The diagnosis of a crisis-ridden present has become almost a matter of course: climate change, pandemic experiences, the erosion of democratic institutions, global power shifts and growing social polarisation point to a time of upheaval and uncertainty. Amidst these uncertainties, democracy is coming into focus: Where regression and authoritarian tendencies are on the rise, the question of its resilience becomes urgent. Where existing forms of political organisation and participation reach their limits, space opens up for renewal and alternative models.
Current developments require reflection through political theory and the history of ideas in particular: current crises are shaking established patterns of interpretation and calling into question both proven political strategies and central assumptions of modern theory. In order to reflect on these challenges appropriately, an open and fundamental exploration of the issues is required.
Uncertainty is not only a defining feature of our time, but also a recurring theme in the history of political thought. The analysis of current crises can therefore benefit from both contemporary theoretical discourse and historical review. At the same time, the current transformation cannot be understood solely from the perspective of political theory. Dialogue with other subfields of political science is necessary, as is the inclusion of other disciplines and the opening of discourse beyond Eurocentric perspectives. For the questions that arise today concern global power relations and structural inequalities. They shape not only the crisis phenomena themselves, but also their analysis. Democratic setbacks, resilience and opportunities for renewal are therefore neither purely national nor institutional, but part of comprehensive, global negotiation processes. The conference aims to take this complex context as a starting point for joint reflection.
