With apologies for cross-posting.
Workshops in Political Theory, Seventh Annual Conference
Manchester Metropolitan University
1-3 September 2010
Call for papers: The Idea of Friendship in Political Theory
Convenors: Derek Edyvane (Leeds) and Kerri Woods (York)
Circumstances of political conflict stemming from moral disagreements and clashing particularistic loyalties form the necessary background of contemporary political theorising. These circumstances lend considerable urgency to the task of articulating a basis for social unity and yet also contribute to scepticism about the prospects of success in that enterprise. However, theorists of friendship, from Aristotle to Kierkegaard to Schmitt and beyond, have not necessarily seen moral and political conflict as inimical to friendship.
This panel aims to explore the possibilities of (political) friendship across different and conflicting particularistic commitments. What is the significance of friendship for politics and for political theory? What are the barriers to, and possibilities of, friendship in the context of pluralism? What can theories of friendship tell us about the limits and possibilities of cosmopolitanism? Can a meaningful political form of friendship foster social unity in the context of pluralism? Is the idea of global friendship meaningful?
We invite papers that respond to these and related questions. We aim to publish a selection of papers from the panel in a special issue of a relevant journal. The deadline for submitting abstracts is May 31st 2010.
Please direct expressions of interest, queries, or abstracts to Dr Derek Edyvane ([log in to unmask]) and Dr Kerri Woods ([log in to unmask]). For details of past Workshops please see: http://www.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/polphil/news/article.php?id=306
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