The Moral Psychology of Liberal Democracy

Friday October 31, 9.30-17.00

Location: Institute for Philosophy, Leiden University. Reuvensplaats 3-4, room 1.01E.
(http://visitors.leiden.edu/buildings/reuvensplaats.html)

Most contemporary Western states are liberal democracies. Their constitutions combine democratic decision procedures with non-democratic restriction on that procedure (usually in the form of fundamental rights). It is remarkable that this liberal democratic institutional arrangement is justified by radically different philosophical traditions, ranging from utilitarianism to republicanism; from deliberative democracy theory to certain forms of agonism.
The debate between these traditions typically turns on the minutiae of institutional design, the desiderata on an ideal political order and the plausibility of the arguments endorsing liberal democracy. Unfortunately less attention is given to the implicit moral psychology of these traditions. It is clear that these various justifications of liberal democracy all have implicit assumptions about those participating in such constitutions.
The aim of this workshop is to come to a critical comparison and assessment of these various more or less implicit assumptions about the psychology of the subjects of liberal democracies.

9.30-10.00:

Coffee & welcome

10.00-11.30:

Glen Newey (Leiden University): “'The psyche as public works project: truth, compliance, and psychopharmacology”

11.30-13.00:

Veronique Munoz-Dardé (Stanford/UCL): TBA

13.00-14.00:

Lunch

14.00-15.30:

Philip Pettit (Princeton/ANU): “Demarcating the Basic Liberties”

15.30-17.00:

Paul Nieuwenburg (Leiden University): “The Liberalism of Shame”

17.00-18.00:

Drinks

NB: The workshop follows the third annual Centre for Political Philosophy Lecture by Philip Pettit on Thursday, October 30. For more information, check the CPP website: http://www.centreforpoliticalphilosophy.nl/

Attendance, as well as lunch and drinks are free of charge, but space is limited. Therefore, please register with Mrs. Karineke Sombroek ([email protected]) so we know to expect you.