CFP: 12th Annual BGSU Workshop in Applied Ethics and Public Policy

12th Annual Bowling Green Workshop in Applied Ethics and Public Policy

Democracy: Theoretical and Empirical Issues

Keynotes speakers:

Ryan Pevnick (NYU, Politics)

Chris Freiman (William & Mary, Philosophy)

Michael Neblo (Ohio State University, Political Science)

Democracy is one way of making political decisions. For a long time, many thought that it was a good way. And many still do. But skepticism about the prospects of democratic decision-making seems to be increasing. The aim of this workshop is to bring together scholars with diverse approaches to address both institutional and deliberative questions such as, but not limited to:

·      Is democracy desirable?

·      Are there powerful, perhaps even insurmountable, problems with democratic decision-making?

·      If so, what if anything can be done to address them?

·      Should we consider alternatives?

·      How should we talk to our fellow citizens?

·      How can we improve public deliberation or public reasoning?

·      Is it even worth trying to improve democratic discourse?

·      Or should we explore more radical systemic and institutional options?

·      How important are outcomes for the justification (or legitimacy) of democracy?

·      How should we measure what counts as a good or bad outcome?

·      If we want to defend democracy, what particular institutional form should it take?

·      Are there justice-based reasons for or against democracy that have been insufficiently developed to this point?

·      How do intersectional considerations (immigration policy, extent of markets, degree of political equality) matter to democratic performance?

·      How much do local norms and characteristics matter to the justification of democracy?

·      Democracy performs better in certain places than others. What can we learn from this?

·      Is democracy dying?

·      Can democracy be saved?

Both theoretical or empirically-based papers are welcome.  For information about previous workshops, see: https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/philosophy/workshops-and-conferences.html

For consideration for the workshop, please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words to [email protected] by Jan. 10th, 2023. Please include your name and affiliation. Submissions will be reviewed by a committee, with decisions made by Jan. 17, 2023.