Tulane faculty benefits, including health insurance. Applicants should hold a doctorate in philosophy, political science, political theory, or political economy (or a related discipline), or a professional, terminal degree in a field such business, law, or medicine, at the time of application. Tulane University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Required application materials include the completed fellowship application form, curriculum vitae, project description with bibliography, scholarly paper, and 2 reference letters. Applicants must submit their materials via Academic Jobs Online website. For more information and the application form click here or contact Margaret Keenan at mkeenan [at] tulane.edu or 504-862-3236.

I’d like to thank all of you who sent me comments on the RNR (”Foundations of a Nonideal Theory of Justice”) I posted here the other week. Almost all of you homed in on a problem with the Side-Constraint Principle that had been worrying me: its unexplained (and unjustified) reference to ideal primary goods.  I’ve now fixed the issue and would like to post the paper here one final time (old revisions are in red; new ones in blue) before I send the paper back to the journal later this week.  Any last-minute comments/suggestions/worries would be immensely appreciated.  Again, I really can’t thank you all enough.  Your feedback has been invaluable!

Foundations of a Nonideal Theory of Justice 

Cornell University, 27-28 April 2012 | CFP Deadline: 1 Nov 2011

Via Pinar Kemerli at Cornell:

“From Meydan Tahrir to Wisconsin: Rethinking Revolution, Democracy and Citizenship”

An interdisciplinary graduate student conference, hosted by the political theory graduate students in the Department of Government at Cornell University, April 27 – 28, 2012.

From revolutionary awakenings in the Arab world to protests against austerity measures in Europe and assaults on labor rights in Wisconsin, a “specter is haunting the world” – the specter of democracy and equality. This conference aims to bring together a diverse group of graduate students to discuss the significance of these revolutionary mobilizations and moments of solidarity for political thought. How do unfolding events challenge us to reconsider political concepts such as democracy, revolution, and citizenship? In light of these historical developments, papers might address political possibilities and anxieties unleashed by the current revolutionary enthusiasm: To what extent are these demands for economic equality, labor rights, and democracy compatible with contemporary hegemony of (neo)liberalism? Does the Tea Party as a conservative social movement challenge our ideas regarding the content of democratic politics? Is it the attempt to weaken union rights in Wisconsin that represents an undermining of democratic citizenship, or the recall efforts that have followed them? When are “rebels/protesters” justified in claiming popular authority and taking up “constituent power”? How should we interpret the nationalist discourse and imagery evoked in revolutions? What is at stake in the tendency to present the Egyptian revolution as a radical break from the past, as a distinctively “secular moment”? What do transnational connections between the protesters in Tahrir Square and the public workers of Wisconsin tell us about revolutionary enthusiasm from afar, about democracy’s ‘witness’, or about projection of democratic imagery and metaphor?

We seek papers that will engage a wide range of disciplines, including politics, sociology, developmental sociology, history, anthropology, and near eastern studies. In order to be considered, applicants should email their proposals to cornelltheoryconference [at] gmail.com by November 1, 2011. Proposals should include a two-page c.v. and a prospectus of 500-1000 words.

Decisions will be announced by January 15, 2012.

Hi everyone, I’ve been working on this paper for a number of years, and it is finally under revise-and-resubmit.  Given that I work in a very small department and am not great at networking, I could really use some help vetting my revisions.  I would be very grateful if anyone here is willing to read it and send thoughts about it my way (revisions are in red).  Here is a brief abstract:

This paper systematically extends John Rawls’ original position to nonideal theory, showing how the parties to a “nonideal original position” ought to prioritize four types of nonideal primary goods over Rawls’ principles and priority relations, and then agree to five lexically ordered principles for distributing those goods under nonideal conditions.  All five principles (and their orderings) are also shown to fare very well in reflective equilibrium, cohering with a number of pretheoretic moral intuitions.

Here is the paper: Foundations of a Nonideal Theory of Justice.

Within the last fifty years, interpretation has become one of the most important intellectual paradigms of humanities and social sciences scholarship. Theories about law and literature, philosophy and political thought, history and theology all rely on textual interpretation. Issues such as the role of intentions in the interpretation of texts, the question of whether texts determine, or constrain, interpretations of them, and how much, if any, contextual information is required for their understanding, concern all those disciplines, and call for cross-disciplinary collaboration and exchange. Finally, the simultaneous proliferation of certain interpretive approaches such as ‘hermeneutics’, ‘deconstruction’, and ‘feminist (re)readings’ of texts across disciplinary divides has shown the permeability of these boundaries, and has thus made this call for collaboration even more pertinent.

This conference will provide a setting in which distinguished proponents and critics of some of the prevalent interpretive approaches currently used in humanities and social sciences research are able to engage, for the first time, in a rigorous debate about the advantages and costs of each approach, and to discuss the political assumptions that inform them, as well as aims that drive them.

One of the primary goals will be to evaluate the validity of each interpretive method in reference to the readings it produces when applied to texts. Some of the key questions in this respect include: What is it that each method can or cannot claim to be able to show? To what extent do these methods succeed both in theory and in practice? Do they prevent or improve our understanding of texts? A second focus of the conference is to shed light upon the political dimension of interpretive enterprises and to decode their ideological presuppositions. There has virtually been no interdisciplinary exchange about the question of whether these approaches are ideologically sustained, and if so, whether ideologically charged approaches in turn induce interpreters to systematically ignore some aspects of texts, whilst emphasizing others. Here, consequences will be drawn for the interpretation of politics, widely construed.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been encouraged by a fellow reader of this blog to post an announcement about my two books that have come out in the last year.

The first is called Rawls, Dewey, and Constructivism (2010), and was reviewed positively on Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews here. You can find the book on Amazon here: US, UK, CA.

From the publisher:  In Rawls, Dewey, and Constructivism, Eric Weber examines and critiques John Rawls’ epistemology and the unresolved tension - inherited from Kant - between Representationalism and Constructivism in Rawls’ work. Weber argues that, despite Rawls’ claims to be a constructivist, his unexplored Kantian influences cause several problems. In particular, Weber criticises Rawls’ failure to explain the origins of conceptions of justice, his understanding of “persons” and his revival of Social Contract Theory. Drawing on the work of John Dewey to resolve these problems, the book argues for a rigorously constructivist approach to the concept of justice and explores the practical implications of such an approach for Education.

From Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews:  ”Weber’s excellent book raises a constructivist challenge against Rawls’s constructivism… In Rawls’s writings, the reference to Kantian constructivism is so vague as to be essentially meaningless. That is one of the implications of this very useful book.”

The second book is called Morality, Leadership, and Public Policy: On Experimentalism in Ethics and was released in July of 2011. It is available on Amazon here: US, UK, CA.

From the publisher:  Informed by the pragmatism of John Dewey, this book argues the practical benefits for public policy of a rigorous experimentalist approach to applying moral theory.

Initial reviews from the back of the book can be read on the US Amazon page for the book or on the publisher’s Web site here.

If you’re interested in reviewing one of these books, you can contact me by email at etweber@olemiss.edu.  Also, you can visit my Web site at http://ericthomasweber.org, where I post info on my academic work as well as materials from public engagement efforts.

Call for Papers

Fall 2014 Symposium:  The Epistemology, Ethics, and Politics of Emergencies

The Editors of Reason Papers are soliciting submissions of manuscripts for a special symposium on emergencies (due by March 1, 2014). Send submissions to reasonpapers@gmail.com. Inquiries welcome.

Submissions may grapple with any of a wide variety of issues related to emergencies (not an exhaustive list): How is “emergency” to be defined?  How do we know when we enter/exit an emergency?  How should moral and legal norms be formulated so as to take stock of emergencies-if they should? Are moral norms defeasible in the face of emergencies, or specially contextualized so as to preserve their indefeasibility? Who has special authority for decision-making in an emergency? How best to guard against abuses of power or corruptions of norms in emergency situations?

We’re looking for submissions across the broadest spectrum of relevant disciplines-philosophy, political science, legal studies, history, sociology, anthropology, medicine, criminology/police studies, strategic/military studies, etc.

International Journal of Theory of Politics - Teoria politica

Obedience and consent in contemporary political systems
Why do we obey one another? How many forms, reasons and/or irrational motives are there behind obedience and disobedience? In Western democracies, passive acquiescence or slothful obedience is widespread: Similar phenomena have been described as «voluntary servitude» (La Boétie), acceptance of «mild despotism» (Tocqueville), effect of «massdemobilization» (Wolin). Today, civil liability is interrupted by episodes of protests and transgressions yet such reactions seem to run out of steam with short notice, without having had any significant effect on the general political arrangements. How are such reactions related to people’s profound mistrust in current institutions (Rosanvallon)? Is apathy here best understood as anti-politics and a font of populist degeneration? More generally, what relationships are there between democracy and consent? What kind of consent? By whom? For whom or for what, on whom or on what? How can we measure the distance between critical and uncritical consent, free and manipulated consent or consent extorted by threats and flattery, or shaped by dreams and nightmares forged by the media, or consent that is simply bought? Which forms of consent grounds «audience democracy» (Manin)? Are these phenomena specific toestablished democracies? Is it different elsewhere? Does the so-called Arab spring offer a «fourth wave» of democratization?

Teoria politica particularly welcomes papers on the following topics:
•    The multiple dimensions of obedience and consent in contemporary political systems
•    Passions that strengthen or weaken obedience and consent
•    Formation and use of obedience and consent in political contexts
•    Rules preventing deterioration of consent and obedience
•    New forms of disobedience and dissent

Deadline: November 15, 2011

For editorial criteria, please send an email to teoriapoliticatorino@gmail.com

Application deadline: August 1
Stipend: $25,000 for one-semester or yearlong visitorship
Eligibility and how to apply
Call for applications

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The Bowling Green Workshop in Applied
Ethics and Public Policy

Manipulation

March 16-17, 2012

The Bowling Green Workshop in Applied Ethics and Public Policy will take place in Bowling Green, Ohio on March 16-17, 2012. The keynote speaker will be Marcia Baron (Indiana University).

Those interested in presenting a paper are invited to submit a 2-3 page abstract (double-spaced) by September 30, 2011. We welcome submissions in all areas in applied ethics and philosophical issues relevant to public policy. Special consideration will be given to papers relevant to this year’s conference theme: manipulation. The theme is to be construed broadly, however, and we encourage contributions from any area of moral and political philosophy where manipulation is of interest or concern.

Only one submission per person is permitted. Abstracts will be evaluated by a program committee and decisions made in October 2011. Please direct all abstracts and queries to:
pibarra@bgsu.edu

Further information about the Workshop will be available on the workshop website:

http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/phil/conferences/manipulation

The Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom will be holding a
conference on the theme of “Democracy and Its Critics: Ancient and Modern” at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University on 22nd October 2011. The conference programme is as follows:

DEMOCRACY AND ITS CRITICS: ANCIENT AND MODERN

22 October 2011
at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford
09:30 -10:00: Arrival / Registration

10:00 - 10:10: Welcoming talk by Dr. Evangelia Sembou (Chair, Political Thought
Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association)

10:10 - 10:50: Keynote Address by Prof. Richard Bellamy (University
College London, U.K. / Chair, Britain and Ireland Association for Political Thought)
Title to be confirmed

10:50 -11:30: Mr. Matthew Landauer (Harvard University, USA)
Wagging the Demos? Demagoguery and Popular Decision-Making in Democratic Athens

11:30 -12:10: Dr. Jaroslav Danes (University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic)
Origins of Classical Political Theory as a Criticism of the Ideals, Values and Operation
of the Athenian Democracy

12:10 -12.50: Dr. Andros Loizou (University of Central Lancashire, UK)
Democracy, Polity and Aristotle’s Middle Constitution

13:00 -14:00: LUNCH

14:00 -14:40: Mr. Barry Macleod-Cullinane (Councillor, London Borough of Harrow)
The Agora, the Ballot Box & the Politician: Bertrand de Jouvenel on Democracy& The
Enterprise of Politics

14:40 -15:20: Dr. Ricardo Blaug (University of Westminster, UK)
Information Processing in Public: The Assembly and Its Council

15:20 - 16:00: Ms. Ana Rita Ferreira (Portuguese Catholic University/University of
Minho, Portugal)
Social-democratic Ideology: Liberal Democracy’s Best Friend?

16:00 -16:20: COFFEE / TEA BREAK

16:20 -17:00: Professor Joseph Femia (University of Liverpool, UK)
The Classical Elitist Critique of Democracy: a Re-evaluation

17:00 - 17:40: Ms. Anthoula Malkopoulou (University of Jyvaskyla, Finland)
Against Elections: The Political Thought of Abstention

17:40 -18:20: Dr. Yossi Nehushtan (The College of Management, Law School, Israel)
Is Democracy Possible?

18:20 -19:00: Dr. Marta Nunes da Costa (CEHUM, Portugal)
Democracy and Democracies - Between Theory and Facts
There is a participatory fee of £37.00, which will cover mid-morning tea/coffee and biscuits, a sandwich lunch and mid-afternoon tea/coffee and cake.

It would greatly facilitate our planning and logistics if interested persons would send a cheque made payable to “Political Thought Specialist Group of the PSA” to Dr. Zenon Stavrinides, Research Fellow, School of Law, The Liberty Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. by 30th September 2011.

Please do not hesitate to contact the conference organizers, Dr. Evangelia Sembou (evangelia.sembou@hotmail.com)
and Dr. Zenon Stavrinides (z.stavrinides@leeds.ac.uk), should you have any queries (including queries of accommodation).

Dr. Evangelia Sembou
Convenor, Political Thought Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom
http://www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/39/polthought.aspx

We are pleased to inform you that the international conference “Axel Hägerström and Modern Social Thought”, on occasion of the centennial of his 1911 lecture ”On the Truth of Moral Ideas”, will take place on September 23-24 in Uppsala, Sweden.
For information please see the conference website: www.hagerstromcentennial.se

Public Reasoners:

The holiday caused a slight delay in posting my New Books in Philosophy interview with Jerry Gaus about The Order of Public Reason. It has now been posted here.  Please check it out.

Thanks,

–Bob Talisse

Postgraduate Essay Prize, 2011Res Publica: A Journal of Moral, Legal and Social Philosophy

For the seventh year running, Res Publica will be awarding a prize for the best paper submitted by a current postgraduate student in 2011.  This may be in any area of moral, legal, social or political philosophy. Entries should conform to the normal requirements for submissions - please see the website address below for details. 

All entries must be received by 15 October 2011, with the winner to be announced early in 2012  The winner will receive £100 and a year’s subscription to the journal.  The winning essay will be published in Volume 18 (2012).

Previous winners:
Alexandra Couto, ‘Privacy and Justification’ 12.3 (2006)
Alasdair Cochrane, ‘Animal Rights and Animal Experiments: An Interest-Based Approach’ 13.3 (2007)
Göran Duus-Otterström, ‘Betting Against Hard Determinism’ (14.3, 2008)
Seth Lazar, ‘The Nature and Disvalue of Injury’ (15.3, 2009)
Guy Sela, ‘Moral Luck and Liability Lotteries’ (16.3, 2010)
Christopher Nathan, ‘Need there be a Defence of Equality’ (forthcoming: 17.3, 2011)
The prize will be judged by a panel of referees, along with the journal editors.

Entries should be submitted via the journal’s submission website - www.editorialmanager.com/resp/ - and labelled PG Essay Prize.

There is more information on Res Publica on the Springer website at: www.springer.com/11158

Or contact, the co-editors:
Sune Laegaard     laegaard@ruc.dk
Jonathan Seglow  j.seglow@rhul.ac.uk

Hello Public Reasoners!

I write to announce a new podcast, New Books in Philosophy. Carrie Figdor (U of Iowa) and I co-host the podcast, and each episode features an in-depth interview with an author of a newly-published philosophy book. Interviews will be posted on the 1st and 15th of each month. The inaugural interview, posted today, is with Eric Schwitzgebel (UC Riverside), author of Perplexities of Consciousness (MIT Press). An interview with Jerry Gaus (Arizona), author of The Order of Public Reason (Cambridge University Press), will be posted on July 1st. Upcoming podcasts include interviews with Robert Pasnau, Sandy Goldberg, Carolyn Korsmeyer, Fabienne Peter, Jason Brennan, Allen Buchanan, Elizabeth Anderson, and others. Please click over to the NBiP site, and check out what we’re doing.

Here’s a link to the interview with Eric Schwitzgebel.

Cheers,
–Robert Talisse