Midlands Political Thought Postgraduate Conference：The Public-Private Divide in the History of Political Thought

Midlands Political Thought Postgraduate Conference: 

The Public-Private Divide in the History of Political Thought

Keynote speaker: Dr Hannah Dawson 

Location: University of Nottingham

Date: October 17,  2024 

The divide between the public and the private, as well as the separation between the private sphere and public space, is a recurrent topic in the history of political thought and dates back to the beginning of the history of political philosophy. The quest for just political order begins with a discussion on the connection between the private and the public, including questions like, how to reconcile the conflicts between the private interest and the common interest, what can be regarded as the private sphere, and whether it should be protected against the public interference. This conference seeks to investigate these questions by delving into the historical roots of the public-private divide while exploring its relevance in today's complex socio-political landscape.

In Ancient Greece, the tension between the private and the public is demonstrated by the conflicts between the family and the state/the city. On the one hand, the city is placed above the family. In Plato’s Republic, a just city should be one where the families should be abolished among the ruling class. Aristotle, in his Politics, argues that man is by nature a political animal and should live in a political community, which is higher and more virtuous than a household. On the other hand, the conflicts between the family and the city can lead to tragic consequences, as indicated in Sophocles’s Antigone.

Early modern political philosophers have different ways to cope with the tension between the private and the public. Hobbes, worried about the division within the state, calls for a dominant leviathan to overpower every individual. Rousseau distinguishes between “man” and “citizen”, arguing that these two represent two different personalities and cannot be reconciled with each other. Against Filmer, Locke distinguishes political rule from patriarchal rule, separating the public from the family. Moreover, Locke protects the legitimacy of private property by associating private property with labour, but also opens the door for unlimited acquisitions (at least according to certain interpretations). 

The divide remained an important feature of modern political ideas. For example, Karl Marx, viewing private property as the source of inequality and class exploitation, calls for the elimination of private property in a communist society. Hannah Arendt derided what she referred to as the loss of the world, the shrinking of the public sphere where political action takes place.

In contemporary political theory research, the discussion regarding the private and public divide is further complicated by issues like gender, race, migration, etc. We are hoping to bring these contemporary insights into the discussion of the history of political thought, and we are particularly interested in topics like:

1. What can be defined as ‘private’?

2. What are the limits of legitimate intervention of public power over private affairs?

3. How might private relations (for example, familial relations or friendship) impact the public sphere?

4. What role does gender play in the division between the private and the public in the history of political thought?

5. How does the distinction between the private and the public tell us about the nature of citizenship? 

This year we are delighted to have Dr Hannah Dawson from King’s College London as our keynote speaker. Dr Dawson is an intellectual historian working widely on early modern political thought, the history of theories of language, and the history of gender and feminism.

This conference plans to include 12 papers: each paper will be given 20 minutes followed by a general discussion. To apply, please complete this form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNaA6GwifN5szkK5IDHyDp4ykhROr7zfWY43Ik0U7GWDDJRA/viewform including an abstract no longer than 500 words by 2024/08/01, and successful applicants will be notified within three weeks. For any questions regarding the conference, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].