Acting Democratically: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Politics of Exclusion

Democracy is a political system designed to empower and give a voice to all citizens. Citizens are believed to exercise their power when voting, participating in public debates, or actively engaging in forms of civic activism and political advocacy. Those who have the opportunity to express their views and act politically, do so under the assumption that they are included in contemporary democracies and can influence political decision-making processes. 

The idea of being included, however, inherently involves discourses and practices of exclusion. In effect, some individuals or groups are marginalized or left out of the political process, thus creating narratives about who is deemed a legitimate participant in the democratic system. Such narratives are flexible and contested, and topics such as discrimination because of race, gender, or disability are recurrently discussed, both at present and in the past.

This in-person event adresses these topics from a variety of disciplines, including moral and political philosophy, political science, and history.