For, Against, Together: Antagonistic Political Emotions

At this conference, we address what it means to experience antagonistic political emotions and investigate the role such emotions play in group formation, social cohesion, political identity, as well as in-group/out-group demarcation and conflict. We analyse the function of such antagonistic political emotions as distrust, envy, fear, anger, resentment, Ressentiment, indignation, contempt, and hatred in the political sphere. We also consider how certain political groups use antagonistic political emotions, e.g., in protest movements or populism.

An interdisciplinary group of researchers, including philosophers of various backgrounds (e.g., philosophy of emotion and affect studies, political and social philosophy, phenomenology), sociologists of emotion, and political theorists, are participating in this event. 

This conference is a hybrid conference, allowing presenters and participants to attend in person or via Zoom. The conference is part of the FWF-Research Project: Antagonistic Political Emotions.

Please register before 31 August.

Invited Speakers

  • Alfred Archer (Tilburg University)
  • Berit Brogaard (University of Miami)
  • Dan Degerman (University of Bristol)
  • James M. Jasper (Graduate Center of the City University of New York)
  • John Protevi (Louisiana State University)
  • Laura Silva (University of Geneva)
  • Louise Richardson-Self (University of Tasmania)
  • Mihaela Mihai (University of Edinburgh)
  • Myisha Cherry (University of California, Riverside)
  • Nicolas Demertzis (University of Athens)

The conference will be held as a hybrid event. More information to follow.

Programme

Wednesday, 7 September

09:00 Welcome and introduction (Lucy Osler, Ruth Rebecca Tietjen, and Thomas Szanto)
09:15 Myisha Cherry (University of California, Riverside): TBA
10:15 Break
10:30 Mihaela Mihai (University of Edinburgh): “Antagonistic Grief and the Ambiguities of Contestatory Citizenship” (Zoom)
11:30 Break
11:45 Nicolas Demertzis (University of Athens): “The Complex Emotionality of Grievance Politics”
12:45 Lunch
14:00 Ruth Rebecca Tietjen (University of Pardubice) and Thomas Szanto (University of Copenhagen): “The Appropriateness and Fittingness of Political Emotions”
15:00 Break
15:15 John Protevi (Louisiana State University): “Anger, Aggression, and Altruism in Theories of Human Evolution”
16:15 Break
16:30-17:30 Berit Broogard (University of Miami): TBA (Zoom)

Thursday, 8 September

09:15 Lucy Osler (University of Copenhagen): “What Makes a Political Emotion Antagonistic Anyway?”
10:15 Break
10:30 Dan Degerman (University of Bristol): “The Fear of Fear in Political Theory”
11:30 Break
11:45 Louise Richardson Self (University of Tasmania): “The Dialogical Plexus: Moods and Moments of Online Commentary”
12:45 Lunch
14:00 Alfred Archer (Tilburg University): “Admiration as an Antagonistic Political Emotion”
15:00 Break
15:15 Laura Silva (University of Montreal): “Fighting Fire with Fire: Mobilizing Anger for Climate Justice” (Zoom)
16:15 Break
16:30-17:30 James M. Jasper (Graduate Center of the City University of New York): “Can We Respect Those We Hate?” (Zoom from the USA)

Practical Information

This is a hybrid workshop, with presenters and participants attending in person and via Zoom. For participation, please register (for free) here

Time and Place

All times are listed as Central European Summer Time.

The onsite address is University of Copenhagen, South Campus, room 4A-0-68.

The Zoom link for online participation will be provided in due time upon registration.

Organizers

Lucy Osler, Ruth Rebecca Tietjen, and Thomas Szanto

Funding

The workshop is generously supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) research project “Antagonistic Political Emotions” (P 32392-G) and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 832940).