Research focus

This research area is about the role and position of religion within liberal states. At the Political Theory Research Group, Aurélia Bardon is researching these questions in particular within this research area:

• What role should faith-based reasoning play in politics? Is it ever legitimate to use religious reasons to justify political decisions?
• Should liberal states be secular? What kind of separation between religion and politics is necessary in liberal states?
• How should we accommodate religious diversity? In particular, should religious exemptions be granted?

Part of Aurélia Bardon’s current research focuses on the concept of civility and the role it plays in contemporary democracies. The following questions are particularly relevant: 

• What does it mean to be civil, and why it is important to be civil in a liberal democracy? 
• When is it ever justified to be uncivil? 
• Can monuments (such as the statues of slave owners or otherwise controversial figures) be uncivil, and if so should they be removed? 

Being seen as engaging in “cultural appropriation” is increasingly considered as problematic. The concept of cultural appropriation is nowadays often used in public debates, but it also raises important philosophical questions addressed by Aurélia Bardon: 

• Is cultural appropriation always wrong? 
• Why is cultural appropriation (at least in some cases) wrong? 
• What should be the response of the liberal state regarding cultural appropriation? 

A description of this research focus by Andrea Lailach-Hennrich will be published shortly.

A description of this research focus by Andrea Lailach-Hennrich will be published shortly.