Political Ontology: Debates and Applications

In recent years, scholarship across social sciences and the humanities has shown newfound interest in ontology,the study of being. A turn to ontology offers fresh ways of thinking about some of our discipline's most ingrained questions: what does it mean to be a citizen; how can we legitimize and realize human rights frameworks; what grounds claims to self-determination? This ontological turn has generated vibrant scholarly discussion across political science's subfields, from political theory and comparative politics to international relations and empirical research. Events such as the 2019 "Thinking the Political after the 'Ontological Turn'" debate in Vienna and the 2022 workshop "The Ontology of Politics" in Groningen reflect this growing engagement. Central to these discussions is a crucial insight: our tacit ontological commitments, our assumptions about what political phenomena are and how they exist, fundamentally shape our research. Out of these debates has emerged political ontology, scholarship that systematically examines how foundational assumptions about being shape political inquiry across subfields and methodologies. By bringing itself to bear on diverse issues, from indigenous self-determination (Kramm, 2021) to environmental conflicts (Flemmer et al., 2024; Campos and Martins, 2024), political ontology reveals how ostensibly neutral systems of categorization shape the terrain of political possibility. This revelatory work depends on shifting attention from epistemological questions (what can we know?) to ontological ones (what exists, and how does it exist?) that typically remain unexamined in political science research. Interrogating these ontological foundations rather than taking them as given allows political scientists to recognize how seemingly technical choices about definition and classification carry profound political stakes. Yet despite its growing influence, political ontology faces significant pushback. Critics challenge the field for its density and inaccessibility, arguing that its literature is often "complex and confused" (Stanley, 2012) in ways that make it difficult to integrate into established research. Others question whether the critical reflexivity that ontological analysis promises actually delivers meaningful insights for empirical work (Chin, 2020). Political ontology thus stands at a crossroads: while scholars across the discipline increasingly recognize that ontological assumptions shape their research, questions remain about how, and whether, ontological inquiry can productively inform political science beyond theoretical reflection. This section responds to this critical juncture by creating a forum for productive dialogue across political science's diverse subfields. Building on discussions begun at last year's ECPR conference in Thessaloniki, where a noncitizenship studies section surfaced concerns about unexplored ontological assumptions in both qualitative and quantitative analyses of political membership, we propose to extend the conversation across the breadth of political science research. The section will bring together scholars working on diverse topics to examine both their own ontological commitments and the broader role of ontological inquiry in the discipline. Given that political ontology is increasingly recognized as relevant across subfields yet remains contested for its accessibility, this section addresses concerns about opacity by creating space for scholars to engage with ontological questions in their own areas of expertise. Through five diverse panel themes spanning established theoretical debates and emerging empirical applications, we aim to demonstrate how ontological analysis can inform research across comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and beyond. In doing so, we clarify political ontology's core insights while showcasing its practical value for political scientists working in varied contexts and traditions. Panel 1: Ontological Foundations of Political Methodology This panel examines how ontological commitments shape research design, methodology, and analytical frameworks in political science. Papers might explore how assumptions about what exists and how it exists influence choices about case selection, operationalization of concepts, or interpretation of findings. By making explicit the ontological underpinnings of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, this panel addresses concerns about political ontology's practical relevance. Panel 2: Queering Political Ontology This panel brings queer theory into conversation with political ontology, exploring how non-normative sexualities and gender identities challenge foundational political categories. Papers might examine how LGBTQ+ politics disrupts binary ontological frameworks, how queerness operates as an ontological condition that destabilizes citizenship and belonging, or how queer theoretical insights can denaturalize taken-for-granted assumptions about political subjects, communities, and rights. Panel 3: Indigenous Ontologies and Political Self-Determination This panel explores how Indigenous ontologies challenge Western political theory's foundational assumptions about sovereignty, political membership, and collective agency. Papers might examine Indigenous cosmologies as alternative frameworks for understanding political being, analyze how colonial impositions of Western ontological categories constrain Indigenous self-determination, or investigate how Indigenous activism troubles the ontological grounds of state sovereignty. Panel 4: Rethinking the Ontology of Statehood This panel interrogates the state as an ontological construct, examining how assumptions about state sovereignty, territoriality, and authority structure political inquiry. Papers might explore how the state-centric paradigm limits our understanding of non-state political forms, how statehood is ontologically produced and maintained, or how challenges to state sovereignty reveal its contingent foundations. Panel 5: Political Ontology at the Crossroads This panel provides critical meta-reflection on political ontology itself, examining its theoretical foundations, practical limitations, and future directions. Papers might assess critiques of political ontology's accessibility, explore tensions between different ontological traditions (post-foundational, new materialist, Indigenous), or propose frameworks for integrating ontological analysis into mainstream political science research.