"Democracy in Crisis: Tocqueville's theory of democracy" - Universit?t Regensburg_百利宫

Liberal democracy is in crisis worldwide. Not only in comparatively young democracies, but also in (time-honored) democracies such as the USA, the foundations on which liberal, constitutional democracy is based are crumbling. As early as the 19th century, Tocqueville presented a ground-breaking theory of democracy and examined the bright and dark sides of democracy as a form of society and government in America and Europe.

While current political theory (especially radical democratic theory) concentrates on criticism of liberal democracy and its swan song, we want to revive Tocqueville's theory of democracy and use it in four systematic panels to ask whether liberal democracy can be saved rather than abandoned. The aim is to build a bridge between an analysis of current phenomena of democratic crisis on the one hand and the reconstruction of central elements of Tocqueville's theory on the other.

To attend the conference, please send an email to?ricarda.wuensch@ur.de?before the 15th of May 2025.

Organizers: Dr. Sarah Rebecca Str?mel; Prof. Dr. Eva Helene Odzuck

Location: Haus der Begegnung, Hinter der Grieb 8, 93047 Regensburg

Please check the conference program?for further information.

Program

Speakers, Chairs and Commentators

Keynote-Speakers:

Prof. Dr. Aurelian Cr?iu?u
Professor of Political Science - Indiana University (Bloomington, USA)

Prof. Dr. Joshua Mitchell
Professor of Political Theory - Georgetown University (Washington D.C., USA)

Chairs:

Prof. Dr. Dr. Manfred Brocker
Professor of Poitical Theory and Philosophy -?Katholische Universit?t Eichst?tt-Ingolstadt (Eichst?tt, Germany)

Dr. Dietrich Schotte
Assistant Professor of Philosophy - Universit?t Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)

Prof. Dr. Eva Helene Odzuck
Professor of Political Philosophy, Theory and the History of Political Thought - Universit?t Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)

Dr. Sarah Rebecca Str?mel
Assistant Professor of Political Philosphy, Theory and the History of Political Thought - Universit?t Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)

Speakers:

Prof. Dr. Alan S. Kahan
Professor of British Civilization - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, (Paris, France)

Prof. Dr. Sophie van Bijsterveld
Professor of Religion, Law and Society - Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (Nijmegen, Netherlands)

Dr. Ahmet Cavuldak
Assistant Professor of Political Theory - Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin (Berlin, Germany)

Prof. Dr. José Antonio Aguilar Rivera
Professor of Political Science - Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (Mexico City, Mexico)

Prof. Dr. Oliver Hidalgo
Professor of Political Theory - Universit?t Passau (Passau, Germany)

Dr. Sarah Rebecca Str?mel
Assistant Professor of Political Philosphy, Theory and the History of Political Thought - Universit?t Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)

Prof. Dr. Thomas Osborne
Professor of Social and Political Theory - University of Bristol (Bristol, United Kingdom)

Prof. Dr. Dana Villa
Professor of Political Science - University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, USA)

Prof. Dr. Michael Drolet?
Senior Research Fellow in the History of Political Thought- University of Oxford (Oxford, United Kingdom)

Prof. Dr. Ewa Atanassow
Professor of Politics - Bard College Berlin (Berlin, Germany)

Commentators:

Dr. Skadi S. Krause
Assistant Professor of Political Theory - TU Darmstadt (Darmstadt, Germany)

Prof. Dr. Harald Bluhm
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought -?Martin-Luther-Universit?t Halle-Wittenberg (Halle (Saale), Germany)

Prof. Dr. Tine Stein
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought - Georg-August-Universit?t G?ttingen (G?ttingen, Germany)

Prof. Dr. Norbert Campagna
Professor of Philosophy - Université du Luxembourg (Luxembourg, Luxembourg)

Prof. Dr. Cristina Cassina
Associate Professor in the History of Political Thought, University of Pisa?(Rome, Italy)

Prof. Dr. Gisela Riescher
Professor of Political Philosophy, Theory and the History of Political Thought - Albert-Ludwig-Universit?t Freiburg (Freiburg, Germany)?

Dr. Dietrich Schotte
Assistant Professor of Philosophy - Universit?t Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)

Prof. Dr. Dag Einar Thorsen
Associate Professor of Political Science - University of South-Eastern Norway (Drammen, Norway)

Prof. Dr. Dirk J?rke
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought - TU Darmstadt (Darmstadt, Germany)?

Prof. Dr. Hans-J?rg Sigwart
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought - RWTH Aachen University (Aachen, Germany)

Travel Information

Regensburg is situated in the south-eastern part of Germany and easily accessible by train and plane.

With the Albrecht Dürer Airport in Nuremberg and the Franz Josef Strau? Airport in Munich, two of Germany’s biggest airports are only about a one hour-train ride away (the train ride from Frankfurt Airport is a little longer, approx. 3,5 hours in total.).

Regensburg train station is served by both ICE and local trains and located 1km from the conference venue.

Conference Venue

The conference will not take place on the university campus but in a beautiful old building of the 14th century called “Haus der Begegnung” which is closer to the hotels and the restaurants we plan to attend.

The address of the conference venue is: Hinter der Grieb 8, 93047 Regensburg.

Accomodation

There are several reasonably priced hotels in Regensburg. The following ones are all located within walking distance from the train station and the conference venue:

Hotel am Peterstor, Fr?hliche-Türken-Str. 12?

Hotel-Restaurant Wiendl, Universit?tsstr. 9?

Hotel Kaiserhof, Kramgasse 10-12?

Some of these hotels also offer family rooms. Moreover, there are two hostels in Regensburg which offer both dormitory beds and family rooms/apartments and a private guesthouse which offers apartments.

Hostel am Ostentor, Ostengasse 12

Youth Hostel Regensburg, W?hrdstr. 60
(requires membership in the International Youth Association)

Ferienwohnung Schmid, Silberne Fischgasse 6

Democracy in Crisis: Tocqueville's Theory of Democracy and Its Relevance in the Age of (Global) De-Democratization