The rise of the political far right across western democracies in the 2010s and the Russian invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 have drawn attention to the role of illiberal and anti-liberal thought in world politics. There is today a growing awareness, both in scholarly and media debates, of the ways in which formal geopolitical visions of the political right shape the formulation of contemporary foreign policy. Many of these intellectual currents rely on older narratives that emerged during past crises of liberalism and which promoted the language of space as antithetical to the supposed ‘spacelessness’ of a ‘moribund’ global liberalism. This prompts the question as to the role of tropes of ‘space’ and ‘geographical rootedness’ in contemporary illiberal thought. This two-day workshop brings together an esteemed group of experts on the intellectual far right to discuss the relationship between illiberal and anti-liberal thought and particular understandings of world political order. For detailed programme with schedule, summary, and abstracts, kindly refer to this link: tinyurl.com/critliberalprog
Date: 13-14 March 2024
Location: St John’s College, University of Oxford
Timings
13 March 2024 (Wednesday): 0930 – 1815
14 March 2024 (Thursday): 0900 – 1645
For detailed programme, please visit tinyurl.com/critliberalprog
Refreshments and lunch provided on both days. There is a drinks reception at the end of the first day (from 1815-1900)
Kindly register your participation via this form (forms.office.com/e/TwGcXswXqJ). As there are limited spaces for this workshop, we will be accepting participants on a first-come-first-served basis.
Topics and Speakers
Keynote: “The Geopolitical Challenge in International Relations” by Michael C. Williams (University of Ottawa)
1. Continentalism – Niels Werber (Universität Siegen), Discussant: Stuart Elden (University of Warwick)
2. Völkish nationalism – Ulrike Jureit (Hamburger Insititut für Sozialforschung), Discussant: Matthew Specter (UC Berkeley)
3. Pan-Aryanism – Ishan Ashutosh (Indiana University Bloomington), Discussant: Stuart Elden (University of Warwick)
4. Vitalism Ian Klinke (University of Oxford), Discussant: Katharina Rietzler (University of Sussex)
5. Civilisationism – Patricia Chiantera-Stutte (Università degli Studi di Bari), Discussant: Gregorio Bettiza (University of Exeter)
6. Europeanism – Mark Bassin (Södertörns Högskola), Discussant: Chris Lizotte (Oxford Brookes University)
7. Identitarianism – Manni Crone (Danish Institute for International Studies), Discussant: Chris Lizotte (Oxford Brookes University)
8. Realism – Matthew Specter (UC Berkeley), Discussant: Michael C. Williams (University of Ottawa)
9. Paleoconservatism – Jean- François Drolet (Queen Mary, University of London), Discussant: Gregorio Bettiza (University of Exeter)
10. Eurasianism – Marlene Laruelle (George Washington University), Discussant: Mark Bassin (Södertörns Högskola)
Organizers: Ian Klinke (ian.klinke@ouce.ox.ac.uk), Jean-François Drolet (j.drolet@qmul.ac.ukj.drolet@qmul.ac.uk)
(For any administrative requests, kindly email rachael.chan@ouce.ox.ac.uk)
