CFP: Facts & Norms

The European financial crisis and the failures of climate politics call for a revisited political theory. What role do scientific facts about climate change and social facts about immigration and political identity play in the determination and justification of political and social norms? The purpose of this conference is to discuss two sets of questions. First, what relevance do facts have in normative political theory? Second, what relevance do norms have in the empirical political and social sciences? Jerry Cohen distinguished fact-sensitive from fact-insensitive principles. The fact-insensitive principles have attracted a lot of attention. Furthermore, scholarly attention has been given to questions of ideal and non-ideal theory. Yet, several questions remain. What is the nature of fact-sensitive principles? How are fact-sensitive principles related to fact-insensitive principles? Examining these and other questions, the conference addresses disagreements about what political theory can and should provide. Do we need a political theory for "earthlings" or "space enterprises"? These and related questions will be addressed.

CALL FOR POSTER PRESENTATIONS

We invite posters (10-15 min) to be presented in the coffee breaks. Please send a short poster proposal to Sarah Vormsby: [email protected]  no later than 1 May 2013. You will be notified of acceptance by 10 June 2013.

The conference is kindly sponsored by Centre for European Politics and Nordic Network for Political Ethics.

PROGRAMME DAY 1

Thursday 22 August 2013

9.30-9-45am

Introduction

SECTION 1: FACTS & JUSTICE

9.45-10.45am

David Estlund (University of Brown) ”Bad facts”

10.45-11.15am: Coffee/tea

11.15am-12.15pm

Pablo Gilabert (Concordia University) “Dynamic Feasibility, Principles of Justice, and All-Things-Considered Political Judgment”

12.15-1.15pm

Patti Lenard (University of Ottawa) “Achieving Justice in Migration: Which Facts Matter?”

1.15-2.15pm: Lunch

SECTION 2: FACTS & LEGITIMACY

2.15-3.15pm

Ayelet Banai (University of Frankfurt) "Statism in Human Rights Theory: Practice vs. Idealism?"

3.15-3.45pm: Coffee/tea

3.45-4.45

Anders Berg-Sørensen (University of Copenhagen)“The Ethical Imagination of the Ombudsman: A ”Realistic Utopia?”

4.45-5.45pm

Jeffrey Lenowitz (University of Oxford) "Creating Legitimate Constitutions: The Possible Role of Procedures"

5.45-7pm: Drinks

8-11pm: Conference dinner (by invitation only)

PROGRAMME DAY 2

Friday 23 August 2013

SECTION 3: FACTS & NORMS

9.30-10.30am

Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen (University of Aarhus)"Facts, Norms, and the Nature of Justice: Reflections on Cohen and Anderson"

10.30-11am: Coffee/tea

11am-12pm

Andrea Sangiovanni (King’s College London)“Practice-Dependence Revisited”

12-1pm

Theresa Scavenius (University of Copenhagen) “Fact-sensitive political theory”

1-2.15pm: Lunch

SECTION 4: FACTS & POLITICS

2.15-3.15pm

Christian F. Rostbøll (University of Copenhagen) “Kant and the Critique of the Ethics-First Approach to Politics”

3.15-3.45pm: Coffee/tea

3.45-4.45

Eva Erman (University of Uppsala) "What to Expect (and not) from the Pragmatic Turn in Political Theory"

4.45-5.45pm

Sune Lægaard (University of Roskilde) “Degrees of separation of church and state: A factual or normative question?”

5.45-7pm: Drinks

8-11pm: Conference dinner (by invitation only)

Scholars and students interested in attending the conference are kindly requested to register by sending an email to Sarah Vormsby: [email protected] no later than 10 June 2013, indicating name and affiliation. Registration is free but limited. Please indicate if you want to book lunch (2 days for 20 €). For further information please contact Theresa Scavenius [email protected] or: