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‘In times of defiant populism, a refreshing, thought-provoking invitation to reorient attention from peoples to publics comes from Frega’s lucid reconstruction of the elective affinity of democracy and pragmatism. Frega’s wide view of... more
‘In times of defiant populism, a refreshing, thought-provoking invitation to reorient attention from peoples to publics comes from Frega’s lucid reconstruction of the elective affinity of democracy and pragmatism. Frega’s wide view of democracy is an authentic must-read for democrats and pragmatists alike.’ —Alessandro Ferrara, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Rome Tor
Vergata, Italy
‘”The cure for the ills of Democracy,” wrote Jane Addams, “is more Democracy.” Roberto Frega amends Addams to say that the cure is a “wide view of democracy”— one that encompasses our habits, social interactions, and forms of organization. Through a systematic philosophical, sociological and political analysis, Frega reveals how an inclusive group life and experimentalist institutions can revive our flagging democratic fortunes.’
—Christopher Ansell, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA
”This remarkable book tells us, convincingly, that taking for granted democracy does not work in the service of democracy, a complex form of social, political and moral life. With admirable finesse, Roberto Frega is capable of translating this transformative vision into an idea that American pragmatists intuited some decades ago already: that democracy has not only an history but is a way of making history.”
—Nadia Urbinati, Professor of Political Philosophy, Columbia University, NY, USA


The aim of this book is to provide a fresh, wider, and more compelling account of democracy than the one we usually find in conventional contemporary political theory. Frega delivers an account more in tune with our everyday experience and ordinary intuitions, bringing back into political theory the notion that democracy denotes first and foremost a form of society, and only secondarily a specific political regime. Claiming that such a view of democracy is capable of replacing the mainstream categories of justice, freedom and non-domination in their hegemonic function of all-encompassing political concepts, Frega then argues for democracy as the broader normative framework within which to rethink the forms of associated living in all spheres of personal, social, economic, and political life.
Roberto Frega (PhD) is a senior researcher in Philosophy at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris, France.
ENVISAGER LA DÉMOCRATIE comme forme de société plutôt que comme régime politique. Comprendre l’ontologie sociale complexe, faite d’habitudes, schèmes d’interaction, et formes d’organisation qui lui sont propres et qui, seules, donnent... more
ENVISAGER LA DÉMOCRATIE comme forme de société plutôt que comme régime politique. Comprendre l’ontologie sociale complexe, faite d’habitudes, schèmes d’interaction, et formes d’organisation qui lui sont propres et qui, seules,
donnent tout son sens à la démocratie en tant que régime politique. Telle est la perspective que déploie ce livre. En s’appuyant sur la tradition philosophique du pragmatisme américain, intégrée à la théorie critique et le tocquevilleanisme, il développe une théorie sociale de la démocratie. Il défend l’idée que la démocratie doit être entendue comme un concept qui vise à décrire un état désirable des interactions sociales parmi les individus, en tant que citoyens, mais aussi en tant que membres d’une société qui participent à la vie sociale dans toutes ses institutions: sur leur lieu de travail, dans leur famille, au sein de l’espace public. Il tâche ainsi de dégager les conditions normatives qui favoriseront la démocratisation des marchés, des entreprises, des associations, des églises, des bureaucraties et d’autres institutions sociales. Ce faisant, ce livre nous aide à mieux comprendre la signification, la portée et l’étendue du projet démocratique. Ce projet, ancré dans la vision émancipatrice qui caractérise le monde moderne, se propose d’instaurer une société fondée sur le principe de coopération entre individus libres et égaux. L’idée de démocratie, dès lors, n’acquiert sa signification politique qu’en lien avec cette vision primordiale d’une forme de société qui n’a pas d’équivalent dans toute l’histoire humaine.
ROBERTO FREGA est philosophe. Après une thèse portant sur l’histoire du pragmatisme, il a obtenu une habilitation à diriger des recherches portant sur les théories contemporaines de la normativité pratique. Depuis 2013 il est chargé de recherche au CNRS.
This book provides a wide-ranging, systematic, and comprehensive approach to the moral philosophy of John Dewey, one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. It does so by focusing on his greatest achievement in this field:... more
This book provides a wide-ranging, systematic, and comprehensive approach to the moral philosophy of John Dewey, one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. It does so by focusing on his greatest achievement in this field: the Ethics he jointly published with James Hayden Tufts in 1908 and then republished in a heavily revised version in 1932. The chapters in this volume are divided into two distinct parts. The first features chapters that provide a running commentary on the chapters of the 1932 Ethics written by Dewey. Each chapter is introduced, situated within a historical perspective, and then its main achievements are highlighted and discussed. The second part of the book interprets the Ethics and demonstrates its contemporary relevance and vitality. The chapters in this part situate the Ethics in the broader interpretive frameworks of Dewey's philosophy, American pragmatism, and 20th-century moral theory at large. Taken together, these chapters show that, far from being a mere survey of moral theories, the 1932 Ethics presents the theoretical highpoint in Dewey's thinking about moral philosophy. This book features contributions by some of the most influential Dewey scholars from North America and Europe. It will be of keen interest to scholars and students of American pragmatism, ethics and moral philosophy, and the history of 20th-century philosophy. Roberto Frega holds a PhD from Paris 8. He is Permanent Researcher at is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He has recently published a book entitled Pragmatism, Objectivity, and Experience, and he has published a wide variety of article on classical and contemporary pragmatism.
Research Interests:
Qu’est-ce que la rationalité pratique? Et quelle rôle joue-t-elle dans les pratiques normatives qui structures notre vie sociale et politique? Ce livre propose une réflexion sur les différentes manières de penser le rapport entre... more
Qu’est-ce que la rationalité pratique? Et quelle rôle joue-t-elle dans les pratiques normatives qui structures notre vie sociale et politique? Ce livre propose une réflexion sur les différentes manières de penser le rapport entre rationalité et vie sociale et politique. Il le fait à partir d’une conception de la rationalité comme institution sociale, dont l’auteur retrace la généalogie à l’intérieur de la philosophie politique anglo-américaine contemporaine. Cette réflexion autour des sources de la rationalité vise à rouvrir le débat sur le rapport complexe et incontournable entre formes de rationalité et formes politique. Elle nous montre pourquoi si nous voulons changer de politique nous devons tout d'abord changer d'épistémologie, et que par conséquent une réflexion sur l'épistémologie des théories politiques constitue bien plus que l'antichambre de la théorie politique: elle en est un élément constituant. Le livre montre comment, à partir du refus d’une opposition par trop stérile entre conceptions critiques et justificatives de la rationalité politique, une voie alternative se dessine. Il s’agit d’une voie qui s’appuie sur une conception expressive de notre rapport à la raison, dont l’œuvre d’auteurs comme Charles Taylor, Stanley Cavell et Alasdair MacIntyre nous indique la voie.
Ce Dossier de SociologieS a pour finalité de donner un aperçu de la pluralité des réceptions du pragmatisme en sciences sociales dans le monde francophone. Elle s’inscrit dans la continuité d’un séminaire qui s’est tenu pendant l’année... more
Ce Dossier de SociologieS a pour finalité de donner un aperçu de la pluralité des réceptions du pragmatisme en sciences sociales dans le monde francophone. Elle s’inscrit dans la continuité d’un séminaire qui s’est tenu pendant l’année 2012-2013 à l’École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS-Paris), coorganisé par Alexandra Bidet, Daniel Cefaï, Antoine Hennion, Roberto Frega, Joan Stavo-Debauge et Cédric Terzi. Ce séminaire s’est poursuivi en 2013-2014 par une coopération de Daniel Cefaï et Howard Becker autour du thème « Relire la sociologie de Chicago » et reprend sous une forme élargie en 2014-15 avec le groupe de 2012, qu’ont rejoint Yves Cohen et Bénédicte Zimmermann. L’entreprise entre également en résonance avec la création récente, en 2014, d’une association d’études pragmatistes dans le monde francophone, Pragmata, qui fédère les chercheurs en sciences humaines et sociales, mais aussi dans d’autres domaines comme la philosophie morale et politique, l’épistémologie, les sciences formelles, les sciences de la nature, les sciences du langage, les sciences cognitives… Dans cette livraison, nous avons invité, au-delà du noyau du séminaire, un certain nombre de collègues  francophones, connus pour leur intérêt pour le pragmatisme, à y participer : Mathieu Berger, Francis Chateauraynaud, Jean-François Côté, Louis Quéré et Joëlle Zask. Nous espérons ainsi donner un aperçu des apports foisonnants de cette transplantation et de cette acclimatation d’une philosophie nord-américaine dans les sciences sociales de langue française – en Belgique, en France, au Québec et en Suisse.
Research Interests:
Symposia. “Pragmatism and the Social Sciences: A Century of Influences and Interactions, vol. 2″ Guest editors: Roberto Frega (CEMS/EHESS), Filipe Carreira da Silva (University of Lisbon) Roberto Frega, Filipe Carreira da Silva,... more
Symposia. “Pragmatism and the Social Sciences: A Century of Influences and Interactions, vol. 2″

Guest editors: Roberto Frega (CEMS/EHESS), Filipe Carreira da Silva (University of Lisbon)

Roberto Frega, Filipe Carreira da Silva, Editorial Note
Section I. Classical Pragmatists and contemporary sociology

Tullio Viola, Peirce and Iconology: Habitus, Embodiment, and the Analogy between Philosophy and Architecture

Tanja Bogusz, Experiencing Practical Knowledge: Emerging Convergences of Pragmatism and Sociological Practice Theory

Philoppe Gonzalez & Laurence Kaufmann, The Social Scientist, the Public, and the Pragmatist Gaze. Exploring the Critical Conditions of Sociological Inquiry

Section II. Law, Power, and the prospects of a pragmatist social theory

Christoph Henning, Naturalistic Values and Progressive Politics. A Missing Link Between Pragmatism and Social Theory

Frederic R. Kellogg, American Pragmatism and European Social Theory: Holmes, Durkheim, Scheler, and the Sociology of Legal Knowledge )

Joel Wolfe, Does Pragmatism Have A Theory of Power? )

Molly Cochran, Pragmatism and International Relations:A Story of Closure and Opening

Seth Vannatta, Between Science and Fiction: Pragmatism and Conservatism in History and Law
)
Section III. Contemporary appropriations

Frithjof Nungesser, Three Dimensions of the Sociality of Action. Some Reflections based on the Cultural Psychology of Michael Tomasello and Sociological Pragmatism
Mats Bergman, Pragmatism as a Communication-Theoretical Tradition: An Assessment of Craig’s Proposal

Walter Feinberg, Critical Pragmatist and the Reconnection of Science and Values in Educational Research
Symposia. “Pragmatism and the Social Sciences: A Century of Influences and Interactions”, vol. 1 Guest editors: Roberto Frega (IEA Paris), Filipe Carreira da Silva (University of Lisbon) Roberto Frega, Filipe Carreira da Silva, Editor’s... more
Symposia. “Pragmatism and the Social Sciences: A Century of Influences and Interactions”, vol. 1

Guest editors: Roberto Frega (IEA Paris), Filipe Carreira da Silva (University of Lisbon)

Roberto Frega, Filipe Carreira da Silva, Editor’s Introduction to The Symposia (pdf)
Section I. Pragmatism and the Margins of Mainstream Social Sciences

Peter Manicas, American Social Science: The Irrelevance of Pragmatism (pdf)

Patrick Baert, Neo-Pragmatism and Phenomenology: A Proposal (pdf)

Eugene Halton, Pragmatic E-Pistols (pdf)
Section II. Empowering the Margins of Society

Susan Haack, Pragmatism, Law, and Morality: The Lessons of Buck v. Bell (pdf)

Patricia Hill Collins, Piecing Together a Genealogical Puzzle: Intersectionality and American Pragmatism (pdf)

Bill E. Lawson, Of President Barack H. Obama and Others: Public Policy, Race-talk, and Pragmatism (pdf)
Section III. Pragmatist Appropriations

Mitchell Aboulafia, Through the Eyes of Mad Men: Simulation, Interaction, and Ethics (pdf)

Louis Quéré, Towards a social externalism: Pragmatism and ethnomethodology (pdf)

James Johnson, Between Political Inquiry and Democratic Faith: A Pragmatist Approach to Visualizing Publics (pdf)

Kenneth W. Stikkers, Dewey, Economic Democracy, and the Mondragon Cooperatives (pdf)

David H. Brendel, Can Patients and Psychiatrists be Friends?: a Pragmatist Viewpoint (pdf)
ROBERTO FREGA Introduction to the Volume 1 DOUGLAS ANDERSON 1. Peirce, Observation, and the Discipline of Waiting 7 GIOVANNI MADDALENA 2. Vague/Analytic/Synthetic: Peirce versus Kant 23 DAVID L. HILDEBRAND 3. Could Experience Be... more
ROBERTO FREGA
Introduction to the Volume 1

DOUGLAS ANDERSON
1. Peirce, Observation, and the Discipline of Waiting 7

GIOVANNI MADDALENA
2. Vague/Analytic/Synthetic: Peirce versus Kant 23

DAVID L. HILDEBRAND
3. Could Experience Be More than a Method? Dewey’s Practical
Starting Point 41

ROSA MARIA CALCATERRA
4. The Conceptual Pragmatism of C. I. Lewis 61

JOSEPH MARGOLIS
5. A New Answer to the Question, What Is Moral Philosophy? 81

SAMI PHILSTRÖM
6. The Problem of Realism, from a Pragmatic Ooint of View 103

ROBERTO FREGA
7. Evolutionary Prolegomena to a Pragmatism Epistemology
of Belief 127

ROSSELLA FABBRICHESI
8. Effects of Truth: The Darwinian Revolution and Its Impact on
Pragmatism 153

FREDERIC R. KELLOGG
9. Legal Fallibilism: Law as a Form of Community Inquiry 175

RANDALL E. AUXIER
10. Two Types of Pragmatism 187

Index 207

List of Contributors 211
"Il libro ricostruisce il profilo evolutivo del dibattito sul concetto di razionalità nella filosofia politico-morale americana degli ultimi tre decenni, esaminando gli elementi di crisi del paradigma classico del liberalismo e... more
"Il libro ricostruisce il profilo evolutivo del dibattito sul concetto di razionalità nella filosofia politico-morale americana degli ultimi tre decenni, esaminando gli elementi di crisi del paradigma classico del liberalismo e ricostruendo l’emergere di approcci alternativi alla razionalità pratica. Attraverso l’esame di alcune figure chiave del dibattito contemporaneo il libro espone i capisaldi di una nuova concezione della razionalità umana basata sui criteri di articolazione, pretesa e riflessività, in cui emergono il primato epistemologico delle pratiche e del giudizio. Questa concezione della razionalità viene esaminata e ricostruita con particolare attenzione alle sue implicazioni sul piano della filosofia etico-politica e, più in generale, quale base per la riformulazione di una teoria della razionalità pratica. Il tema della razionalità delle pratiche viene poi affrontato a partire dal suo radicamento nella tradizione del pragmatismo, soffermandosi in particolare su alcune delle teorie dell’oggettività morale e della teoria della giustificazione formulate nel dibattito più recente.
Indice del libro: Presentazione. Considerazioni preliminari sul concetto di razionalità. 1. Il paradigma dell’incommensurabilità: Thomas Kuhn e l’oblio della pratica. 2. Una razionalità universalizzante: ascesa e declino del concetto di ragione pubblica. 3. Dalle crisi epistemologiche alla razionalità delle tradizioni. 4. Agency, soggettività e articolazione. 5. La pretesa come paradigma di razionalità. 6. Razionalità, indagine e giudizio: una razionalità pragmatista. 7. Ragione pubblica e giustificazione: il ruolo trasformativo della razionalità."
"Il libro propone un'analisi filosofico-politica ed urbanistica di alcuni snodi centrali delle nuove forme di partecipazione democratica nello sviluppo territoriale locale. L'analisi parte dalla rilettura di un classico rinascimentale,... more
"Il libro propone un'analisi filosofico-politica ed urbanistica di alcuni snodi centrali delle nuove forme di partecipazione democratica nello sviluppo territoriale locale. L'analisi parte dalla rilettura di un classico rinascimentale, "Sulle cause della grandezza delle città", di Giovanni Botero, per sviluppare poi alcune considerazioni in merito alle nuove forme di governo politico nelle società capitalistiche avanzate.
La riflessione sull’identità territoriale e sulle nuove forme di partecipazione è il punto di partenza di una riflessione più ampia sui cambiamenti in corso nella vita delle città contemporanee."
Sommario: Roberto Frega e Roberto Brigati, Introduzione • Frederic R. Kellogg, Il fallibilismo nel diritto: regolativo o costitutivo? • Randall E. Auxier, Due tipi di pragmatismo • Douglas Anderson, Peirce, l’osservazione e la disciplina... more
Sommario: Roberto Frega e Roberto Brigati, Introduzione • Frederic R. Kellogg, Il fallibilismo nel diritto: regolativo o costitutivo? • Randall E. Auxier, Due tipi di pragmatismo • Douglas Anderson, Peirce, l’osservazione e la disciplina dell’attesa • Giovanni Maddalena, Vago/sintetico/analitico: Peirce contro Kant • David Hildebrand, L’esperienza potrebbe essere più di un metodo? Il punto di partenza pratico di Dewey • Rosa Maria Calcaterra, L’a priori pragmatico di Clarence Irving Lewis • Joseph Margolis, Nuova risposta alla domanda: Che cos’è la filosofia morale? • Roberto Frega, Evoluzionismo naturalista ed epistemologia pragmatista • John J. Stuhr, Tradire i valori. Il pragmatismo tra convergenza delle credenze e pluralismo • Rossella Fabbrichesi, Effetti di verità: la rivoluzione darwiniana e il suo impatto sul pragmatismo • Abstracts
"Pragmatism & Democracy, special issue of Etica & Politica, 1, 2010. Guest editors: Roberto Frega, Fabrizio Trifirò Table of contents 1. Robert Talisse, Saving Pragmatist Democratic Theory (from Itself) 2. Roberto Frega, What... more
"Pragmatism & Democracy, special issue of Etica & Politica, 1, 2010.
Guest editors: Roberto Frega, Fabrizio Trifirò

Table of contents

1. Robert Talisse, Saving Pragmatist Democratic Theory (from Itself)
2. Roberto Frega, What pragmatism means by Public Reason
3. Gideon Calder: Pragmatism, critical theory and democratic inclusion
4. Fabrizio Trifiro’: The importance of pragmatism for liberal democracy: an anti-foundationalist and deliberative approach to multiculturalism
5. Marque Porrovecchio, Cracks in the Pragmatic Façade: F. C. S. Schiller and the Nature of Counter-Democratic Tendencies
6. Joëlle Zask, Self-gouvernement et pragmatisme
7. Barbara Thayer-Bacon, Education’s Role in Democracy: The Power of Pluralism
8. Sandra Laugier, Emerson, l’éducation et la démocratie
9. Felipe Careira da Silva, School and Democracy. A reassessment of G. H. Mead’s educational ideas
10. Kenneth W. Stikkers, John Dewey on the Public Responsibility of Intellectuals
11. Brian Duff, The Pragmatic of Parenthood
12. Shane Ralston, Dewey and Goodin on the Value of Monological Deliberation
13. Brian Butler, Democracy and Law: Situating Law within John Dewey’s Democratic Vision
"
Tra i fondatori del pragmatismo americano, John Dewey (1852-1950) ha dominato la scena filosofica statunitense lungo tutta la prima metà del Novecento. Oltre ai lavori di logica e di epistemologia, nel corso di una carriera durata oltre... more
Tra i fondatori del pragmatismo americano, John Dewey (1852-1950) ha dominato la scena filosofica statunitense lungo tutta la prima metà del Novecento. Oltre ai lavori di logica e di epistemologia, nel corso di una carriera durata oltre sei decenni Dewey ha fornito contributi rilevanti nei principali settori della ricerca filosofica e sociale, spaziando dalla teoria politica alla psicologia sociale, all’estetica e alle scienze dell’educazione. Intellettuale impegnato nei principali dibattiti del suo tempo, Dewey è forse il filosofo che più ha influito sull’evoluzione della società americana del suo tempo.
Questa raccolta di saggi, pubblicati tra il 1900 e il 1916, costituisce la prima edizione italiana dei suoi principali scritti di logica ed epistemologia. Essi ripercorrono le tappe fondamentali della teoria della conoscenza e del pensiero elaborata dall’autore, e consentono di ricostruire unitariamente l’impianto metodologico che ne governa tutta la riflessione filosofica. La visione che emerge nei saggi è quella di un naturalismo dell’esperienza, in cui lo sviluppo delle attività cognitive e delle categorie della conoscenza è compreso come un fatto naturale collocato all’interno di una più ampia considerazione dell’esperienza umana, del suo sviluppo temporale e delle sue interazioni con gli altri individui e il contesto naturale, sociale e culturale. Sono in tal modo gettate le basi per un approccio evoluzionista alla conoscenza, in cui gli elementi della storicità di questa, della situatedness dell’agente e del primato delle pratiche trovano una sorprendente anticipazione.
Sommario: Una logica per il giudizio di pratica di Roberto Frega. – Profilo della vita e delle opere. – Nota alla traduzione. – 1. Alcuni stadi del pensiero logico. 2. La relazione del pensiero e la sua materia. 3. Le condizioni logiche per un esame scientifico della morale. 4. La realtà come esperienza. 5. La teoria sperimentale della conoscenza. 6. Il controllo delle idee attraverso i fatti. 7. Il carattere logico delle idee. 8. Ciò che il pragmatismo intende per pratico. 9. La realtà possiede carattere pratico? 10. Che cosa sono gli stati mentali? 11. La logica del giudizio di pratica. 12. Oggetti logici. 13. Nota aggiuntiva sul «pratico». 14. Introduzione [ai Saggi di logica sperimentale]. – Indice delle materie. – Indice dei nomi.
Comprendre la nature de la pensée, et par là, redéfinir notre compréhension de la connaissance et de sa place dans la vie des individus et des sociétés, tel est le projet de John Dewey. Il le poursuit à travers une investigation des... more
Comprendre la nature de la pensée, et par là, redéfinir notre compréhension de la connaissance et de sa place dans la vie des individus et des sociétés, tel est le projet de John Dewey. Il le poursuit à travers une investigation des structures logiques de la pensée et de la connaissance, investigation qui devient le point de départ d’un questionnement qui s’étend progressivement à la nature de l’homme, au rapport de l’individu à la société, à la transformation des modalités par lesquelles l’homme interagit avec l’environnement socioculturel et naturel. C’est au cœur de ce projet qui se trouve la théorie du jugement originale développée par John Dewey au fil d’un demi siècle de recherches. Ce livre explore les différents volets de cette théorie et contribue à la redécouverte de cet auteur, trop longtemps méconnu en Europe.
Le primat de la pratique en philosophie est au cœur de la théorie de la connaissance de John Dewey, philosophe éminent du mouvement pragmatiste américain. A travers la reconstruction historique des processus de sécularisation de la... more
Le primat de la pratique en philosophie est au cœur de la théorie de la connaissance de John Dewey, philosophe éminent du mouvement pragmatiste américain. A travers la reconstruction historique des processus de sécularisation de la connaissance, c’est toute une conception de la philosophie qui s’étale sur le plan original ouvert par la notion de pratique. Dewey aurait ainsi contribué au renouveau des études sur les sciences, dépassant enfin le dualisme qui opposait épistémologues et sociologues, vers une nouvelle épistémologie des pratiques de connaissance. Les enjeux de cette théorie, loin de se limiter au seul champ philosophique, remettent en cause l'ensemble de notre conception des relations épistémologiques, sociales et humaine qui se trament autour des pratiques de connaissance. On découvre ainsi les bases d’une nouvelle conception pragmatiste de la rationalité.
Sommario: Roberto Brigati La ricerca dell’incertezza. Prolegomeni al relativismo - Joseph Margolis Motivazioni del relativismo - Ugo Zilioli Un relativismo robusto. Genealogia e forza di un’idea - Massimo Dell’Utri Relativismo e... more
Sommario: Roberto Brigati La ricerca dell’incertezza. Prolegomeni al relativismo - Joseph Margolis Motivazioni del relativismo - Ugo Zilioli Un relativismo robusto. Genealogia e forza di un’idea - Massimo Dell’Utri Relativismo e oggettività - Alberto Artosi Il relativismo è incoerente. E allora? - Sebastiano Moruzzi Tre argomenti contro il relativismo sulla verità - Mario Ricciardi Pluralismo, relativismo e libertà - Silvia Vida Il dissenso preso sul serio. Relativismo culturale vs. pluralismo dei valori - Francesco Saverio Trincia Relativismo e pluralismo: è possibile confutare Leo Strauss? - Marina Lalatta Costerbosa Il fatto del pluralismo culturale e l’ideale universalista dei diritti. Habermas e Walzer: due "reazioni" a confronto - Roberto Frega I limiti della ragione pubblica: una risposta pragmatista al problema del relativismo - Fabrizio Trifirò Un plausibile e desiderabile antifondazionalismo. Un approccio neopragmatista alla normatività e alla democrazia liberale - Alberto Gualandi Relativismo postmoderno e facoltà di giudizio. Considerazioni critiche in margine al «caso Lyotard» - Girolamo De Michele Il villaggio globale e le catastrofi dell’anima. Un esercizio di prospettivismo - Yamina Oudai Celso Le resistenze psicologiche al relativismo: una prospettiva freudiana - Fabio Lelli La medicina fra due mondi - Massimo Dell’Utri, Alberto Artosi, Sebastiano Moruzzi, Fabrizio Trifirò, Girolamo De Michele, Yamina Oudai Celso, Fabio Lelli, Roberto Brigati Relativismo: un dibattito
Sommario: Roberto Brigati Introduzione - Roberto Frega John Dewey e la filosofia come epistemologia della pratica - Struan Jacobs L’epistemologia della pratica di Michael Polanyi - Christiane Chauviré La filosofia e l’oblio della pratica... more
Sommario: Roberto Brigati Introduzione - Roberto Frega John Dewey e la filosofia come epistemologia della pratica - Struan Jacobs L’epistemologia della pratica di Michael Polanyi - Christiane Chauviré La filosofia e l’oblio della pratica - Sandra Laugier L’expérience, l’ordinaire, la pratique: de l’acte de langage a l’agency - Kanit Mitinunwong Un’ontologia della pratica - Guillaume Garreta Pratiques, inférence et normativité - Philip Good Filosofie pratiche della scienza - Soran Reader L’etica come pratica - Vittorio Villa La svolta verso le teorie della pratica sociale in filosofia del diritto - Louis Quéré L’action située entre plans et routines - Cristina Grasseni Comunità di pratica e forme di vita
Sommario: Roberto Frega Considerazioni preliminari sulla pratica filosofica o sulla filosofia come pratica - Alessandro Volpone Dall’epistemologia della pratica alla filosofia in quanto pratica - Stefania Contesini Una lettura delle... more
Sommario: Roberto Frega Considerazioni preliminari sulla pratica filosofica o sulla filosofia come pratica - Alessandro Volpone Dall’epistemologia della pratica alla filosofia in quanto pratica - Stefania Contesini Una lettura delle pratiche filosofiche a partire dal concetto di «pratica» in Carlo Sini. Le pratiche filosofiche e il «conosci te stesso» - Neri Pollastri Razionalità del sentimento e affettività della ragione. Appunti sulle condizioni di possibilità della consulenza filosofica - Paola Teresa Grassi Un passo filosofico oltre Freud - Roberto Frega Antiprofessionalismo e filosofia dell’ordinario - José Daniel Cabrera Cruz, Miguel Francisco Crespo Alvarado Il senso delle pratiche e la relazione maestro-apprendista oggi - Roberta De Monticelli Salvare i fenomeni. Fenomenologia e salute della mente - Roberto Brigati L’invenzione dell’intellettualismo: tornando alla fallacia socratica - Francesca De Vecchi Jeanne Hersch: duplicità della filosofia e filosofia come pratica - Yuriy Myelkov Filosofia della pratica e visione realistico-concreta del mondo - Barbara Olszewska Sincronizzazione delle attività e produzione di un collettivo
Political trust is usually construed in the terms of political elites’ duty to be trustworthy. This paper makes a modest yet radical claim, contending that in a democratic polity, political elites have also a symmetric prima facie duty to... more
Political trust is usually construed in the terms of political elites’ duty to be trustworthy. This paper makes a modest yet radical claim, contending that in a democratic polity, political elites have also a symmetric prima facie duty to trust citizens to be competent and willing social actors. The paper offers a general framework for rethinking political trust as a bi-directional, rather than uni-directional, social relation. Section 1 begins by distinguishing trust-as-belief from trust-as-attitude, and contends that only with reference to the latter the idea of a duty to trust becomes plausible. Section 2 outlines my comprehensive theory of political trust. Section 3 distinguishes two basic dimensions of political trust: delegative and coordinative. Section 4 introduces the notion of a political duty to trust, and contends that political elites have a prima facie duty to trust based on the specific features of coordinative trust. Section 5 specifies who is bound by this prima facie duty and section 6 reflects on how circles of trust can be initiated.
The theory of the firm initially developed by Ronald Coase has made explicit the political nature of firms by putting hierarchy at the heart of the economic process. Theories of workplace democracy articulate this intuition in the... more
The theory of the firm initially developed by Ronald Coase has made explicit the political nature of firms by putting hierarchy at the heart of the economic process. Theories of workplace democracy articulate this intuition in the normative terms of the conditions under which this political power can be legitimate. This paper presents an organizational theory of workplace democracy, and contends that the democratization of firms requires that we take their organizational dimension explicitly into account. It thus construes democracy as an organizational principle and juxtaposes it to market, hierarchy, and norm-compliance as rival principles for the organization of economic activities. Attempts to construe democracy as an organizational principle with unique features in the tradition of transaction-cost economics are discussed before proposing an innovative solution based on an updated version of grid/group cultural theory of politics, adjusted to accommodate the basic requirements of democratic theory.
This paper examines the political crisis of social-democratic parties in Western Europe in light of its impact on the social-democratic emancipatory project, and asks whether the first calls the second into question. It begins by defining... more
This paper examines the political crisis of social-democratic parties in Western Europe in light of its impact on the social-democratic emancipatory project, and asks whether the first calls the second into question. It begins by defining social democracy as an emancipatory project, and identifies three major historical phases which correspond to three distinct conceptions of the project. Section two examines recent literature in comparative welfare state economics, political sociology, and studies of populism and authoritarianism, to show how the socioeconomic transformations of the last five decades have enlarged and fragmented the constituency of social-democratic parties, and contends that this situation has generated powerful tensions between the normative and the mundane dimensions of the social-democratic project. Three major dilemmas-economic, cultural, and political-leading to three deep conflicts internal to the social-democratic constituency are identified and discussed. Combining these empirical findings with the three rival interpretations of the social-democratic project introduced in section one, section three develops three possible scenarios for the evolution of this project in the near future: decline, drift, and renewal. Section four assesses the likelihood and political meaning of each scenario for the pursuit of the social-democratic project, taking into consideration the recent upsurge of left-wing populism.
The paper aims to bridge divides between political theory and management and organization studies in theorizing workplace democracy. To achieve this aim, the paper begins by introducing a new definition of democracy which, it is... more
The paper aims to bridge divides between political theory and management and organization studies in theorizing workplace democracy. To achieve this aim, the paper begins by introducing a new definition of democracy which, it is contended, is better suited than mainstream accounts to highlight the democratizing potential of employee involvement. It then defines employee involvement as an offshoot of early 20th century humanistic psychologies, from which it inherits an emancipatory ambition. In a third step, the paper presents employee involvement as a set of organizational practices liable to transform dominant patterns of authority and social interaction in the workplace. The paper concludes by contending that, apart from representation/participation and the employee's voice, employee involvement must be considered the third necessary pillar of workplace democracy, endowed with distinctive normative features that neither representation/participation nor voices can aptly capture.
This paper argues that, in order to justify democracy as the most appropriate norm in the workplace, we should construe this norm in ways that reflect what is specific and unique to the workplace as a social institution. To do this, we... more
This paper argues that, in order to justify democracy as the most appropriate norm in the workplace, we should construe this norm in ways that reflect what is specific and unique to the workplace as a social institution. To do this, we should avoid applying to the workplace normative concepts that have been developed having in view other and diverse institutional settings, particularly the state or other formal political institutions. This requires in turn that we take as our starting point a more encompassing conception of the normative scope and content of democracy. I call this the "wide view of democracy". Sections 1 and 2 prepare the background for my proposal through an overview of arguments currently used to justify the democratization of the workplace and qualifies the distinction between the mainstream and my suggested proposal. In sections 3 and 4 I introduce the idea of democratic patterns of interaction as a basis for redefining the democratic norm. Section 5 illustrates some of the implications of this approach for thinking democracy in the workplace.
This paper reclaims the concept of solidarity for democratic theory. It does this by proposing a theory of solidarity as social involvement that is construed through the integration of three better known conceptions of solidarity that... more
This paper reclaims the concept of solidarity for democratic theory. It does this by proposing a theory of solidarity as social involvement that is construed through the integration of three better known conceptions of solidarity that have played an influential role in the political thought of the last two centuries. The paper begins by explaining why solidarity should receive more sustained attention from political theorists with an interest in democracy, and proceeds by presenting two indispensability arguments. Section three outlines the three rival conceptions of solidarity and contends that whilst individually incomplete, each provides an important insight, so that a fuller and more satisfying conception of solidarity can be developed by weaving together some features of these three conceptions. This task is undertaken in section four, which introduces the theory of solidarity as social involvement, defining solidarity in terms of acting-for and acting-with. Section five briefly discusses some of its potential implications for democratic theory, before bringing the article to a close.
The article reviews the recent debate about workplace democracy. It first presents and critically discusses arguments in favor of democratizing the firm that are based on the analogy with states, meaningful work, the avoidance of... more
The article reviews the recent debate about workplace democracy. It first presents and critically discusses arguments in favor of democratizing the firm that are based on the analogy with states, meaningful work, the avoidance of unjustified hierarchies, and beneficial effects on political democracy. The second part presents and critically discusses arguments against workplace democracy that are based on considerations of efficiency, the difficulties of a transition towards democratic firms, and liberal commitments such as the rights of employees and owners to work for or invest in non-democratic firms. The conclusion summarizes the debate and argues that experiments with democratic workplaces as what Erik Olin Wright (2010) calls "real utopias" could deliver new insights and thus move the discussion forward.
This paper offers an account of the social foundations of a theory of democracy. It purports to show that a social ontology of democracy is the necessary counterpart of a political theory of democracy. It notably contends that decisions... more
This paper offers an account of the social foundations of a theory of democracy. It purports to show that a social ontology of democracy is the necessary counterpart of a political theory of democracy. It notably contends that decisions concerning basic social ontological assumptions are relevant not only for empirical research, but bear a significant impact also on normative theorizing. The paper then explains why interactionist rather than substantialist social ontologies provide the most promising starting point for building a social ontology of democracy. It then intro- duces and examines the three notions of habits, patterns of interaction, and forms of social organization, conceived as the main pillars of an inter- actionist social ontology of democracy and briefly discusses some major implications of this approach for democratic theory.
This article compares the theories of democracy of John Dewey and Claude Lefort, identifying some common themes in their otherwise radically different philosophical outlooks. In so doing, it attempts to analyze the philosophical... more
This article compares the theories of democracy of John Dewey and Claude Lefort, identifying some common themes in their otherwise radically different philosophical outlooks. In so doing, it attempts to analyze the philosophical implications of a ‘democracy first’ approach to politics. It then explains in what sense Dewey’s idea of ‘democracy as a way of life’ and Claude Lefort’s conception of ‘democracy as a form of society’ provide the cornerstone of an original and so far insufficiently explored approach to political philosophy. Such an approach offers an alternative both to the classical-liberal and to the critical-radical projects which still dominate contemporary political philosophy. It then indicates some of the potential advantages of such a 'wide view' for contemporary debates in democratic theory.
This article asks whether the analogy between state and firm is a promising strategy for promoting workplace democracy and provides a negative answer, explaining why analogical arguments are not a good strategy for justifying workplace... more
This article asks whether the analogy between state and firm is a promising strategy for promoting workplace democracy and provides a negative answer, explaining why analogical arguments are not a good strategy for justifying workplace democracy. The article contends that the state-firm analogy is misguided for at least three reasons: (1) it is structurally inconclusive, (2) it is based on a category mistake, and (3) it leads us away from the central question we should ask, which is: What would concretely imply, and what is required, in order to democratize the workplace? I begin by offering an interpretation of the most promising case (Robert Dahl’s) for the state-firm analogy which shows that use of the analogical argument in his justification of workplace democracy engenders excessive and unnecessary theoretical costs which bear negatively on his conclusion. I then proceed to examine more recent contributions to the debate and show that supporters and critics of the state-firm analogy alike do not advance our understanding of the analogical argument. In the last part of the article I provide a general theoretical explanation of why arguments based on the state-firm analogy are not good candidates for defending workplace democracy. I claim, in particular, that the institutional asymmetry that exists between the state and the firm makes the analogical strategy unsuited to the task. The negative strategy undertaken in the article is meant to open the way for more promising approaches to the justification workplace democracy.
Questo capitolo propone una chiave di lettura per interpretare il populismo di sinistra così come esso si è affermato in Europa nell'ultimo decennio. Lo fa a partire dalla prospettiva della socialdemocrazia, considerata come un progetto... more
Questo capitolo propone una chiave di lettura per interpretare il populismo di sinistra così come esso si è affermato in Europa nell'ultimo decennio. Lo fa a partire dalla prospettiva della socialdemocrazia, considerata come un progetto di emancipazione di lunga durata, caratterizzato da una pluralità di posizioni organizzate a partire dalla polarità riformismo-radicalismo. Rispetto a questo nucleo normativo, il capitolo si interroga sull'effettiva specificità del populismo di sinistra, onde cercare di comprendere se esso configuri un momento di discontinuità rispetto a questa tradizione, o ne rappresenti, invece, una mera variante espressiva. Non mi chiederò dunque se e a quale condizioni il populismo di sinistra sia compatibile con la democrazia in generale, tema sul quale esiste una abbondante letteratura, ma ne esaminerò le implicazioni politiche prendendo come punto di riferimento la socialdemocrazia. Per fare questo, il mio ragionamento procederà in quattro tempi. Inizierò con una rassegna delle diverse definizioni di populismo, al fine di individuare quella maggiormente adeguata a rispondere al problema teorico qui sollevato. In un secondo tempo, definirò la socialdemocrazia non come forma partitica ma come un progetto politico-sociale di emancipazione, dotato di un nucleo normativo distintivo, associato ad una famiglia di partiti politici, e collegato ad una specifica base sociale. Successivamente, preso atto della crisi di questo progetto, mi chiedo se il populismo di sinistra possa essere considerato una valida risposta a questa crisi, dunque se il populismo di sinistra si ponga in continuità o in discontinuità con questo progetto. Contestualmente, proporrò una riflessione sul rapporto tra populismo e radicalismo quali modi della politica alternativi al riformismo.
This article explores the recent resurgence of realism in the political sciences, questioning its relevance for democratic theory. Starting from a critical review of recent works in the field, the article calls into question the relevance... more
This article explores the recent resurgence of realism in the political sciences, questioning its relevance for democratic theory. Starting from a critical review of recent works in the field, the article calls into question the relevance of empirical investigations of political reality for normative theorizing, and contends that some of the normative conclusions advanced in this literature are not warranted. More precisely, the article questions the reliability of studies of political behavior and of political opinion as a sound basis on which to draw normative inferences about democratic legitimacy. It contends that the kind of epistemic realism their authors promote cannot deliver what it promises. The article concludes by proposing an alternative interpretation of the democratic principle as a practical postulate of political reason that reconciles empirical evidence about political behavior with the classical interpretation of democratic legitimacy.
This paper presents a preliminary inquiry into the democratic role of trust in the management of epidemic crises, by shedding some light on one dimension political theory has systematically neglected, which is trust of elites in citizens.... more
This paper presents a preliminary inquiry into the democratic role of trust in the management of epidemic crises, by shedding some light on one dimension political theory has systematically neglected, which is trust of elites in citizens. The paper proceeds as follows. After an introduction, the first section distinguishes two dimensions of political trust. I then proceed to explain why elites' trust in citizens is as important as citizens' trust in elites for the democratic quality of a regime. The following section discusses in further details the democratic implications of elites' trust in citizens. The fourth and last section introduces the idea of democratic experiments as opportunities to reinforce elites' trust in citizens.
This paper aims at renovating the prospects for social philosophy through a confrontation between pragmatism and critical theory. In par- ticular, it contends that the resources of pragmatism for advancing a project of emancipatory social... more
This paper aims at renovating the prospects for social philosophy through a confrontation between pragmatism and critical theory. In par- ticular, it contends that the resources of pragmatism for advancing a project of emancipatory social philosophy have so far been neglected. Af- ter contrasting the two major traditions in social philosophy—the analyt- ical and the critical—I proceed to outline the main traits of a pragmatist social philosophy. By inscribing pragmatism within the tradition of social philosophy my aim is to promote a new understanding of pragmatism as one of the central Euro-American traditions in social and political philoso- phy, deserving to be on an equal footing with critical theory and political liberalism. And, furthermore, one whose critical and radical force may be of great help in the wake of the dismissal of the metaphysical certain- ties upon which the critical program of social philosophy had once set its hopes of social emancipation.
This paper provides a fresh examination of John Dewey’s social philosophy in the light of new evidence made available by the recent discovery of the original manuscript Dewey wrote in preparation of the Lectures on Social and Political... more
This paper provides a fresh examination of John Dewey’s social philosophy in the light of new evidence made available by the recent discovery of the original manuscript Dewey wrote in preparation of the Lectures on Social and Political Philosophy delivered in China and published here for the  rst time. The paper reconstructs Dewey’s ambivalent relationship with social philosophy throughout his long career and focuses upon his attempt between 1919 and 1923 to develop his own’s social philosophy. It proceeds to examine the contribution of the Chinese Lectures in Social and Political Philosophy to Dewey’s project in social philosophy and shows that our understanding of Dewey’s social philosophy was severely hampered by the unavailability of the original text. It concludes by assessing the critical potential of Dewey’s social philosophy.
This paper explores Axel Honneth's long-standing philosophical interest for solidarity in the larger context of contemporary theories of democracy. It identifies three models to which Honneth resorts to conceptualize solidarity, and which... more
This paper explores Axel Honneth's long-standing philosophical interest for solidarity in the larger context of contemporary theories of democracy. It identifies three models to which Honneth resorts to conceptualize solidarity, and which he tries to reconcile: abstract solidarity, fraternal coexistence, and reflexive cooperation. The paper examines these three models in turn, retracing them back to different works and moments of Honneth's career, and relates them to the three intellectual tradition that have had the larger influence on Honneth's thought: Hegelianism, socialism, and American pragmatism.
The aim of this paper is to draw the attention of political theorists to the once popular and today too much neglected role of character in fashioning democratic politics. I do this through a discussion of what I consider the two most... more
The aim of this paper is to draw the attention of political theorists to the once popular and today too much neglected role of character in fashioning democratic politics. I do this through a discussion of what I consider the two most promising contemporary approaches: the republican theory of civic virtues and the pragmatist theory of democratic habits. My claim is that habits, more than virtues, provide a promising starting point for enriching our understanding of democracy. The paper proceeds as follows. After having clarified the philosophical grammars of virtues and habits and their stakes, I discuss at some length the republican theory of civic virtues, distinguishing its two main branches, the neo-Athenian and the neo-Roman, and showing that both run into significant theoretical troubles. I then proceed to examine the pragmatist account of political habits and show that it proves more successful than republican virtues in explaining how different trait of character could be integrated into a normative account of democracy.
The aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of the normative grammar of the concept of democracy by distinguishing two levels at which a political concept may play a normative function, and proceeds by analyzing the concept of... more
The aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of the normative grammar of the concept of democracy by distinguishing two levels at which a political concept may play a normative function, and proceeds by analyzing the concept of democracy at these two levels. It distinguishes in particular between normativity as 'norm-compliance' and normativity as 'paradigmatic' and contends that the concept of democracy has a normative content that extends over both levels. A model of democracy consistent with this approach is then outlined based on a sociological account of democratic patterns of interaction. The structure of the paper is as follows. In sections one and two I distinguish two meanings of normativity and introduce the concept of 'paradigm normativity'. In section three I provide examples of rival 'paradigm normative' concepts. In section four I provide an account of democracy as a 'paradigm normative' concept and in sections five and six I present its two most important theoretical features. The aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of the normative grammar of the concept of democracy by distinguishing two levels at which a political concept may play a normative function, and proceeds by analyzing the concept of democracy at these two levels. A model of democracy consistent with this approach is then outlined. The article has a hermeneutical or articulatory rather than justificatory aim. No attempt will be made to provide a justification either of democracy in general or of this specific account. Indeed, the whole thrust of the exercise is to advance our understanding of the theoretical potential of the concept of democracy, conceived as a norm for collective action. This aim explains why a purely conceptual strategy is avoided, and historical and sociological arguments are introduced so as to give empirical substance to ideas. My expectation is that such an exercise will help us improve our understanding of the democratic project, which has shaped western, and, at increasing pace, non-western societies over the last two centuries. In particular, I wish to reflect upon what is gained and what is lost by making democracy the cornerstone of political theorizing. The structure of the paper is as follows. In sections one and two I distinguish two meanings of normativity and introduce the concept of 'paradigm normativity'. In section three I provide examples of rival 'paradigm normative'
This paper aims to develop a new understanding of normativity based upon the priority of the ordinary. By relying upon diverse sociological and philosophical traditions, the paper seeks to emphasize the ordinary tacit assumptions which... more
This paper aims to develop a new understanding of normativity based upon the priority of the ordinary. By relying upon diverse sociological and philosophical traditions, the paper seeks to emphasize the ordinary tacit assumptions which provide the basic structure of our experience of the world and its normative features. The general argument is that, whereas sociological traditions of social interactionism shed new light upon the “empirical fact of normativity”, ordinary language philosophy and pragmatism offer a theoretical account of normativity which is consistent with the picture of normativity which emerges out of these empirical descriptions. The paper synthesizes the main achievements of these traditions into a unified account of normativity.
In this paper I offer a first account of a practice-based conception of normativity for the political domain. This standpoint is used to relocate the most sophisticated normative practices of justification and critique within an... more
In this paper I offer a first account of a practice-based conception of normativity for the political domain. This standpoint is used to relocate the most sophisticated normative practices of justification and critique within an experience-based framework, that of the human being as a “normative creature”. I begin by discussing the two major paradigms in political theory showing that their neglect of this broad framework of normativity is a serious drawback. I then proceed to articulate the central elements of a practice-based account of normativity: the notions of normative practices and normative orders and an account of the rationality potential of normativity as practice.
Whilst proximities between pragmatism and critical theory have been noted by several scholars, no attempt has been made so far to provide an all-encompassing philosophical interpretation of critical theory's appraisal of pragmatist... more
Whilst proximities between pragmatism and critical theory have been noted by several scholars, no attempt has been made so far to provide an all-encompassing philosophical interpretation of critical theory's appraisal of pragmatist themes. Through an overview of critical theory's engagement with American pragmatism in the works of Jürgen Habermas, Axel Honneth, and Rahel Jaeggi, I provide a theoretical framework explaining the theoretical underpinning of such a project. Via the historical reconstruction of the ways in which pragmatist themes have been appropriated, I want to show that faced with major theoretical shortcomings in the works of Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, their successors have generally resorted to pragmatists in the search for more promising solutions. This trend has concerned two major areas of critical theory: the methodological foundation of a critical theory of society and the identification of the political conditions under which social emancipation is possible. I contend that with respect to both themes a steady process of progressive pragmatization of the Frankfurt school of critical theory has been going on for more than half a century, and I contend that this project needs to be further completed if the threats of " normative defeatism " Habermas diagnosed in Horkheimer's and Adorno's later works is to be superseded once and for all.
This paper discusses the advantages of a pragmatist theory of global democracy for understanding the political relevance of new phenomena such as the emergence of forms of private authority and transnational movements in tackling with... more
This paper discusses the advantages of a pragmatist theory of global democracy for understanding the political relevance of new phenomena such as the emergence of forms of private authority and transnational movements in tackling with global issues.. The paper shows in particular that the pragmatist notion of 'publics' offers promising insights and proves particularly promising for completing the transition from methodological nationalism to methodological cosmopolitanism that is required to understand new normative practices developing at the global level and to inquire into their conditions of validity. After having presented a basic outline of the pragmatist theory of democracy, I discuss the contribution of pragmatism to the critique of methodological nationalism and proceed then to examine and reject two alternative approaches to global politics – transnational public sphere theory and global representation theory – showing why they fail to overcome methodological nationalism. The last two sections explore private entrepreneurial authority in contexts of global governance and shows that pragmatism succeeds in explaining their political role, while the other two approaches fail. This paper aims at showing the potential of pragmatism as an interpretative framework for discussing normative political issues in the global domain. After briefly describing the basic tenets of political pragmatism, the paper explores some of its implications for understanding trends in global politics that defy mainstream categorial schemes. It does so by focusing upon the notion of 'public' as it is understood in the pragmatist tradition,
This article critically examines two central concepts in normative theory—ethical life and morality—by comparing the pragmatist approach with that of Critical Theory. This is done by way of a close scrutiny of Axel Honneth’s reading of... more
This article critically examines two central concepts in normative theory—ethical life and morality—by comparing the pragmatist approach with that of Critical Theory. This is done by way of a close scrutiny of Axel Honneth’s reading of the pragma- tist philosophers John Dewey and George H. Mead. This focus on Honneth’s use of pragmatism serves as a port of entry to provide a comparative analysis of pragmatism and Critical Theory’s ap- proaches to normativity. As I intend to show, Honneth’s troubles with making sense of the pragmatist approach to normativity are a litmus test of some persistent ambiguities at the heart of his understanding of normativity. I set the stage by reconstructing Honneth’s reading of Dewey (§ II) and Mead (§ III). That will pro- vide the background against which to set up a comparison between the pragmatist conception of normativity and that of Critical Theory, with a view to assessing their relative validity. I then relate Honneth’s reading of the pragmatists to his own philosophical project and to the important place occupied in it by the same dualism of ethical life and morality (§IV).
In this paper I argue against Jürgen Habermas’s theoretical dualism be- tween ethics and morality. I do this by showing how his account of normativ- ity is vitiated by an unnecessary superposition of a social-evolutionary and a... more
In this paper I argue against Jürgen Habermas’s theoretical dualism be- tween ethics and morality. I do this by showing how his account of normativ- ity is vitiated by an unnecessary superposition of a social-evolutionary and a theoretical-linguistic account of normativity, and that this brings about theo- retical problems that in the end cannot be overcome. I also show that Rainer Forst’s attempt at salvaging Habermas’s distinction is equally doomed to fail- ure, but that his attempt nevertheless invites new and more fruitful avenues for normative theory that are worth exploring. The conclusion of this paper is that traditional notions of ethics and morality can be preserved provided we heavily redefine their meanings and release them from some of the theoretical work they have been expected to accomplish, but that to complete this transition we also need to supersede Forst’s pluralization of normative contexts toward a theory of normative practices that in the end makes the distinction between ethics and morality workable but useless. I begin by first locating the debate about ethics and morality within the context of recent normative theory (§1), and proceed to examine the two main strategies through which Habermas has elaborated his idea of a sharp dualism between ethics and morality (§2). I then introduce a theoretical distinction between what I call a horizontal and a vertical integra- tion of ethics and morality (§3) and contend that whilst only the horizontal is viable, Habermas decidedly prefers the idea of a vertical integration (§4). With this work done, I proceed to complete my critique of Habermas’s argument and show how, by recovering the pragmatist roots of his thought, an alternative solution based on a functionalist understanding of morality could be envisaged (§5). I then conclude by examining Rainer Forst’s attempt at salvaging Haber- mas’s account, and show that the failure of Forst’s attempts opens the way for new and more fruitful approaches to normative theory which are more likely to recover the pragmatist roots of Habermas’s thought (§6).
This article defends a pragmatic conception of objectivity for the moral domain. I begin contextualizing pragmatic approaches to objectivity and discuss at some length one of the most interesting proposals in this area, Cheryl Misak’s... more
This article defends a pragmatic conception of objectivity for the moral domain. I begin contextualizing pragmatic approaches to objectivity and discuss at some length one of the most interesting proposals in this area, Cheryl Misak’s conception of pragmatic objectivity. My general argument is that in order to defend a pragmatic approach to objectivity the pragmatic stance should be interpreted in more radical terms than most contemporary proposals do. I propose notably to disentangle the connection between objectivity and truth, claiming that moral inquiry is in most of the cases responsive to a discursive norm that is closer to warranted assertibility than to truth. Using an argument that relies partly on Huw Price's account of forms of normative assertion, I will show that a practice-based account of warranted assertibility does the epistemic work required to defend objectivity while not being exposed to the criticisms that are usually addressed against this notion. The first section sets the general argument within its pragmatic context. The second section outlines Misak's conception of pragmatic objectivity, and highlights the sense in which she makes moral objectivity depend upon truth. The third and the fourth sections provide two critical arguments against Misak's thesis. Finally, with the critical work done, in the last section I present my constructive account of pragmatic objectivity for the moral domain.
Although less known than his theory of democracy, John Dewey’s social philosophy provides an articulate and original perspective on political life based on pragmatist intuitions. Dewey’s struggle with social philosophy spans more than... more
Although less known than his theory of democracy, John Dewey’s social philosophy provides an articulate and original perspective on political life based on pragmatist intuitions. Dewey’s struggle with social philosophy spans more than four decades of his intellectual life. This article provides an overview of the main themes that characterizes it and shows that two distinct projects animate Dewey’s social philosophy. One that is closer to the British reformist social philosophy of Jeremy Bentham and John S. Mill. Another that is closer to the program of a critical theory of society initially developed by Karl Marx and subsequently expanded by the Frankfurt School. The article contends that to understand Dewey’ social philosophy we should first understand what he took and what he rejected of both these tradition, how he managed to steer a middle course between Mill and Marx.
Qu'est-ce qu'une pratique ? L'expression « histoire pragmatique » peut s'entendre de plusieurs manières, selon la signification que l'on assigne au terme « pragmatique ». Une des possibilités consiste à entendre le terme « pragmatique »... more
Qu'est-ce qu'une pratique ? L'expression « histoire pragmatique » peut s'entendre de plusieurs manières, selon la signification que l'on assigne au terme « pragmatique ». Une des possibilités consiste à entendre le terme « pragmatique » comme se référant à la pratique, ou aux pratiques. L'histoire pragmatique serait en ce sens une « histoire de pratiques », une manière d'aborder le passé comme étant essen-tiellement qualifié par le déploiement de « pratiques », dont elle se proposerait d'articuler les différents traits caractéristiques. Ou, en un sens différent, comme étant essentiellement qualifié par le déploiement du « pratique », entendu comme un mode d'être spécifique du monde. Ainsi comprise, l'histoire pragmatique se trouve d'emblée inscrite dans le « practice turn » qui a caractérisé la philosophie et les sciences sociales des dernières trois décennies, mais dont les origines sont à retrouver bien plus en amont, dans le pragmatisme américain ainsi que dans la philo-sophie du langage ordinaire de Wittgenstein
This symposia I have organised and edited together with Roberto Frega and Albert Ogien (Institut Marcel Mauss, Paris). In this special issue of the European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy we present a selection of the... more
This symposia I have organised and edited together with Roberto Frega and Albert Ogien (Institut Marcel Mauss, Paris). In this special issue of the European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy we present a selection of the papers that were discussed during three workshops which have taken place at Villa Vigoni (under the auspices of the DFG and of the FMSH) between 2012 and 2014. They illustrate some trends of contemporary research in pragmatism and illustrate the reach of this old philosophical tradition in a vast array of current debates in philosophy and in the social sciences. This special issue is dedicated to our dear colleague Stefan Beck (1960-2015).
Research Interests:
This paper explores the theme of moral rationality by examining two distinct philosophical approaches, those of perfectionism and pragmatism broadly construed. It does this by comparing Cora Diamonds’ reading of J.M. Coetzee’s novel The... more
This paper explores the theme of moral rationality by examining two distinct philosophical approaches, those of perfectionism and pragmatism broadly construed. It does this by comparing Cora Diamonds’ reading of J.M. Coetzee’s novel The Lives of Animals, with an imaginary reading of the same novel tuned to a moral sensibility closer to pragmatism. By comparing a real account with an imaginary one I intend to press Cora Diamond’s perfectionist understanding of problematic moral experience into confrontation with a pragmatist account of the same phenomenon. This reading becomes the starting-point for a broader confrontation between two larger philosophical conceptions: perfectionism and pragmatism. By this confrontation, I intend to extend a dialogue begun more than a century ago, showing in particular that integrating both perspectives within a common moral epistemology provides new insights in our understanding of moral experience. My general claim is that their differences notwithstanding, perfectionism and pragmatism share a common moral sensibility, although they part ways on some decisive issues that this paper makes explicit.
Cet article examine l’œuvre de Thomas Kuhn au prisme du rôle que joue la notion de pratique dans le développement de sa théorie de la rationalité scientifique. Je commence par exposer les enjeux épistémologiques de la théorie de... more
Cet article examine l’œuvre de Thomas Kuhn au prisme du rôle que joue la notion de pratique dans le développement de sa théorie de la rationalité scientifique. Je commence par exposer les enjeux épistémologiques de la théorie de l'incommensurabilité. Je montre ensuite comment l'intuition originale d'une conception pratique et sociale de l'incommensurabilité en vient à être remplacée par une interprétation linguistique plus conventionnelle. Dans la deuxième partie de l’article j’examine la solution donnée par Kuhn au problème de l'incommensurabilité et j’en montre l’insuffisance et je procède ensuite à montrer que c’est l’incapacité à penser la dimension épistémologique de la pratique qui empêche Kuhn de donner une solution pleinement satisfaisante au problème épistémologique soulevé par Structure.
L’articolo introduce e sviluppa una proposta teorica nuova per ripensare le forme di creazione di valore collettivo, dunque di bene comune, a partire da una diversa riconcettualizzazione delle traiettorie dell’individualismo moderno e dei... more
L’articolo introduce e sviluppa una proposta teorica nuova per ripensare le forme di creazione di valore collettivo, dunque di bene comune, a partire da una diversa riconcettualizzazione delle traiettorie dell’individualismo moderno e dei suoi rapporti con la tecnologia, le comunità ed il territorio. Lo fa a partire da un paradigma esplicativo che si basa su due idee strettamente interrelate: quello di una contabilizzazione dell’invisibile resa possibile dalle nuove tecnologie digitali e quella di una accelerazione dei comportamenti virtuosi che tale contabilizzazione favorisce. L’articolo mostra in che modo queste due idee consentono di ripensare gli spazi dell’agire politico a partire da una diversa configurazione dei rapporti tra individuo e comunità, attraverso la mediazione tecnologica.
Lecture critique des ouvrages suivants : Hélène Landemore, Democratic reason : politics, collective intelligence, and the rule of the many, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2013 ; Jeffrey Green, The eyes of the people : democracy in... more
Lecture critique des ouvrages suivants : Hélène Landemore, Democratic reason : politics, collective intelligence, and the rule of the many, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2013 ; Jeffrey Green, The eyes of the people : democracy in an age of spectatorship, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2010.
Cet article présente une théorie pragmatiste de la normativité qui se situe au carrefour entre philosophie et sciences sociales. Cette théorie s’appuie sur la notion de pratique et se propose d’intégrer une visée de validité et... more
Cet article présente une théorie pragmatiste de la normativité qui se situe au carrefour entre philosophie et sciences sociales. Cette théorie s’appuie sur la notion de pratique et se propose d’intégrer une visée de validité et d’objectivité avec un souci pour les formes empiriques au travers desquelles les ordres normatifs sont maintenus et transformés dans des contextes déterminés socio-historiquement. L’article montre pourquoi une approche pragmatiste, transdisciplinaire, est nécessaire, et défend l’idée que l’épistémologie pragmatiste met à disposition le cadre théorique pour développer une telle démarche. Les trois piliers principaux d’une telle perspective sont mis en évidence : une conception de la rationalité comme enquête, une conception pragmatique de l’objectivité, et une conception multi-perspectiviste du jugement normatif.
L’article propose une lecture critique de l’ouvrage récent de Yves Cohen - Le siècle des chefs - et l’inscrit dans le courant plus vaste du mouvement de l’histoire pragmatique, dont Cohen est un représentant éminent. Après avoir présenté... more
L’article propose une lecture critique de l’ouvrage récent de Yves Cohen - Le siècle des chefs - et l’inscrit dans le courant plus vaste du mouvement de l’histoire pragmatique, dont Cohen est un représentant éminent. Après avoir présenté les jalons majeurs de l’oeuvre, l’article examine la thèse centrale de l’ouvrage, à savoir que le commandement constituerait un phénomène propre au XXème siècle. Il procède ensuite à montrer en quoi l’approche par les pratiques permet à l’auteur d’aborder de manière originale son propre sujet, pour aborder dans la section suivante la question du rapport entre discours et pratiques en tant qu’objets d’enquête historique. La dernière section de l’article discute les enjeux de l’histoire pragmatique à l’aune du plus vaste «tournant pratique» qui a caractérisé les sciences sociales des trois dernières décennies.
"This paper tackles with the issue of the place of comprehensive beliefs within the public space. It tries to strike a middle path between the liberal ban on comprehensive beliefs and the anti-liberal claim that comprehensive beliefs... more
"This paper tackles with the issue of the place of comprehensive beliefs within the public space. It tries to strike a middle path between the liberal ban on comprehensive beliefs and the anti-liberal claim that comprehensive beliefs should be given full pride of place in public deliberations. The article relies on arguments that are inspired by the pragmatist tradition. It starts locating the main cause of failures at articulating comprehensive beliefs and public reason in a central feature of liberal epistemology, namely the way it conceives public reason via a preliminary distinction between public and non public beliefs.
After criticizing this distinction, the article introduces a distinction between the normative practice of justification and the normative practice of adjudication as a more perspicuous way to establish the place that comprehensive beliefs should play within political forums. It then concludes showing that this approach provides a satisfying answer to the issue of
the public role of comprehensive beliefs in a liberal democratic regime that is respectful of citizens’ thick identities while at the same time complying with the requirements of respect set by the liberal
tradition."
This paper explores the epistemological impact of the idea of post-secularism on the concept of public reason. It does so by examining a strand of the Rawls-Habermas debate on the role of religious beliefs within public reason. The paper... more
This paper explores the epistemological impact of the idea of post-secularism on the concept of public reason. It does so by examining a strand of the Rawls-Habermas debate
on the role of religious beliefs within public reason. The paper identifies a difficulty in the liberal solution that depends upon the unwillingness to challenge the proviso-like conception of
public reason and contends that this difficulty is overcome neither by Habermas’ “institutional” version of proviso nor by Cristina Lafont’s version of “mutual accountability” proviso. Once
acknowledged this blind spot in the theory of public reason, the paper proceeds to show that a pragmatist-based conception of public reason can overcome this shortcoming as it grants
to religious beliefs a role that does not compromise the liberal ethics of citizenship while at the same time does not frustrate the communitarian and religious call for a less restrictive
conception of the public sphere. The conclusion this paper brings home is that a proviso-free public reason is necessary for tackling the theoretical challenge of defending liberalism in a
post-secular society.
L'articolo esamina, via la recensione critica di John Dewey a Pragmatism di James, un aspetto cruciale di ogni filosofia autenticamente pragmatista, ovvero il modo in cui essa intende e definisce il concetto di pratica. Nel farlo,... more
L'articolo esamina, via la recensione critica di John Dewey a Pragmatism di James, un aspetto cruciale di ogni filosofia autenticamente pragmatista, ovvero il modo in cui essa intende e definisce il concetto di pratica. Nel farlo, svilupperò alcune riflessioni su come da questa lettura di James sviluppata da Dewey emergano i contorni di un’epistemologia delle pratiche di conoscenza, che costituisce uno degli aspetti più originali e meno riconosciuti del pragmatismo deweyano.
ABSTRACT: In this paper, I first lay out a definition of perfectionism drawing mainly upon the works of Cora Diamond and Stanley Cavell. Secondly, I introduce the notion of “expressive rationality” and show how it contributes to expanding... more
ABSTRACT: In this paper, I first lay out a definition of perfectionism drawing mainly
upon the works of Cora Diamond and Stanley Cavell. Secondly, I introduce the notion
of “expressive rationality” and show how it contributes to expanding the scope of prag-
matism beyond its original boundaries. I then proceed to examine pragmatism and
perfectionism as competing alternative accounts of moral experience, through a discus-
sion of Coetzee’s novel The Lives of Animals. In so doing, I intend to show that prag-
matism and perfectionism constitute two necessary and irreducible approaches to
moral experience, pointing towards two diverging and yet irreducibly joined spheres of
moral life.
RÉSUMÉ : Cet article commence par proposer une définition du perfectionnisme ins-
pirée en grande partie des travaux de Cora Diamond et Stanley Cavell. J’introduis
ensuite l’idée de «rationalité expressive» et je montre comment elle contribue à étendre
la portée du pragmatisme au-delà de ses frontières originales. Je fais enfin l’examen du
pragmatisme et du perfectionnisme comme offrant des explications concurrentes de
l’expérience morale en m’appuyant sur une discussion du roman The Lives of Animals
de Coetzee. J’entends ainsi montrer que perfectionnisme et pragmatisme, loin de proposer
Since its origins, evolutionary theory has offered a new key for the understanding of nature, and suggested to us a new and promising way of understanding ourselves. Since Darwin’s time, but with an increasing intensity in the last three... more
Since its origins, evolutionary theory has offered a new key for the understanding of nature, and suggested to us a new and promising way of understanding ourselves. Since Darwin’s time, but with an increasing intensity in the last three decades, evolutionary theories have shed new light on human behavior through the reconstruction of its evolutionary history. Trying to extend the scope of evolutionary principles beyond the genetic dimension, evolutionary biology and then evolutionary psychology and anthropology have tried to shape a unified account of human nature that, under the banner of an evolutionary narrative, would equally apply to morphological, functional, and behavioral traits. Since the early times of Sociobiology to more recent studies on cultural evolution, the evolutionary sciences have progressively consolidated into an epistemological paradigm according to which human capacities and behaviour have progressively evolved out of the prolonged interaction with the environment. Trying to equally avoid purely biological and purely cultural accounts, the evolutionary paradigm has progressively paved the way for an understanding of human nature that is bridging the gap between the long lasting dualisms of nature and culture, genes and information, instinct and learning. Orientation to evolutionary success, evolutionary fitness, and adaptation are the categories invoked in order to explain why a given behaviour, practice, or institution might have evolved and survived the environmental challenges while others would have perished.

And 13 more

On the Democratic Duty to Trust the People
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Pour une esthétique sociale Nouveaux problèmes, nouvelles approches théoriques Journées d’étude organisées par Barbara Carnevali et Roberto Frega (chercheurs invités de l’IEA-Paris) En collaboration avec le Centre de Recherches sur les... more
Pour une esthétique sociale
Nouveaux problèmes, nouvelles approches théoriques

Journées d’étude organisées par Barbara Carnevali et Roberto Frega
(chercheurs invités de l’IEA-Paris)

En collaboration avec le Centre de Recherches sur les Arts et le Langage (CRAL) de l’EHESS.

IEA-Paris, 2-3 mars 2012
Maison Suger, 16-18 rue Suger 75006 Paris


Programme des journées

Vendredi 2 mars 9.30-13 h
Richard Shusterman (Florida Atlantic University) :« Ars erotica – un art populaire ? »
Sandra Laugier (Université Paris 1) : « Esthétique ordinaire, culture populaire »
Roberto Frega (IEA-Paris) : « Science as Art, Art as Practice : l’art, la créativité, la pratique »

Vendredi 2 mars 14.30-17.30h
Marielle Macé (CNRS/EHESS CRAL) : « Stylistiques de l’existence - un parti pris littéraire »
Andrea Borsari (Université de Florence) : « Georg Simmel et le problème du style »
Filippo Fimiani (Université de Salerno) : «There are things we know we ought to feel: croyances et rhétoriques du beau chez Arthur Danto »

Samedi 3 mars 10-13
Joseph Margolis (Temple University, Philadelphia) : « The Social Space of Interpretation »
Jean-Marie Schaeffer (CNRS/EHESS CRAL) : « L'ontologie distribuée des “objets esthétiques” ».
Nathalie Heinich (CNRS/EHESS CRAL) : « Dialogue posthume avec Alfred Gell ».

Samedi 3 mars 14.30-17h
Paolo D’Angelo (Université de Rome) : « Le dandysme comme forme d’existence esthétique »
Barbara Carnevali (IEA-Paris) : « Habitusformeln : la construction esthétique du prestige »
Da circa una settimana non si parla d’altro che di fase due, in un dibattito sterile e confuso in cui ‘apristi’ e ‘chiudisti’ si confrontano in maniera ideologica e senza che ipotesi chiare siano emerse. Il governo è prigioniero di una... more
Da circa una settimana non si parla d’altro che di fase due, in un dibattito sterile e confuso in cui ‘apristi’ e ‘chiudisti’ si confrontano in maniera ideologica e senza che ipotesi chiare siano emerse.
Il governo è prigioniero di una situazione prodotta dalla sua sostanziale sfiducia nella popolazione italiana.
Continua qui: https://www.huffingtonpost.it/entry/un-week-end-di-normalita-e-tre-regole-per-uscire-dal-lockdown_it_5e8c8624c5b6e1d10a6a2b06?utm_hp_ref=it-homepage
Di recente il dibattito sul populismo si è fatto intenso nella maggioranza dei paesi europei sino a diventare una delle principali categorie di interpretazione della realtà politica contemporanea. Attualmente, partiti classificati come... more
Di recente il dibattito sul populismo si è fatto intenso nella maggioranza dei paesi europei sino a diventare una delle principali categorie di interpretazione della realtà politica contemporanea. Attualmente, partiti classificati come populisti governano o sono comunque ben rappresentati nei parlamenti di numerosi paesi Europei: in Olanda, Slovacchia i partiti populisti siedono nei parlamenti con percentuali che vanno dal 15 ad oltre il 50%[1]. Molte di queste formazioni politiche sono classificate o classificabili almeno in parte come di sinistra, se per sinistra intendiamo, in modo molto minimale, un orientamento politico caratterizzato dal primato dell'uguaglianza socio-economica. Il fatto che nel dibattito pubblicistico il M5S non sia chiaramente posizionato nello spettro sinistra-destra non costituisce come vedremo un'obiezione a questa classificazione. Considerato come espressione politica delle moderne democrazie occidentali, il populismo è generalmente identificato ai suoi connotati più grevi: i 'vaffa' di Beppe Grillo, il rosario ostentato di Matteo Salvini, i commenti volgari e violenti sui blogs dei principali quotidiani online, le posizioni estremiste in tema di immigrazione ed integrazione europea. Tanto nella letteratura scientifica quanto nel dibattito politico, se ne enfatizzano spesso gli aspetti anti-democratici: il rifiuto dei corpi intermedi, la diffidenza verso tutte le élites, il rifiuto del pluralismo, la critica alla stampa indipendente, la riattualizzazione di forme carismatiche di potere, la predilezione per soluzioni semplificate e visioni del mondo manichee, l'insofferenza per ogni forma di mediazione-compresa quella rappresentativa. A sinistra la vittoria del M5S è dunque volentieri interpretata come il trionfo della pancia sulla testa, dell'oscurantismo sulla ragione, delle fake news sulla verità. Tutto questo naturalmente rinvia ad un fondo di verità che non può essere negato: ritengo che il populismo sia un'istanza potenzialmente nociva per la stabilità delle social-democrazie occidentali. Non è tuttavia su questo che intendo soffermarmi in queste riflessioni. Ma non è nemmeno mia intenzione tessere le lodi del populismo sulla falsariga di autori come Chantal Mouffe o Ernesto Laclau. Mi propongo piuttosto di sviluppare un'interpretazione del populismo di sinistra, e conseguentemente una lettura della politica italiana di oggi, che spieghi perché il populismo sia diventato una presenza ineliminabile, e come i partiti social-democratici possano conviverci in modo più o meno pacifico. Per fare questo è però necessario innanzitutto riconoscerne il significato politico autentico, restando ovviamente molto vigili sulle condizioni-culturali e istituzionali-che sono necessarie per arginarne le pulsioni più pericolose per la stabilità di un regime democratico. L'obiettivo di questo intervento, sia detto dall'inizio in modo esplicito in modo da evitare qualsiasi malinteso, non è quello di intervenire nel dibattito attuale-apparentemente già concluso-se il PD debba accettare o meno di entrare in una fase negoziale con il M5S. Dal punto di vista che propongo di adottare questa questione è, tutto sommato, irrilevante. La riflessione che propongo riguarda piuttosto l'evoluzione nel medio o lungo termine, poiché in esso ne va della radicale riconfigurazione dello spazio politico nazionale ed europeo. Non tanto il M5S o il PD come sono oggi, ma populismo di sinistra e social-democrazia tra cinque anni.
InDebate: Donald Trump and Pragmatism http://philosophie-indebate.de/2799/donald-trump-and-pragmatism/ Recently, „The Washington Post“, „Le Monde“ as well as „Die Süddeutsche Zeitung“ published articles claiming a close connection between... more
InDebate: Donald Trump and Pragmatism
http://philosophie-indebate.de/2799/donald-trump-and-pragmatism/
Recently, „The Washington Post“, „Le Monde“ as well as „Die Süddeutsche Zeitung“ published articles claiming a close connection between the rise of Donald Trump and philosophical pragmatism. Post-truth politics is said to be a product of pragmatist thinkers like John Dewey or William James. When three major newspapers across three countries heap reproaches so far-fetched, a philosophical reply is needed. Dr. Harvey Cormier (Stony Brook University, NY), Dr. Roberto Frega (CNRS, Paris), and Dr. Ana Honnacker (FIPH, Hannover) elaborated on why it is misguided to pose a justificatory link between pragmatist ideas and Trumpism.
Ways forward for Democracy: (Digital) Potentials, Mobilizations, Strategies
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“Workplace Democracy Revisited: Labour and Practices of Participation, Workers’ Control and Self-Management in Global Perspective”
6 – 8 September 2018
AK-Bildungshaus Jägermayrhof, Römerstraße 98, A-4020 Linz, Austria
Research Interests:
The Review of Social Economy, a journal that seeks to strengthen the connections between economics and related disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, including philosophy, politics, and sociology, plans to publish a special... more
The Review of Social Economy, a journal that seeks to strengthen the connections between economics and related disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, including philosophy, politics, and sociology, plans to publish a special issue devoted to the theme of workplace democracy.
The topic of democracy in the enterprise has a long history. Debates about workplace democracy have been lively in Europe as well as in the US throughout the first three quarters of the 20th century, and begun to decline at the end of the 80's, after the fall of the socialist alternative. In the last few years, and with increasing intensity after the 2008 financial crisis, the question of the democratization of the enterprise has gained new traction. The literature on democracy in the enterprise, however, is polysemic and fractured, and spreads across several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Whether democracy is defined in terms of representative procedures, direct management, self-government, shared ownership, or egalitarian patterns of interaction has major consequences for shaping our understanding of workplace democracy. Moreover, much of the debate proceeds at a high level of abstraction, failing to take the untidiness of social life and the possibility of the need for compromises between different normative principles into account. We lack a dialogue between empirical scholars, who explore existing practices and the challenges on the ground (including challenges that arise from the recent sea changes through digitalization), and theoretical scholars who reflect on the normative arguments for democratizing the enterprise.
This call for papers aims to fill this gap by bringing together scholars who have worked on themes relevant for a more focused and integrated discussion of workplace democracy. It aims at creating a better understanding of the relation between different strands of the debate, and at identifying critical research questions and practical questions around the issue of workplace democracy. We are seeking original contributions either in empirical or theoretical research, possibly at the crossroads of diverse academic fields. The call is open to contributors from the political and social sciences and philosophy.
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International workshop “Democracy and forms of life”

Organizers: Estelle Ferrarese (Univ. Picardie) & Roberto Frega (CMB)

Centre Marc Bloch – Salle Georg Simmel
24th April 2018 9h30 – 18h30
Research Interests:
The topic of democracy in the enterprise has a longstanding history. Debates about workplace democracy have been lively in Europe as well as in the US throughout the first three quarters of the 20th century, and begun to decline at the... more
The topic of democracy in the enterprise has a longstanding history. Debates about workplace democracy have been lively in Europe as well as in the US throughout the first three quarters of the 20th century, and begun to decline at the end of the 80’s, after the fall of the socialist alternative. In the last few years, and with increasing intensity after the 2008 financial crisis, the question of the democratization of the enterprise has gained new traction and the number of publications is beginning to increase in philosophy as well as in the social and political sciences.
This literature, however, is polysemic and fractured. Whether democracy is defined in terms of representative procedures, direct management, self-government, shared ownership, or egalitarian patterns of interaction has major consequences for shaping our understanding of workplace democracy, but the current debate fails to take these into account. Moreover, much of the debate proceeds at a high level of abstraction, failing to take the messiness of social life and the possibility of the need for compromises between different normative principles into account.
This workshop will bring together a number of scholars who have worked on themes relevant for a more focused​ and integrated discussion of workplace democracy. It aims at creating a better understanding of the relation between different strands of the debate and at identifying critical research questions and practical questions around workplace democracy.
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Le séminaire du pôle pour l'année 2017/2018 portera sur la question du politique, de sa nature, et des différentes manières de le conceptualiser et étudier dans la philosophie et dans les sciences sociales et politiques.
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The conference explores the historical and theoretical dialogues between pragmatist ethics, Wittgensteinian moral philosophy, and virtue ethics. Charting different philosophical programs, these three heterodox approaches to ethics offer... more
The conference explores the historical and theoretical dialogues between pragmatist ethics, Wittgensteinian moral philosophy, and virtue ethics. Charting different philosophical programs, these three heterodox approaches to ethics offer metaphilosophical alternatives to both the disengaged project of meta-ethics and tothe prescriptive project of normative ethics. As against the meta-ethical aspect of moral theory, they question the independence of second-order ethical analysis from first order moral inquiry, while contrary to the prescriptive aspect they recommend a descriptive investigation of moral normativity. The conference surveys the convergences and divergences of these traditions as they have shaped the course of the twentieth (and now twenty-first) century debates about the goals, methods, and limits of moral philosophy.
The event is sponsored by the Irish Research Council New Foundations Scheme and the American Voice in Philosophy Research Project.
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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Pragmatism and the Political 4-6th June 2015 EHESS – Amphi François Furet, 105, bd. Raspail – 75006 Paris --- In the last decades pragmatism has steadily and increasingly emerged as an innovative... more
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Pragmatism and the Political

4-6th June 2015
EHESS – Amphi François Furet,
105, bd. Raspail – 75006 Paris
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In the last decades pragmatism has steadily and increasingly emerged as an innovative theoretical frame of reference for the study of political life in a plurality of diverse but related fields such as normative theory, international relations, theories of justice and democracy, the sociology of organizations and institutions, theories of collective mobilization and the study of controversies.
In these and other domains of political research, pragmatism has offered new theoretical insights and contributed to the opening of new lines of empirical research. This conference will bring together scholars from a plurality of disciplinary fields to assess the continuing relevance of pragmatism for the study of the political in a thoroughly interdisciplinary perspective.
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The trend of change from science and technology policy to science, technology and innovation (STI) policy becomes remarkable in Japan but also in Europe. Policymakers intend to break down the sense of economic and social stagnation by... more
The trend of change from science and technology policy to science, technology and innovation (STI) policy becomes remarkable in Japan but also in Europe. Policymakers intend to break down the sense of economic and social stagnation by creating innovation driven by science and technology. In order to solve complex social issues, innovation is definitely essential. However, it is also obvious that creating “real” innovation needs some other elements than just the development of science and technology. Innovation needs integration of knowledge beyond disciplines. Recently the role of social science and humanities (SSH) in the innovation process is being highlighted and science, technology and innovation policy of many countries now expects SSH to play important role in conceiving, realizing and adjusting the policy.
Practical knowledge and involvement of the people is also important to create innovation. As an integration of diverse knowledge, the implementation of “Trans-disciplinary” research is requested to solve social issues in responding to social demand and create innovation that the society expects. “Trans-disciplinary” research requires involvement of non-academic sectors, namely co-design, co-production, co-delivery of research and its results with various stakeholders in society.
In this workshop, French and Japanese researchers mostly from SSH will discuss the role of society and SSH in innovation and in creativity.
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International Workshop, 17-18th April 2015, Institut für Sozialforschung, Frankfurt am Main Organizers: Federica Gregoratto, Axel Honneth, Arvi Särkelä, Justo Serrano Participants: Roberto Frega (Paris), Judith Green (New York),... more
International Workshop, 17-18th April 2015, Institut für Sozialforschung, Frankfurt am Main
Organizers:  Federica Gregoratto, Axel Honneth, Arvi Särkelä, Justo Serrano
Participants: Roberto Frega (Paris), Judith Green (New York), Federica Gregoratto (Frankfurt), Martin Hartmann (Lucerne), Dirk Jörke (Darmstadt), Arto Laitinen (Tampere), Annete Pitschmann (Frankfurt), Emmanuel Renault (Paris), Arvi Särkelä (Frankfurt/Lucerne), Thomas M. Schmidt (Frankfurt), Justo Serrano (Frankfurt), Italo Testa (Parma)
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En continuité avec les travaux des années précédentes, le séminaire de cette année se propose d'interroger la notion d'émancipation à partir de ses bases épistémiques. Nous le ferons en étudiant comment deux traditions majeures de la... more
En continuité avec les travaux des années précédentes, le séminaire de cette année se propose d'interroger la notion d'émancipation à partir de ses bases épistémiques. Nous le ferons en étudiant comment deux traditions majeures de la philosophie sociale contemporaine – le pragmatisme et l'École de Francfort – ont réfléchi à cette question. Nous partirons du projet pragmatiste de philosophie sociale pour le comparer à celui, contemporain, d'une théorie critique de la société, pour nous pencher ensuite sur son évolution à travers l'idée d'un « intérêt à l'émancipation ». Cette interrogation nous conduira à réfléchir au statut du progrès en tant que catégorie politique progressivement soustraite au domaine de la philosophie de l'histoire et ré-inscrite dans celui de la philosophie sociale et politique.
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Deciding the methodological parameters of any social scientific research project has significant and far-reaching consequences. The methodological orientation of practicing social scientists is crucial for the work they do because it... more
Deciding the methodological parameters of any social scientific research project has significant and far-reaching consequences. The methodological orientation of practicing social scientists is crucial for the work they do because it structures the way in which the research is conducted. One of the more significant and influential recent developments in philosophy globally — and in the theoretical branches of various social scientific disciplines in particular — is the recent rise to prominence of pragmatism.
Formerly little-known among scholars in continental Europe, pragmatism has now established a strong foothold there within various disciplinary and institutional formations, as represented by some of the leading intellectuals of our time. Figures such as Jurgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu, Bruno Latour, Axel Honneth and Luc Boltanski all rely significantly on pragmatism to underpin their work. Indeed, Boltanski has been credited with inaugurating a new “pragmatic school of French sociology”. Various research networks have also sprouted up, including the Nordic Pragmatism Network, Associazione Pragma, alongside burgeoning journals such as Pragmatism Today and the European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy. By participating in this
course, students will access a vital toolkit of concepts that will prove invaluable as they confront the methodological problems each researcher faces.
More particularly, this course will:
● Develop participants’ familiarity with the basic concepts of pragmatism.
● Provide a robust outline of the history and present of pragmatism as a philosophy of human action and social science.
● Draw out the consequences of pragmatism for the methodology of the social sciences and in particular for Conflict and Development Studies.
● Show how pragmatism influences major contemporary theoretical and social scientific programs and their fundamental concepts, such as: power, growth, agency, knowledge and domination.
● Think through the consequences of a pragmatic approach to how we see the purpose of social science in a democratic society.
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This paper reclaims the actuality of the concept of solidarity for democratic theory. It does this by proposing a theory of solidarity as social involvement, that is construed through the integration of three better known conceptions of... more
This paper reclaims the actuality of the concept of solidarity for democratic theory. It does this by proposing a theory of solidarity as social involvement, that is construed through the integration of three better known conceptions of solidarity that have played an influential role in the political thought of the last two centuries. The paper begins by explaining why this concept should receive more sustained attention from political theorists with an interest in democracy, and proceeds by presenting two indispensability arguments. Section three outlines three rival models of solidarity. Section four introduces the theory of solidarity as social involvement as the successful combination of the previous three models, defining solidarity in terms of acting-for and acting-with. Sections five and six discuss its major implications for democratic theory, before bringing the article to a close.
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