Conference CFP
‘The Politics of Emancipation. Utopia, Insurgent Democracy and the Legacy of Miguel Abensour.’
York University, Toronto, Canada, April 1-3, 2020.
French political philosopher Miguel Abensour (1939-2017) was centrally concerned with the persistent opening and closing of the political universe, providing original and formative contributions to democratic and utopian thought. His call for a “critico-utopian political philosophy” sought to understand how the return of political events – irrupting in response to the needs of humanity – raise questions about the nature and meaning of politics and emancipation. The conference considers Abensour’s work and legacy in the context of the irruption of political events in our time, including the possibilities of emancipation and the perils of totalitarian or authoritarian domination.
We invite papers that discuss Abensour’s contribution to four main areas in the context of contemporary political events and issues:
- utopian thought, in particular his insights on the development of a “new utopian spirit” since 1848;
- emancipatory and/or radical politics, specifically his insistence on thinking politics as a realm of freedom that must take into account the possibility of “voluntary servitude”;
- contemporary political theory, notably his call for “critico-utopian” political philosophy as well as his relationship to other contemporary thinkers;
- totalitarianism, in particular his understanding of it as an attempt to destroy politics.
To submit a paper proposal, email a 250 word abstract to abensourconference2020@gmail.com by November 15, 2019. Selected participants will be notified by December 15th 2019. Follow the event page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/1642250909243432/