Political Theory Reading Group
The Reading Group in Political Theory is a term-time weekly meeting of the staff and postgraduate students (both research and taught) working in political theory, also open to colleagues and students from other areas in politics, and from any other discipline. It often welcomes the participation of speakers from other Universities.
The Reading Group started as an experiment in conversation between colleagues in the political theory cluster with very different interests and approaches to the subject. Even when disagreeing profoundly and not fully understanding each other, we carry on enjoying these conversations.
Over the years, the Reading Group has become the focus of our research culture, an opportunity to exchange ideas and look at political and theoretical issues from many different perspectives. Thanks to the participation of colleagues and speakers from a variety of disciplines besides politics (philosophy, law, classics, economics, history, business, English, theology, geography, the arts), the Reading Group provides an invaluable opportunity for interdisciplinary explorations and dialogue.
The format of the Reading Group varies from week to week. The standard format is for one member of the group or an external speaker to briefly introduce a pre-circulated text, followed by a (more or less heated and controversial) discussion on any issue that seems relevant to the text itself. Often, however, we have internal or external speakers (academics and postgraduates) presenting their own papers. The format of this meetings following the same format: pre-circulated papers, a brief introduction, and an open and wide-ranging discussion. Occasionally, the Reading Group takes the form of a workshop with more than one speaker, or a symposium about a published book.
The Reading Group gives an opportunity to research students at Exeter to present their own work or to discuss texts in which they are interested. It helps them to discover new texts and a variety of ways of looking at familiar subjects. It is a way of socializing postgraduates into the discipline by exposing them to different texts and detailed discussions about them. Master students in political theory are required do a presentation at the Reading Group as part of their degree. This may be intimidating for some, but they all find it an interesting and formative experience. And even the senior staff finds it still a stimulating and refreshing experience.
Sessions are normally in Amory 219, Wednesdays 12.40 to 2.00 pm, unless otherwise indicated. Most sessions will be in hybrid format. A Zoom link, and any relevant readings, will be circulated in advance.
3rd/4th October, "Democracy and Representation Challenges: An Interdisciplinary Workshop"
Organized by the Centre of Political Thought in collaboration with the Forum for Human Rights and Democracy, as part of the Observatory of Representation: International Centre on State, Democracy and Citizenship.
9th October, "Republican Responses to Climate Misinformation"
Ashley Dodsworth, University of Bristol
16th October
No meeting
23rd October, '"A Tale of Two Crises." Or, Where are the Theories of Justice for the Biodiversity Crisis?'
Catriona McKinnon, University of Exeter
30th of October, "A More Humanistic Utilitarianism"
Michael Coughlin, University of Exeter
6th of November, "The Cultural Imperialism of 'Gender Critical Feminist' Activist Speech"
Louise Richardson-Self, University of Tasmania
13th November, "Ideal Theory after Auschwitz? The Practical Uses and Ideological Abuses of Political Theory as Reconciliation, by Benjamin McKean
Robert Lamb, University of Exeter
20th November, Book Workshop: Biopolitics as a System of Thought
Serene Richards, New York University, London
Commentator: Anil Kaan Yildirim, Simon Townsend
27th November, The Performativity of Political Representation
Dario Castiglione, University of Exeter
4th December, TBC
Sarah Bulmer, University of Exeter
Due to a clash with a departmental meeting, this session will not take place at the normal time. Further details will be circulated in due course.
Download programmes from previous years.