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Theories of power and its relation to language, knowledge
and the material have proliferated in the social sciences
and humanities over the past sixty years. However, there
still seems to be a gap between these theories and empirical
research. For example, Foucault’s theories of power are
used paradigmatically by a large number of disciplines,
whereas his actual historical research and methodological
considerations often are neglected. Similarly, the critiques
of ontology and time carried out by philosophers such as
Derrida are used without reflecting on the implications for
empirical analysis. In radical political philosophy the ethical
implications of the way in which democratic governments
exercise control over their subjects have come into
focus. Philosophers and critical theorists such as Rancière,
Zizek, Agamben, Negri and Butler have challenged the
notion of politics as consensus and self-presence, questioned
the 1990’s neo-liberal triumphalism or pointed to
the problematic concept of sovereignty in political constitutions;
yet, it has often been hard to pay more than lipservice
to them. A similar problem has unfolded in the
study of colonialism where the problems raised by thinkers
such as Spivak, Bhabha and Said have left the field in a
deadlock.
Often it seems as if the circulation of theoretical, philosophical
and political concepts is a matter of researchers
needing to situate themselves in relation to different
“schools,” rather than acting upon the challenges these
schools pose to “traditional” ways of conducting research.
This seminar seeks to address this issue and explore the
various ways in which political philosophy and critical theory
might be engaged in empirical research in the social
sciences and humanities. Topics could include, but are not
confined to:
- Building the state
- Anachronism and memory
- Materiality and agency
- Governmentality and sovereignty
- Immigration, biopolitics and homo sacer
- Chaos and conflict in society
- Media, politics and the political
- Postcoloniality and global governance
- Political communities before and outside the nation
state
- Femininity, masculinity and the body
We strongly encourage new and experimental ideas
and want to give as much room as possible for participants
to try out even those ideas they think are
too crazy for an academic forum. We encourage
submissions from all fields and believe that the
most fruitful discussion and development of ideas
happen between old and new researchers from a
variety of disciplines.
Keynote speakers:
Patrick Joyce, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Modern History,
University of Manchester, UK
Berber Bevernage, PhD, Post-doc in Theory of History,
University of Ghent, Belgium
Deadlines
Papers 24th of March 2012
Please send abstracts (300 words) to:
lytje@cgs.aau.dk entitled “abstract, Challenging Ideas”
For more information visit:
www.challengingideas.cgs.aau.dk (accessible from medio
September)
For PhD-students we award 3 ECTS-points for
participation with a paper and 1 ECTS-point for
participation without a paper
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