Keynote: Tocqueville and the Future of American Democracy – Five Rules by Prof. Dr Aurelian Craiutu
Liberal democracy is in crisis worldwide. As early as the 19th century, Alexis de Tocqueville examined both the advantages and vulnerabilities of democratic systems in the United States and Europe. Prof. Dr Aurelian Crăiuțu (Indiana University, Bloomington), a renowned expert on the history of French ideas, derives five principles for the present from Tocqueville’s pioneering reflections, rooted in the concept of moderation. Click here to watch his keynote address “Tocqueville and the Future of American Democracy”. (external link, opens in a new window)
Democracy in Crisis
It is not only in comparatively young democracies, but also in (long-established) democracies such as the USA, that the foundations on which liberal, constitutional democracy is based are crumbling. In the 19th century, Tocqueville presented a groundbreaking theory of democracy and examined the positive and negative aspects of democracy as a form of society and government in America and Europe.
Whilst current political theory (particularly radical democratic theory) focuses on criticising liberal democracy and its demise, we aim to revive Tocqueville’s theory of democracy and use it across four systematic panels to explore 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(at)ur.de (opens your email program) by 15 May 2025.
Organisers: Dr Sarah Rebecca Strömel; Prof. Dr Eva Helene Odzuck
Venue: Haus der Begegnung, Hinter der Grieb 8, 93047 Regensburg
Please check the conference programme (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible) for further information.
Presentations
Programme
Speakers, Chairs and Commentators
Keynote speakers:
Prof. Dr. Aurelian Crăiuţu
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 Political Theory and Philosophy – Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Eichstätt, Germany)
Dr. Dietrich Schotte
Assistant Professor of Philosophy – University of Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Eva Helene Odzuck
Professor of Political Philosophy, Theory and the History of Political Thought – University of Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)
Dr. Sarah Rebecca Strömel
Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy, Theory and the History of Political Thought – University of Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)
Speakers:
Prof. Dr. Alan S. Kahan
Professor of British Civilisation – Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Paris, France)
Prof. Dr. Sophie van Bijsterveld
Professor of Religion, Law and Society – Radboud University Nijmegen (Nijmegen, Netherlands)
Dr. Ahmet Cavuldak
Assistant Professor of Political Theory – Humboldt University of 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 – University of Passau (Passau, Germany)
Dr. Sarah Rebecca Strömel
Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy, Theory and the History of Political Thought – University of 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 University Halle-Wittenberg (Halle (Saale), Germany)
Prof. Dr. Tine Stein
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought – Georg-August University of Göttingen (Göttingen, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Norbert Campagna
Professor of Philosophy – University of 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 University of Freiburg (Freiburg, Germany)
Dr. Dietrich Schotte
Assistant Professor of Philosophy – University of Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Dag Einar Thorsen
Associate Professor of Political Science – University of South-Eastern Norway (Drammen, Norway)
Prof. Dr. Dirk Jörke
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought – TU Darmstadt (Darmstadt, Germany)
Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Sigwart
Professor of Political Theory and History of Political Thought – RWTH Aachen University (Aachen, Germany)
Travel Information
Regensburg is situated in the south-east of Germany and is easily accessible by train and plane.
With Albrecht Dürer Airport in Nuremberg and Franz Josef Strauß Airport in Munich, two of Germany’s largest airports are only about an hour’s train journey away (the train journey from Frankfurt Airport is a little longer, taking approximately 3.5 hours in total).
Regensburg railway station is served by both ICE and local trains and is located 1 km from the conference venue.
Conference Venue
The conference will not take place on the university campus but in a beautiful old 14th-century building called “Haus der Begegnung”, which is closer to the hotels and restaurants we plan to visit.
The address of the conference venue is: Hinter der Grieb 8, 93047 Regensburg.
Accommodation
There are several reasonably priced hotels in Regensburg. The following are all within walking distance of the train station and the conference venue:
Hotel am Peterstor (external link, opens in a new window), Fröhliche-Türken-Str. 12
Hotel-Restaurant Wiendl (external link, opens in a new window), Universitätsstr. 9
Hotel Kaiserhof (external link, opens in a new window), Kramgasse 10–12
Some of these hotels also offer family rooms. Furthermore, there are two hostels in Regensburg which offer both dormitory beds and family rooms/flats, as well as a private guesthouse offering flats.
Hostel am Ostentor (external link, opens in a new window), Ostengasse 12
Youth Hostel Regensburg (external link, opens in a new window), Wöhrdstr. 60
(membership of the International Youth Association is required)
Ferienwohnung Schmid (external link, opens in a new window), Silberne Fischgasse 6