CFP: Compromise and Disagreement

Submission deadline: January 12, 2015

Conference date(s):
May 27, 2015 - May 29, 2015

Go to the conference's page

Conference Venue:

Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark

Topic areas

Details

Modern society is characterised by disagreement and pluralism, and it is largely this fact that makes politics necessary. In the contemporary world, political institutions and laws must coordinate the actions of millions of people who disagree at many different levels. Liberal theory has traditionally focused on disagreement between different conceptions of the good and more recently on disagreement about justice. But disagreement might also concern facts: Is global warming caused by human activity? Or the means: Which institutions best secure freedom of religion? What are the best means for protecting the climate? And when we agree on fundamental issues, e.g. human rights or protecting the climate, we often disagree on which institutions at the national and international level ought to promote them: How should the three branches of government relate to each other? Which role should international or global institutions play? Thus, a political theory that aims to be realistic in terms of beginning from the fact of disagreement cannot merely see disagreement as a result of human self-interest, nor should it see disagreement merely as a matter of disagreement on ends or justice. Citizens disagree in good faith at many different levels – and so do political theorists and philosophers.

If disagreement makes politics necessary, what makes it possible? Are there principles at a higher level of abstraction that transcend our disagreements? Are there ways of coming to agreement that all can (or that all ought to) accept? Are democratic comprises uniquely and properly tailored to deal with a political reality characterized by disagreement? Is compromise formation equally valid at all levels and for all forms of disagreement?

CALL FOR PAPERS
We invite papers broadly addressing any of these questions. We welcome papers that discuss general theoretical problems as well as those with a practical political focus. Suggested topics for papers include:

 *   Which democratic benefits may compromises entail in regard to better democratic learning processes, improved decision-making and likelihood of political stability?
 *   What role do compromises play in real politics and contemporary governance of political challenges?
 *   How do compromises relate to ideals of consensus, majority rule, pluralism and liberalism?
 *   How do compromises in real politics relate to democratic compromises in political theory?
 *   When and to what extent ought one – as a political theorist theorising about politics or as a citizen engaged in politics – compromise one's ideals when confronted with the realities of political life? Is it for instance possible to compromise between (non-ideal) political-economic circumstances and (ideal) moral norms?
 *   Is compromise always a compromise with ideals or could compromise be an ideal requirement of democracy?
 *   How do the mind-set of citizens and politicians, on the one hand, and political institutions, on the other hand, affect the possibilities of compromises that are compatible with the ideational requirements of democracy?

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS
We invite submission of abstracts of 350-500 words from researchers in all relevant disciplines. Abstracts should be emailed to ts[@]ifs.ku.dk by January 12, 2015. Applicants will be notified by the end of January whether their abstract has been accepted.

REGISTRATION
Please register by sending an email to psj301[@]alumni.ku.dk. Registration deadline for non-presenters is March 1, 2015.

PUBLICATIONS
A selection of presenters will be invited to contribute a chapter towards a peer-reviewed volume. To ensure timeliness of publication, we request that authors interested in this project (a) let us know, and (b) plan to have a written draft of their paper ready by July 1, 2015.

Supporting material

Add supporting material (slides, programs, etc.)