The topic of the workshop is the city as a research subject of political philosophy. For this context, the political is understood in the broad sense of coordinating ways of living together in as just manner as possible. The questions asked are: What is specific about the political form of the city by contrast for example to the nation-state? How do cities shape the common life and how can collectives shape cities? What are the ways in which urban forms of life can ideally contribute towards human (and non-human) flourishing?
We will address two recent philosophical publications from 2023: The City of Equals (Oxford University Press) by Jonathan Wolff and Avner de Shalit and Urban Enlightenment (Routledge) by Shane Epting that deal with these questions each in their own way. The former develop criteria for a city where everyone is treated as an equal. The latter discusses citizens’ co-planning possibilities in cities wherein they can contribute to their own joint flourishing. Both books are primarily focused on human needs for participation and respect, but they each also devote a chapter to considering non-human urban denizens such as animals and plants. The participants will discuss these two books with the authors in addition to presenting their own research, ideally in reference to one or both works.
Given the rapid urbanization of the world (according to the United Nations, 70% of us will live in cities by 2050), cities are becoming primary human habitats. Cities are also important actors in progressive environmental civic action. For example, when the former president of the United States Donald Trump announced his country’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord on climate change in 2017, within several hours Los Angeles and New York announced their continued allegiance to the treaty. Half a year later 400 US-American cities have pledged their allegiance to the Paris Climate Accord, in defiance of the national policy. This suggests that cities have a political agency that is to some extent independent of the nation-state and worthy of separate consideration.
Philosophers have discovered the topic of the city as a viable research area. Until two decades ago, most political philosophers focused on questions centered on the national context, and this is now changing and diversifying. Philosophers can contribute to transdisciplinary and public debates about how future cities should be shaped to do justice to both people and the planet. Therefore, the relevance of the topic pertains both to political philosophy and to public interests for a more reflective and just urbanization. While other disciplines also reflect on urbanization processes, philosophers can contribute a unique perspective by clarifying questions of urban justice against the background of normative debates in political philosophy.