Call for Papers: International Summer School Critical
Theory 2018 (JULY 15 – JULY 20)
RE-THINKING IDEOLOGY
Why do people often accept, and even embrace, social and
political conditions that seem to run counter to their own
interests? How is it possible that we sometimes support forms
of domination with our ways of behaving and thinking without
intending or even realizing it? One answer to these questions
refers to the notion of ideology. Ideologies are more or less
coherent systems of practices and beliefs that shape how
individuals relate to their social reality in ways that
distort their understanding of what is wrong with that reality
and thereby contribute to its reproduction.
The summer school will seek to clarify the meanings and
theoretical roles of ideology, as the concept has been
prominently developed from the writings of Marx via Critical
Theory in the tradition of the Frankfurt School to more recent
debates in feminism and analytic philosophy.
Key contemporary protagonists of ideology critique like Sally
Haslanger, Robert Gooding-Williams, Axel Honneth, Alice Crary,
Karen Ng, Titus Stahl, Robin Celikates, Martin Saar and Rahel
Jaeggi will be present at the summer school and facilitate
debates both of key texts from canonical authors and of their
own systematic positions.
We will discuss questions such as: What is ideology and in
which sense are ideologies false or deficient? How do
ideologies come into existence and how do they function? On
which basis and from which standpoint can ideologies be
criticized? What is the continuing relevance of the notion of
ideology for a critical understanding of our social and
political reality and especially of phenomena such as racism,
sexism, neoliberalism and right-wing populism? How does
ideology critique compare to other modes of immanent
criticism, such as genealogy, performative critique and
rational reconstruction? And how can the significant
methodological, theoretical and normative challenges to
traditional understandings of ideology be addressed?
The summer school will involve plenary lectures and
discussions, reading sessions, smaller group discussions and
panel debates in order to stimulate debates across paradigms.
To apply for participation, graduate students and junior
scholars are invited to submit a precis of their take on core
concerns of ideology critique and a CV (each document 1 page).
The precis should show which particular background knowledge
and systematic positions the applicants would bring to our
joint discussions.
Deadline for applications: March 15th 2018, by email
to: CTsummerschool@hu-berlin.de
There is no fee for the Summer School, but participants have
to fund their own travel, accommodation and catering.
There will be some funds available for which international
students without access to institutional reimbursement can
apply in order to subsidize their travel costs.
Instructors: Robin Celikates (University of Amsterdam), Alice
Crary (Oxford/New School), Robert Gooding-Williams (Columbia),
Sally Haslanger (MIT), Axel Honneth (Columbia/IfS), Rahel
Jaeggi (HU Berlin), Karen Ng (Vanderbilt), Martin Saar (Goethe
University Frankfurt), Titus Stahl (Groningen).
Organizers: Rahel Jaeggi, Eva von Redecker, Isette Schuhmacher
(Humboldt University Berlin), Robin Celikates (University of
Amsterdam), Martin Saar (Goethe University, Frankfurt) in
cooperation with the Frankfurt Institute for Social Research
and the New School for Social Research.
For updates and information see also:
http://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/summer-school/