Justification and Application: The Nature and Function of Political Norms

The focus of contemporary normative political theory is on norms and their justification. The aim of this section is to engage with the question of justification, as well as with issues, which emerge from the attempt to apply justified norms to specific areas in politics and international relations. The starting point for the papers will be given by a set of assumptions stemming from Kant’s moral and political philosophy, such as the non-subjective nature of political norms, the possibility of the justification of norms and the context-transcending validity of justified norms. Papers will address topics, which can be divided into three main categories: · The nature of justification and application in practical (moral and political) theories; · The justification and application of specific political norms, for instance, in the area of citizenship, leadership, property or international relations; · Issues of interpretation, concerning the roots of the currently dominant, Kantian views of justification and application. Thematically, papers may focus on issues of justification or on questions related to the application of norms, or on topics that relate justification and application. Particular questions addressed will include: the justification of exclusion, legitimate ownership, the moral transformation of politics, the nature of political judgement, the specific character of political justification, and the nature of application. This is a section organised by the Kantian Political Thought Standing Group.