Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to invite submissions for the 11th Graduate Conference in Political Theory, organised at Sciences Po in Paris, France, which will be held on May 19th-20th, 2025. This year, our theme is “Ethics and Politics”, focusing on the complex intersections between ethical concerns and political frameworks in contemporary societies.

We are honoured to welcome Professor Nancy Fraser as our keynote speaker, a leading voice in critical social theory, whose work has significantly influenced debates on justice, democracy, and the ethics of public life.

In the attached document, you will find a detailed call for papers, including an overview of the conference theme, three thematic axes, and suggested topics to consider.

We encourage contributions from graduate students, early-career researchers, and scholars in political theoryand related fields, either in French or English. Papers may address a wide range of topics related to ethics and politics, including justice, democratic values, power dynamics, and global inequalities.

Submission Guidelines

• Abstract: 250 words (+ a brief biographical note)

• Deadline for submissions: January 12, 2025

• Submissions should be sent to: gradconf2025@gmail.com 

We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you to Sciences Po for what we hope will be a stimulating and rewarding event!

Best wishes,

The Organising Committee (Cloé Artaut, Thomas Charrayre, Sibylle Léonard & Ciara Luxton)

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS - Ethics and Politics

The relationship between politics and ethics has long been a focal point in political theory. From Plato’s idealized vision of the polis rooted in the concept of the good, to Hobbes and Rousseau’s contrasting social contract theories based on differing normative views of human nature, and to critiques of the moral rationalizations for political domination from feminist and critical race theorists — ethics and politics have been inextricably linked. In some instances, ethics serves as the foundation for political frameworks, while in others, politics offers a lens for critically examining ethical norms and values. Theories of justice often address this challenge by subordinating all political reflection to ethical evaluation. Conversely, as demonstrated by the work of our keynote speaker, Nancy Fraser, critical theory seeks to understand how ethical reflection can only emerge from a political analysis of our socio-economic context —  that is, capitalism (Fraser 2008 & 2018). Given the profound implications of how we conceptualize the relationship between ethics and politics, we invite graduate students worldwide from all branches of political theory to submit abstracts (up to 500 words) that engage with this theme. We are particularly interested in papers that: 1) explore the structural connections — historical or epistemological — between ethics and politics, 2) argue for the primacy of politics over ethics, or 3) justify political claims and institutions through ethical and moral principles.

1. Histories and Hypotheses

This axis explores the relationship between ethics and politics across time. It engages with philosophical questions that challenge our understanding of past events (a) and inspire visions of the future (b).

(a) The first key inquiry of this axis concerns the ethical and political dimensions embedded in historical events. It challenges us to rethink the ways in which ethical ideals are mobilized, contested, and reconfigured within historical readings and theoretical analyses. Can revolutions be understood as ethical acts in themselves, or do they simply employ moral rhetoric to achieve political ends? What happens when ethical ideals clash with the pragmatic demands of political power? This line of inquiry seeks to illuminate how historiographical methods and epistemological frameworks influence our understanding of the complex and often ambiguous interplay between ethics and politics in historical narratives (Koselleck, 2004;  Skinner, 2002).

(b) A second focal point of this axis is the role of speculative models — utopias, dystopias, and other imagined societies — as critical sites for ethical and political reflection. These imagined worlds, articulated in novels, manifestos, or philosophical treatises, provide spaces to envision alternatives to the present, challenging prevailing ethical and political norms (Jameson, 2005; Levitas, 2013). Are the fears and aspirations that they express of an ethical or a political nature? How do these speculative models help us rethink the limits and possibilities of political power and ethical governance?

Ideas for contributions :

- Ethical revolutions or political pragmatism? Reassessing the role of ethics in historical revolutions
- The political function of utopian thought: ethics in speculative political theory
-Global justice and state sovereignty: balancing political power and moral obligations in International Relations with Nancy Fraser’s Scales of Justice

2. Political Ethics: For the common good?

The notion of ‘common good’, a recurring ideal in public discourse, raises significant ethical and political questions. This axis explores how political authority shapes ethical norms and who has the power to define the common good.

Contributors are invited to examine how political institutions exercise control over ethical norms and whether these norms genuinely serve the common good or reinforce existing power structures (Foucault, 1977; Mouffe, 2000). Feminist critiques, for instance, argue that traditional notions of the common good often exclude women’s voices and experiences (Young, 1990; Okin, 1999), while multiculturalists contend that such notions can marginalize cultural minorities (Taylor, 1994).

In pluralistic democracies, where diverse and sometimes conflicting values coexist, integrating different ethical perspectives raises a critical challenge (Rawls 1971; Habermas, 1995). Are there values or ethical positions that inevitably undermine democracy and thus cannot be tolerated? Or should democracy accommodate all perspectives, even those that challenge its core principles? These tensions raise crucial questions about the boundaries of tolerance and inclusion in a democratic society (Walzer, 1997; Rorty, 1998).

Idea for contributions:

- Who has the power to define the common good ? Who, if anyone, should have such power?
- Multiculturalism and the common good: are there limits to cultural inclusion?
- The crisis of care: the common good in a capitalist world. Nancy Fraser on capitalism and critical theory.

3. Ethical Politics: For the greater good?

Whether through utilitarian goals of maximizing happiness, deontological commitments to rights and duties, or virtue ethics' emphasis on character, moral philosophy has profoundly shaped political theory and practice (Anderson, 1993; Kymlicka, 2002). Yet settling on guiding moral principles raises a clear challenge for pluralistic politics, as what is seen as morally justifiable by some may be viewed as paternalistic or exclusionary by others. Can ethical politics genuinely serve all, or do we risk marginalizing dissenting voices in favor of contestable ideals? 

Grounding politics in morality raises further questions about the nature of ethical truths and the proper conditions for moral and political debate. If moral positions are reducible to expressions of emotions, then what basis can this provide for deciding between political claims (Macintyre, 1981)? If moral claims may be true or false, then what implications should this have for the politics of inclusion? If morality may depend on social and cultural context, can critiques of politics and practices in other societies have any meaningful purchase?

Historical and contemporary examples of ethically-driven political movements reveal both the transformative potential and the pitfalls of moral idealism. This axis invites contributions that theorize whether and how politics can be grounded in and justified by moral principles.

Ideas for contributions:

- Utilitarianism and political paternalism: a critical examination
- Redistribution or recognition ? The Fraser-Honneth debate on justice in a postsocialist age
- Communitarian ethics and the politics of collective goods: balancing individual rights and social responsibilities