Democracy and the politics of equality
The deadline for 2012 Doctoral College Studentships has now passed.
The Brighton Doctoral College is pleased to welcome applications from self-funded or externally sponsored students for programmes of research in this or a closely related area, beginning from September 2012. Applications are welcome from students wishing to study full time or part time, and applications are welcome from students in employment who have the support of their employers.
- Based in the Faculty of Arts
- Supervisors: Dr Mark Devenney; Dr Paul Hopper.
Application deadline
The university cannot guarantee that students can start at their requested date unless deadlines are met.
- UK/EU students: The deadline for the university to receive applications for an entry date of October is the 1 August, for January entry it is the 1 November and for May it is the 1 March.
- International students: The deadline for the university to receive applications for an entry date of October is the 1 June, for January entry it is the 1 September and for May it is the 1 January.
A number of contemporary theorists of democracy, (notably Zizek, Badiou and Laclau), argue that democratic politics has overemphasised freedom, thereby undermining equality.
Badiou in particular contends that democracy entails an axiomatic equality, and thus raises the question of the compatibility of democracy with any politics - such as that of the neo-liberalism that is currently dominant – that does not recognise equality as fundamental. This project engages with a central element of this challenge, namely the possibility of developing an account of equality adequate to the problems posed to democratic politics by global threats to the sovereignty of the demos - environmental and economic challenges in particular – in which equality consists. It develops the theoretical and political work of the Critical Studies Research Group, and ties with work done on the Cultural and Critical Theory MA Programme.
The candidate with work closely with colleagues in CAPPE developing work started at recent conferences (eg, ‘What’s the big deal about democracy?’, 2008; ‘The politics of place and space’, 2009; and ‘Politics of fear; fear of politics’, 2010. This research will also benefit from links with colleagues in the Research in Ethics and Globalisation group at Groningen University.
We seek applications from candidates in philosophy, with an interest in contemporary theory and its relevance to global politics. We welcome applications from candidates in any relevant branch of political philosophy, whose work hitherto evidences engagement with problems of democracy.
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