European Journal of Political Theory, Ahead of Print. How should responsibility be theorized in the context of the global climate crisis? This question is often framed through the language of distributive justice. Because of the inequitable distribution of historical emissions, climate vulnerability, and adaptation capacity, such considerations are necessary, but do not exhaust the question of responsibility. This article argues that climate change is a structural injustice demanding a theory of political responsibility. Agents bear responsibility not in virtue of their (...) individual causal contribution or capacity, but because they participate in and benefit from the carbon-intensive structures, practices, and institutions that constitute the global political and economic system. Agents take responsibility by engaging in collective political action to transform these structures that generate both climate hazards and unjust relationships of power. By incorporating distributive principles within a capacious conception of political responsibility, this framework advances the theory and practice of climate justice in two ways. First, adopting a relational rather than individualistic criterion of responsibility better makes sense of how and why individuals bear responsibility for a global and intergenerational injustice like climate change. Second, framing climate justice in terms of political responsibility for unjust structural processes better orients and motivates the political action necessary for structural transformation. (shrink)
This collective paper on radicalization and violent extremism part of the ‘Philosophy of education in a new key’ initiative by Educational Philosophy and Theory brings together some of the leading contemporary scholars writing on the most pressing epistemological, ethical, political and educational issues facing post-9/11 scholarship on radicalization and violent extremism. Its overall aim is to move beyond the ‘conventional wisdom’ associated with this area of scholarly research best represented by its many slogans, metaphors and other thought-terminating clichés. By providing (...) conceptual lenses on issues previously compartmentalized primarily [or even exclusively] in security and intelligence studies or at the fringes of scholarly interest, radicalization and violent extremism turn out to be much more complex than ‘radicalization studies’ has been eager to acknowledge. (shrink)
In his tightly argued, thought-provoking volume Interpretation without Truth, Pierluigi Chiassoni offers a groundbreaking, reductionist account of judicial fictions.1 Under Chiassoni’s view, judici...
This essay reviews Michael Peters' book The Chinese Dream: Educating the Future, an edited collection of his articles exploring the concept of the Chinese Dream. The essays starts with the analogy between dreams and their role in psychoanalysis and dreams as an ideal representation of a nation's ethos. The introductory part illustrates this analogy with the example of the growing importance of the Chinese Dream. The central part of the essay examines the most important aspects of Peters' book The Chinese (...) Dream: Educating the Future. The concluding part raises the importance of education in the national dream narrative. (shrink)
In _Citizenship, Inclusion, and Democracy_, six expert contributors explore the conceptual and empirical significance of the work of leading contemporary political philosopher, Iris Marion Young, and her work in the field of education. Illuminates the discussion about the centrality of public education. Explores the idea of an inclusive, publicly mandated, system if education by looking at the topics of citizenship, group-based politics, social justice, difference, democracy, equality, and inclusion in education. Includes a thorough introduction from editor Mitja Sardoc, and (...) a response essay from Iris Marion Young. (shrink)
Michael Walzer is currently at the School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, New Jersey. Professor Walzer has written Just and Unjust Wars; The Revolution of the Saints and has edited Toward A Global Civil Society. In this interview, he discusses some of the current concerns about education, political theory and the current state of the art of toleration, and acceptance and accommodation of different racial, ethnic, social and minority groups. He has published extensively and his work (...) has been translated in several other languages. In this interview, he responds to questions about his work, his writings and his current concerns. (shrink)
How should responsibility be theorized in the context of the global climate crisis? This question is often framed through the language of distributive justice. Because of the inequitable distributi...
In Vanuatu, small-scale farmers’ subsistence still largely relies on the sustainable use and maintenance of a wide-ranging biodiversity out of which root and tuber crops provide the bulk of daily subsistence. In neighboring countries, foreign influence since the first European contacts, further associated changes and the introduction of new crop species have induced a loss of cultivated diversity. This paper presents a baseline study of the diversity of root and tuber crops in ten communities throughout Vanuatu. In a context where (...) the smallholders’ agrosystems are increasingly considered as key components for the global conservation of crop genetic resources, this study provides clues to better understand the effective roles of biodiversity in traditional agrosystems. It also provides insights on the rationale behind the constitution of agricultural portfolios and discusses how the cultivated diversity allows communities to cope with changes and pressures. The paper also shows that recently introduced crops neither seem to have compromised agricultural diversity nor drastically changed the agrosystems in Vanuatu. On the contrary, such crops are used by farmers to strengthen the resilience of their agrosystems. A discussion then presents the idea of continuity through change and novelty as a critical factor for resilience. The paper concludes by discussing the role of indigenous agriculture and culture in ensuring food security and in development strategies in a larger context. (shrink)
L’obiettivo di questo saggio è modesto. Presenterò brevemente la dottrina della proporzionalità, così come concepita da Robert Alexy. Evidenzierò quindi alcuni aspetti rilevanti della stessa, per poi formulare una critica puntuale all’argomento della contraddizione performativa. In particolare cercherò di provare che, contrariamente a quanto pensa Alexy, la pratica della prescrizione non solleva alcuna pretesa di correttezza morale.
_Toleration, Respect and Recognition in Education_ brings together a collection of papers examining the complexity of different interpretations of toleration, respect and recognition in education. Discusses different theories of toleration and shows how it lies at the centre of a liberal pluralistic society Brings together the work of leading scholars from a range of disciplines Examines how education can accommodate diversity and promote shared public values.
_Toleration, Respect and Recognition in Education_ brings together a collection of papers examining the complexity of different interpretations of toleration, respect and recognition in education. Discusses different theories of toleration and shows how it lies at the centre of a liberal pluralistic society Brings together the work of leading scholars from a range of disciplines Examines how education can accommodate diversity and promote shared public values.
For much of its modern history, the notion of talent has been associated with the idea of ‘careers open to talent’. Its emancipatory promise of upward social mobility has radically transformed the distribution of advantaged social positions and has had a lasting influence on the very idea of social status itself. Nevertheless, unlike concepts traditionally associated with distributive justice, e.g. fairness, equality, desert, equality of opportunity as well as justice itself, the notion of talent has received only limited examination. This (...) article discusses some of the most pressing problems and challenges arising out of a reductionist understanding of talents’ anatomy and a distorted characterization of their overall distributive value. In particular, it aims to address those issues revolving around talents’ anatomy existing conceptions of distributive justice leave either neglected or outrightly ignored. The introductory part outlines the basic egalitarian conception of equal opportunities and then proceed with the examination of fairness embedded in it. The central part of the paper identifies the key elements of talents’ anatomy. We then discuss some of the implications egalitarianism either leaves out of the discussion or neglects. In particular, we challenge the idea of moral arbitrariness as the key mechanism to discard talents as a form of unfair advantage in the process of competition for advantaged social positions. In the final part, we outline two fundamental problems that call into question the cogency of egalitarian conceptions of talent as a form of unfair disadvantage. (shrink)
Writing more than a century apart, the French political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville and the British historian of ideas Isaiah Berlin pointed to an interesting phenomenon that seems to dominate...
For much of its history, the notion of talent has been associated with the idea of ‘careers open to talent’. Its emancipatory promise of upward social mobility has ultimately radically transformed...
Namen tega uvodnega zapisa je dokaj skromen. Najprej bom na kratko predstavil doktrino sorazmernosti, kot jo pojmuje Robert Alexy. Nato bom izpostavil nekaj pomembnih posledic te doktrine. Na koncu pa bom podal nekaj posameznih ugovorov proti performativnim protislovjem. Tako bom skušal dokazati, da v jezikovni praksi – nasprotno od tega, kar meni Alexy – predpisna dejanja ne vključujejo nujno zatrditve pravilnosti.
Primeiramente fazemos uma breve discussão sobre a concepção defendida por Gramsci acerca do que caracteriza um intelectual, bem como sua função social nas distintas formações sociais, como desdobramento de tal reflexão do autor sardo, apresentamos sua conhecida distinção, operada no “Caderno 12”, entre os „intelectuais tradicionais‟ e os „intelectuais orgânicos‟ destacando sua práxis social. Por fim, valendo-nos dos escritos do autor no “Caderno 13”, ressaltamos a importância do intelectual orgânico na constituição do partido revolucionário.First we give a brief discussion about (...) the concept advocated by Gramsci about what characterizes an intellectual as well as its social function in different social formations, as a consequence of such a reflection of the author Sardinian, presented his famous distinction, operated in the "Notebook 12" between the 'traditional intellectuals' and 'organic intellectuals' highlighting its social praxis. Finally, drawing upon the writings of the author in "Notebook 13", highlight the importance of the organic intellectual in the constitution of the revolutionary party. (shrink)
L’articolo ricostruisce la genealogia del concetto di ideologia nei Quaderni del carcere di Antonio Gramsci, mostrando come esso sia centrale nell’elaborazione del marxista sardo e come sia funzionale a una lettura materialista ma non riduzionista dei fenomeni “sovrastrutturali”. L’ideologia viene analizzata attraverso la costellazione concettuale di cui fa parte, insieme ai concetti di blocco storico, senso comune, religione, scienza e filosofia. All’interno di questo quadro emerge un concetto di ideologia peculiare ed “eterodosso” per un marxista della prima metà del XX (...) secolo, che anticipa teorizzazioni successive e acquisizioni scientifiche in altri campi del sapere. La teoria dell’ideologia in Gramsci, per come è qui ricostruita, rappresenta la premessa necessaria alla sua teoria dell’egemonia. (shrink)
Between Nightmare and Reality: Dystopian Reflections on the Contemporary Society Resum: Per mitjà de la narració de fantasia i de ciència ficció, la utopia i la distopia promouen una anàlisi crítica de la realitat. En particular, la distopia ens alerta de les possibles conseqüències catastròfiques derivades de problemes sociopolítics existents i contribueix a la reflexió constructiva sobre les amenaces antidemocràtiques que posen en perill la nostra societat. Aquest article examina la representació de l’autoritat, la coacció, la propaganda, la plasmació, l’espai (...) i el llenguatge en distopies sociopolítiques seleccionades i reconegudes, com Nosaltres de Zamiatin, Un món feliç de Huxley, La nit de l’esvàstica de Burdekin, 1984 d’Orwell i El conte de la serventa de Atwood, i compara aquestes ficcions amb esdeveniments històrics i contemporanis, amb l'esperança d’il·luminar la manera real en què el poder opera sobre els cossos i les ments en sistemes tant repressius com liberals.: Through fantasy and science fiction storytelling, utopia and dystopia promote a critical analysis of reality. In particular, dystopia warns against the possible nightmarish consequences of factual socio-political issues, as well as it fosters a constructive and thought-provoking reflection on the undemocratic threats that jeopardize our society. This article examines the representation of authority, coercion, propaganda, embodiment, space, and language in selected and renowned socio-political dystopias, including Zamyatin’s We, Huxley’s Brave New World, Burdekin’s Swastika Night, Orwell’s 1984, and Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and it subsequently compares these fictional depictions with historical and contemporary events, hoping to shed light on the real way that power operates on bodies and minds both in repressive and liberal systems. Paraules clau: distopia, utopia, control, violència, realització Keywords: Dystopia, Utopia, Control, Violence, Embodiment. (shrink)
Brian Bix, Damiano Canale, Timothy Endicott, Alessio Sardo, Frederick Schauer, and Giovanni Tuzet did me the honour of reading and critically commenting Interpretation without Truth (in the followi...
