CFP: MANCEPT Workshop: Post-Work as Political Thought: Establishing and Questioning the Boundaries of a Tradition

Call for Papers Post-Work as Political Thought: Establishing and Questioning the Boundaries of a Tradition MANCEPT Workshops in Political Theory Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th September 2025 University of Manchester Organised by Ben Turner and Jonjo Brady (Queen Mary University of London)   Post-work ideas have generated considerable attention over the last decade. Whilst automation has driven numerous concerns surrounding the future of employment, it has also inspired utopian visions of a world where work is radically reduced and in which individuals have greater freedom to pursue flourishing beyond the workplace. Whilst some of these proposals have arisen from political theory, much of post-work thought is situated within cognate disciplines or is aimed towards a wider, public readership. Consequently, the place of post-work within political theory is currently unclear. This workshop interrogates the significance of post-work within political thought and aims to give shape to future political theory concerned with and related to post-work concerns. We are seeking contributions that address three broad questions regarding the scope of post-work thought.   First, what claims characterise post-work political theory, do they form a coherent tradition, and what distinguishes the political theory of post-work from other approaches to work in the discipline? Post-work may be seen to consist of a tightly defined set of positions, but it may also be understood as a loose constellation of views related to work that might not formally be considered as ‘post-work.’ The prevailing narrative ascribed to post-work is pursuit of the near elimination of work through automation. However, it also encompasses a range of other concepts and policies that can be separated from the automation thesis, including the critique of the work society, inequality and precarity and support for basic income, reducing working time, equitable ways to share necessary activity and care labour, and new forms of public ownership. The workshop’s primary aim is to interrogate the boundaries of post-work and to explore whether it represents a unique space within the wider political theory of work.   Second, does post-work rest on a distinct canon of authors and texts? Whilst post-work is usually associated with recent claims about automation, a range of authors used the label of post-work prior to the turn of the millennium. Moreover, post-work thinkers draw heavily on a range of other theorists and schools of thought, including but not limited to Keynes, Gorz, Italian Operaismo/Autonomism, Anti-Work thought, the Wages for Housework Movement, Social Reproduction Theory, and Degrowth economics. The workshop’s second aim is to explore and understand how these and other intellectual trajectories shape post-work political thought, as well as their bearing on the relevance of post-work discourse today.   Third, does post-work theory have significance for political theory beyond the topic of work? Many post-work ideas rely on explicit or implicit claims regarding the concepts of obligation, legitimacy, equality, distribution, justice, and autonomy. Some of these discussions might represent innovation within the discipline, influencing debates beyond work. The final aim of this workshop is to explore post-work’s wider significance for political theory.   We invite proposals from all parts of political theory addressing these questions, or other issues relating to the coherence of post-work as a tradition. Submissions may be supportive, critical, or neutral as to the desirability of post-work proposals; our aim is to engender a wide discussion of the scope of post-work thought and its future significance. We encourage submissions from researchers at all stages of their careers.   To participate, please send an abstract of no more than 500 words for a pre-read paper presentation of 20 minutes, with a 30-minute Q&A, by Friday 2nd May, to both [email protected] and [email protected]. We will notify selected speakers shortly after this date. The deadline for accepted papers to be distributed to participants ahead of the workshop is Friday 15th August.
Registration is required for all speakers. All panels at MANCEPT 2025 will take place in person at the University of Manchester. Fee waiver bursaries are available to support the attendance of PhD students. This year’s fees for MANCEPT are:   Academics: £295 PG: £165 Dinner (Academics): £40 Dinner (PG): £25   If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the addresses above. More information on MANCEPT 2025 can be found here: https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/mancept/mancept-workshops/.