The Political Theory of Labour Unions

What is the role of labour unions in a democratic society? Although empirical researchers have provided a plethora of answers to this question, contemporary political theory and political philosophy have been almost entirely silent on this topic. This workshop aims to bring together researchers in political theory and political philosophy working on labour unions and related topics in order to exchange ideas and set the agenda for future research. The goal is to discuss questions like the following:  

• What is the role of labour unions in a democratic society, both ideal and non-ideal?
• What makes labour unions legitimate, both internally and externally?
• What tools can labour unions legitimately employ to achieve their goals and when?
• What is the role of labour unions in combating injustice, economic and otherwise?  

The workshop will take place in person at the School of Politics and Public Policy in Munich on January 21 and 22, 2027.  

Confirmed speakers:  

• Lore-Marie Junghans (Hamburg)
• Martin O’Neill (York)
• Mie Inouye (Bard College)
• Steven Klein (KCL)
• Vincent Harting (LSE)
• Philipp Stehr (HfP Munich, Organiser)  

We invite submissions for another two or three slots for presentations on the political theory and philosophy of labour unions, broadly conceived. If you’re interested, please send an anonymised 500-word abstract to theory (at) hfp.tum.de  

The workshop will be pre-read, so presenters should be able to share the full paper by about early January. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is July 31st.  

There might be some funding available to cover accommodation, but the details aren’t fully settled yet. So, applicants should be prepared to cover their own expenses.