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The Dublin Political Theory Workshop hosted byUCD School of Politics and International Relationsbrings together political theorists located in, visiting, or otherwise connected to Dublin. We discuss work in progress in the area of political theory widely understood including debates on applied ethics and social and legal philosophy.
If there happens to be no draft ready for discussion, we also like to discuss readings that are of interest to the group.
If you are interested to discuss your work with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
For further information on what happens in terms of political theory on the island of Ireland, please also see(opens in a new window)The Political Theory Network Ireland.
2026 Events
Dublin Political Theory Spring 2026 Programme
Sessions usually take place Fridays 12:00 – 12:50 in room F301, Newman Building, UCD Belfield.
For more information, please visit (opens in a new window)our website and contact (opens in a new window)alexa.zellentin@ucd.ie.
Friday, 20. February 2026, 12:00-12:50
Mauricio Torres Jáuregui (Universidad de Chile)
What happened in Chile?
Lessons on deliberative democracy from a failed constitution-making process
The paper will be circulated by email in advance.
Friday, 27. February 2026, 14:00-14:50 (please note the different time)
Kian Mintz-Woo (University College Cork)
Why Shouldn’t You Participate in Public Policy?
The paper will be circulated by email in advance.
Friday, 6. March 2026, 12:00-12:50
Joseph Lacey (UCD), Samuel A. T. Johnston (UCD), Leonardo Puleo (Université Libre de Bruxelles), and Jan Fabian Dollbaum (UCD)
Do Election Campaigns Lower the Bar?
Citizens’ Attitudes Towards Democratic Standards and Elite Conduct in Four Countries.
The paper will be circulated by email in advance.
Friday, 27. March 2026, 12:00-12:50
Reading group session
Manin, Bernard, Stein, Elly and Mansbridge, Jane (1987). On Legitimacy and Political Deliberation. Political Theory, 15 (3), 338-368.
Friday, 10. April 2026, 12:00-12:50
Pablo Magaña Fernánde (TCD) and Rubén Marciel (University of Geneva)
Why animal issues are newsworthy
The paper will be circulated on the email list.
Past Events
2024
13 Sep: Discussing Singer 1972: Famine, affluence, and morality
20 Sep: Discussing Anderson 1999: What is the point of equality?
27 Sep: The epistemic dimension of populism
Lucas Dijker (UCD Philosophy)
4 Oct: With and against Habermas: The genealogical project of
postmetaphysical thinking in contemporary political theory
Antonio Pio De Mattia (UCD Philosophy)
25 Oct: Distribution of what? An interrelated typology of social
inequalities based on valued attributes of distribution
Lucas de Melo Prado (UCD SPIRe)
8 Nov: The political representation of animals: Keeping it simple
Pablo Magaña (TCD Philosophy)
15 Nov: Discussing Nancy Fraser 1999: Social Justice in the Age of
Identity Politics
22 Nov: Sexual Cultures and 'Cultural Imperialism' as a Face of
Oppression
Louise Richardson-Self (Philosophy & Gender Studies University of
Tasmania)
29 Nov: A Republic of Housing: Freedom and Domination in the
Housing Market
Michael Coleman (UCD SPIRe)
2023
Friday 24. February 2023. 3pm – 4pm
online
Martin O’Neill (University of York)
Public Provision, Public Ownership and the Sense of Justice
Friday, 3. March 2023, 2pm-3pm
Newman Building F301, UCD Belfield
Benjamin Swift (UCD)
A Case for Reasonableness over Epistemic Competence as a Democratic Legitimation Criterion
Friday, 21. April 2023, 2pm-3pm
Newman Building F301, UCD Belfield
Joanna Podgorskarykala (European University Institute)
Deliberative innovation in the public policy planning process
Friday 26. May 2023. 3pm – 4pm
online (please get in touch for the zoom-link)
Maeve McKeown (University of Groningen)
tbc