23 November 2010
Purpose and contents of the Istanbul Seminars
Search Results for: Volker Kaul
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1 May 2010In many discussions of multiculturalism there is a ‘picture’ that holds up captive—a picture of cultures, religious or ethnic groups that are self-contained and are radically incommensurable with each other. I explore and critique this concept of incommensurability. I trace the idea of incommensurability back to the discussion by Thomas Kuhn—and especially to the ways in which his views were received. Drawing on Gadamer’s understanding of hermeneutics, I argue that the very idea of radical incommensurability is incoherent. This does not entail an abstract universalism but rather sensitivity to the ways in which all languages and cultures are in principle open to the real possibility of enlarging one’s vision and mutual understanding. -
1 May 2010This short paper will seek to explore the causes, and possible solutions of what seems to be the current freezing of the Turkish constitution making process, that has had some dramatic successes in the 1990s and early 2000s. After my previous work, comparing the major forms of modern constitution making that claim to be democratic, I have come to the conclusion that it is the legitimacy problem (rather than choice of specific model) that represents the level on which the normative justification of each process, and at least the short term chances of its success in a divided society should be tested. As a result, I make the strong claim that democratic legitimacy or constituent authority should not be reduced either to any mode of power, even popular power, or to mere legality. It is these types of reduction that I find especially troubling in recent Turkish constitutional struggles, where the legal claims of two powers, of the government controlled legislative and of the judicial branches to structure the constitution are not backed by sufficient political legitimacy. In effect these two powers that claim their constituent authorization, rather implausibly in my view, from either the democratic electorate or from an original constituent power, because of their conflict threaten to freeze the constitution making process that very much needs to be continued and concluded. I end the paper by making a suggestion for one possible constitution making procedure that would be both legitimate and legal.
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23 February 2010
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22 February 2010Una settimana di dibattiti filosofici
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22 February 2010Pluralismo, integrazione, identità: la ridefinizione del liberalismo
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25 May 2009
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22 May 2009Religion, Human Rights and Multicultural Jurisdictions How is a multicultural society supposed to satisfy everyone’s claim for cultural, ethnic and religious autonomy? An annual meeting to promote, develop and consolidate a network of cultural, intellectual and academic relationships.
