2006 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

28-3 RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES:PROBLEMS OF PERSONHOOD ANDRECOGNITION IN DEMOCRATIC THEORYRoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Thur 1:45 pmDavid Thunder, University of Notre DameThe Role of Arbitrariness in Republican FreedomJessica M. Flanigan, Washington University, St LouisOverview: This essay challenges Pettit's theory of republicanfreedom through an analysis of individual's capacity to know theinterests of others, and shows that FND must be redefined toovercome epistemological barriers.Demonstrating Respect in Deliberative PoliticsMichael P. McKeon, Syracuse UniversityOverview: Gutmann and Thompson argue that justice requiresthat citizens demonstrate moral respect toward a position (evenwhen they think it morally wrong) on any issue that is notdeliberatively certain. I argue that such a claim is untenable inpolitics.On the Generation and Circulation of Political PowerGlenn D. Mackin, University of WashingtonOverview: This paper develops a conception of democraticparticipation that is based on the assumption of genuinelydiverse human capabilities. This leads to a conception ofpolitical engagement requires constant reinterpretation of whatwe owe to others.Adam Smith, the Concept of Leisure, and the Division ofLaborBrian A. Smith, Georgetown UniversityOverview: Adam Smith is often blamed for the emergence of"economic man." This essay argues Smith realized the dangersof his division of labor and attempts to reconstruct his approachand suggest that his account was more nuanced than iscommonly understood.Redistribution vs. Recognition: The Impact of Public Spaceand PersonhoodLaura Montanaro, University of British ColumbiaOverview: Recognition and redistribution are often competingsides in the discourse of social justice. To what extent are theirgoals mutually incompatible, and what framework is required toallow for social justice to consist of both?David Thunder, University of Notre Dame28-17 POLITICAL THEORY: FOUNDATIONS ANDPROSPECTSRoomChairPaperPaperPaperTBA, Thur 1:45 pmPeter Breiner, SUNY, AlbanyRealism and Poststructuralist Ethics: Weber, Ricoeur,ConnollyJames Wiley, St. Norbert CollegeOverview: Compares the ethical and political theories of Weber,Ricoeur and Connolly. Argues that Weber's distinction betweena realist ethics of responsibility and an ethics of conviction isimplicit in Connolly's ethics.Paradigms and Vision: The Desire for Tradition in PoliticalTheoryJason M. Scruton, University of AlbanyOverview: An analysis of Wolin's revised Politics and Visionthrough the work of Thomas Kuhn, creating a philosophy of(political) science. The end result, I hope, will help loosen thehold of recent terminological trends in political theoryContextualizing Political Theories in Fields of PoliticalConflictPeter Breiner, SUNY, AlbanyOverview: Recently, there has been renewed interest in placingpolitical ideas in the context of political conflict in which theseideas are fought out (Freeden). I suggest three ways ofconceptualizing this field of political struggle.PaperDisc.Liberal Pluralism and the Problem of FoundationsFolke B. Lindahl, Michigan State UniversityOverview: Can liberal pluralism be justified withoutfoundations? Even the most anti-foundational liberal pluralismseems to assume a moral and political justification thatultimately rests on values that are foundational.Sophia Mihic, Northeastern Illinois University29-2 CREATING SOCIAL JUSTICERoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Thur 1:45 pmJoshua D. Goldstein, University of TorontoWho Governs the Market? Consumer Sovereignty,Democracy, and Social JusticeSteve Vanderheiden, University of Minnesota, DuluthOverview: I explore the concept of consumer sovereignty -which supposes that consumers, rather than producers or thestate, wield ultimate sovereignty over society's production ofgoods - with its implications for democracy, the environment,and justice.Justice, Strategy, and American Indian Land ClaimsBurke Hendrix, Cornell UniversityOverview: This paper considers the potential conflict betweenlong-term projects of social justice and attempts by AmericanIndian nations to escape poverty through land claims, and triesto analyze the moral trade-offs involved in either politicalstrategy.Democratic Political Theory and the Modern CorporationRichard A. Moushegian, University of California, Los AngelesOverview: Democratic political theory ought to take far moreseriously the role of the corporation and the idea of corporatecitizenship. One reason for doing so is that the moderncorporation has much that is new to say about personhood andproperty.What's Wrong with Exploitation?Robert Mayer, Loyola University, ChicagoOverview: This paper identifies the specific wrong of whichexploiters are guilty and then assesses how wrong exploitationis as a way to gain at the expense of others.A Theory of Corruption as InjusticeJong-Sung You, Harvard UniversityOverview: Although the general public sees corruption as aproblem of social justice, the academic literature has explored itas a problem of development. This paper attempts to develop anormative theory of corruption as a form of injustice.Fragano S. J. Ledgister, Clark Atlanta UniversityPaul R. DeHart, Lee University29-201 INFORMAL ROUNDTABLE:DELIBERATION & JUDGMENTRoom TBA, Thur 1:45 pmPresenter Intelligent Democracy: The Cognitive Properties ofDeliberationHelen Landemore, Harvard UniversityOverview: This paper is part of a larger attempt to justifydemocracy on cognitive grounds, i.e. as a socio-political systemthat produces collective intelligence. I focus here on thecognitive properties of democratic deliberation.Presenter Training the Imagination: Power and the Practices ofPolitical JudgmentLaura K. Grattan, Duke UniversityOverview: How might we conceive of democratic judgment asan activity deeply intertwined with power? This paper exploresthis question and its stakes in relation to Habermasian andArendtian theories of judgment and democratic socialmovements.29-202 INFORMAL ROUNDTABLE:EPISTEMOLOGYRoom TBA, Thur 1:45 pmPresenter Politics and Epistemology, A Proposal for InteractionAlireza Shomali, Syracuse UniversityOverview: Analytic epistemology overlooks the epistemicrelevance of the socio-political context of ideas.We need an107