We received notice of a call for papers for a
conference on constitutional communities at KU Leuven in February 2024.
Call for Papers
International conference on
Constitutional Communities
When: 8-9
February 2024
Where: KU
Leuven (Institute of Philosophy and Faculty of Law), Belgium
Deadline for
abstract submissions: 25 October 2023
Theme:
Today almost all countries are “constitutional
communities” in a broad sense: their constitution provides the basic framework
for their common life. This link between community and constitution is
increasingly recognized and there is a growing awareness of the potential of
constitutions for societal integration. Jürgen Habermas, with his notion of
constitutional patriotism, made the case for a collective identity that does
not rely on ethnic nationalism. At the same time, the belief that a
constitutional document can be the source of a liberal collective identity has
been criticized from various angles. A constitution is typically anchored at
the national level, while in a globalized world social integration happens at
many different levels. Moreover, courts have used the concept of
“constitutional identity” to justify divergent interpretations of the rule of
law and human rights and to uphold populist claims. Indigenous people sometimes
see constitutional recognition as a new form of assimilation. And some critics
have claimed that the concept is empty and abstract: constitutional principles
are mostly the same across borders so how can they inspire a sense of
community?
These developments raise important
questions. How do constitutions create communities? Can they
really do so? And should they? These questions can be answered
from different disciplinary perspectives. Scholars in constitutional law and in
the history of law have studied the working of constitutions since long. But
legal and political philosophy should also weigh in, as philosophers from the
past and the present have amply studied the relation between written laws and
community. The issue of constitutional identity can also be approached from an
empirical sociological perspective or even from a literary perspective, as it
is ultimately the agency of a text that is at stake here.
By engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue
about constitutions and community, this conference aims to explore the impact
that constitutions have and can have in the functioning of communities, and to
contribute to our understanding of the concept of constitutional identity.
Possible paper topics:
- Constitutions and community building
- National and/or constitutional identity
as legal instruments
- The relation between constitutional
identity and affiliated notions (sovereignty, constituent power,
representation, …)
- Constitutional recognition (of
minorities, historically oppressed groups, rights of nature, …)
- Constitutional change
- Specific philosophers on the role of
constitutions
- Constitutions as a literary genre
Submitting your abstract:
If you are interested in presenting your work
at this conference, please submit an anonymized abstract (max. 400
words, in .doc, .docx or .pdf format) along with your name, title, and
affiliation via e-mail to Ana Van Liedekerke (ana.vanliedekerke@kuleuven.be). The actual presentations can be 15 to
20 minutes long. Abstract should be submitted on 25 October 2023 (CET) at the
latest. If accepted, you will be invited to develop your abstract into a full
paper of around 5000 words; papers will be precirculated to all conference
participants. We welcome submissions both from junior and from senior
scholars. We especially encourage scholars from underrepresented groups to
apply.
Conference Fee: There will be a registration
fee of 75 euro to participate in the conference (40 euro for those attending
just one day and reduced prices for KU Leuven students) and an additional fee
of 75 euro for those wanting to attend the conference dinner.
Organizers: Raf
Geenens, Stefan Sottiaux, Christophe Maes, Roger Ventura Cossin, Ana Van
Liedekerke.
This conference is organized by RIPPLE
(Research in Political Philosophy and Ethics Leuven) and the Leuven Centre for
Public Law. It is part of an interdisciplinary research project on
constitutional identity, jointly hosted by KU Leuven's Institute of Philosophy
and KU Leuven's Faculty of Law and funded by FWO, the Research Foundation
Flanders.
All info here.
