The contemporary political landscape is increasingly characterized by emotional intensity. From the rise of populist movements to culture wars and partisan animosity, politics is no longer simply about rational debate over policy but deeply entangled with collective emotions and identity. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for addressing the challenges facing Western democracies, including polarization, democratic backsliding, and crisis of meaning in public life.
In recent decades, we have witnessed a profound transformation in how we understand the role of emotions in political life. The "affective turn" in philosophy beginning in the 1990s, coupled with breakthroughs in affective neuroscience, has fundamentally challenged traditional Western intellectual frameworks that separated reason from emotion. This series of lectures aims to explore the complex interplay between emotions and politics in contemporary Western societies, bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives to understand how collective feelings shape our political landscape.
We are happy to welcome lectures by the following scholars (list ist subject to change, titles of the lectures will be added later on:
11.11.2025: Dr. Francesca Brencio: Mirror of society: how social values shape mental health diagnosis (online)
25.11.2025: Thomas Stavrinos: Performing Hypermasculinity: Affective Politics in the Manosphere
02.12.2025: Prof. Dr. Andreas Ventsel: Mobilising Fear and Affect: Conspiracy Theories in Russia’s Strategic Communication
09.12.2025: Prof. Dr. Felix Heidenreich: Politische Gefühle in der Moderne – Luhmann mit Freud Thema entfernen
20.01.2026: Prof. Dr. Oliver Hidalgo: Why We Are Polarised: The Contradiction Between Reason and Emotions in Contemporary Democracies
27.01.2026: Dr. Sarah Strömel: Can You Still Trust Your Feelings? On Emotions that Promote Democracy (online)
For the online lectures (11.11.2025 and 27.01.2026), please register with the StudIP event (https://studip.uni-passau.de/studip/dispatch.php/course/overview?cid=2990774f38682384b4acbf621c3ec22a) or send a message in advance to get access to the Zoom link.
| Open to | all |
|---|---|
| Prior registration | required |
| Organised by | Dr. Stefan Christoph, Dr. Diana Mistreanu |
| Event website | https://studip.uni-passau.de/studip/dispatch.php/course/overview?cid=2990774f38682384b4acbf621c3ec22a |
| Contact organizer of event | politicalemotions@uni-passau.de |
