Aktuelles am Arbeitsbereich Politische Philosophie

„Liberal, libertarian, populist, authoritarian?“ Workshop

Sabine Döring (Universität Tübingen), Stefan Kolev (Ludwig-Erhard-Forum and Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau), Julian F. Müller (Universität Graz), Karen Horn (Universität Erfurt and NOUS Network)

The workshop “Liberal, libertarian, populist, authoritarian?” took place on April 15 in Berlin. It addressed the question—made particularly urgent by current political developments—of whether liberalism or libertarianism, either conceptually or in political practice, exhibits an inherent tendency toward authoritarianism, as is often claimed. If not, the aim was to clarify what fundamentally distinguishes them, thereby making it easier to draw a clear line between them and authoritarian populism, which frequently also claims to be rooted in liberal traditions.

Where? Ludwig Erhard Forum für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Oranienburger Str. 4-5, 10178 Berlin

When? April 15, 2025

What? Program

New Publication: Liberal Responses to Populism - January 2025

Edited by Karen Horn, Stefan Kolev, Julian F. Müller

Populism has taken root almost everywhere in the West. It is crucial to understand how it has come about, where its antagonistic worldview, its nativism, its illiberalism and its anti-pluralism will take us, and how we should seek to fend off this threat to liberal democracy. In particular, what could liberal answers look like?

This book is a collection of essays written by young and senior scholars in various fields from philosophy to economics. Part I explores populism’s nature and causes, shedding light on the lure of sovereignty, the perceived representation gap and the process of radicalization, and human psychology. Part II is dedicated to observations inside the political arena, pitting liberalism and populism in a historical perspective, analyzing the risk of democratic backsliding, and asking how liberals should navigate the political need to make compromises. In Part III, the focus turns to liberal responses such as rules-based public deliberation, a liberal ethics attending to civic virtues, improved representation through the blockchain, and polycentric migration policies. Part IV, finally, houses critical engagements with influential relevant authors such as Foucault, Laclau, Berlin, and Harrington.

Link to book

7. Workshop in Political Philosophy

The 7th Workshop in Political Philosophy will be held on January 17 and 18, 2025 at the Philosophy Department of the University of Graz. This edition of the series is organized by Julian F. Müller (Graz), David P. Schweikard (HHU Düsseldorf), and Fabian Wendt (Virginia Tech). Like every year, the submitted abstracts were double-blind peer reviewed. The workshop is supported by the University of Graz and by the City of Graz.

Where? Hilmgasse 4, 8010 Graz

When? January 17 and 18, 2025

What? Program

Democracy on a Blockchain: The Cure for Populism? – 09/2024

Announcement: New Working Paper

Democracy on a blockchain: The cure for populism? (in: The Twin Challenges of Populism, forthcoming, with D. Johnson). Preprint online.

A principal-agent problem occurs when an agent (such as an elected representative) has interests that may not align with those of the principal (the constituents), leading to issues like corruption, information asymmetry, or difficulties in monitoring the agent's actions. Blockchain technology offers potential solutions by enhancing transparency through decentralized ledgers, which immutably record the actions of agents, and by improving accountability through smart contracts that automatically enforce agreed-upon conditions. Techno-optimists argue that blockchain technology could significantly reduce the misalignment of interests and strengthen democratic governance. In their new paper, Dylan and Mueller provide a critical appraisal of the idea of "cryptodemocracy" advanced by Allen, Berg and Lane (2019).