Political Theory Archives

AnalysesPolitical Theory

January 6 marks the fourth anniversary of an unprecedented attack on the United States Capitol and American democracy. Far more than advancing “the lie” about a stolen 2020 election, the insurrectionists of January 6 presented the world with an alternative understanding of America, one arising from fears of white replacement and steeped in Christian nationalist ideas and imagery. Despite being the only twice impeached U.S. president and a convicted felon, Donald Trump not only won the last election, but also gained majorities in both the Senate and the House and made inroads into Asian, Black, and Latino American communities that typically vote Democrat. These facts should prompt us to reframe January 6 not as a shameful setback for MAGA, but as a catalyst for the movement’s onward march. To what kind of America will Trump 2.0 take us? This is where a comparative lens can be useful.

PublicationsPolitical Theory

Special Issue: Venice Seminars 2020; Communities and the Individual: Beyond the Liberal-Communitarian Divide This volume gathers the articles presented at the 2020 ResetDOC Venice Seminars, which were held online from May 25 to May 29, 2020. The 2020 Venice Seminars addressed the topic of “Communities and the Individual: Beyond the Liberal-Communitarian Divide” Editors: Alessandro Ferrara, Volker Kaul and David Rasmussen Download the pdf version here.

Our Initiatives Political Theory

The current political situation in Post-Soviet countries, primarily the Russian Federation, raises questions about the cultural roots of today’s prevailing nationalist political ideologies and behaviours. The international scientific community has to overcome the lack of knowledge about Russia’s Post-Soviet history, also in order to avoid the sheer repetition of old clichés – liberal -western opinions versus a despotic-eastern world

Videos Political Theory

How did religion shift from fueling division to fostering dialogue in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina? Reset DOC’s upcoming documentary explores the pivotal role of faith in reconciliation and peacebuilding. Catch the trailer now and stay tuned for the full release!

ConveningPolitical Theory

January

2025

Rome, Italy

This international conference will address the critical challenges facing liberal democracies. It will explore their failure to respond effectively to the anxieties and needs of citizens grappling with globalization, precarious employment, demographic changes, and social dislocation. These issues, amplified by populist rhetoric and the perceived indifference of liberal elites, have led to growing polarization, weakened societal cohesion, and ideological stagnation in politics.

May

2024

Boston College

Through its lectures, workshops, the Seminars and Conference aim to analyze the fundamental aspiration of peace in different traditions: the Chinese and Confucian desire of the world harmony and the Middle Empire; the Islamic perspective, the concepts of peace and tolerance in the founding texts; the Buddhist and Hindu perspective; and the Christian one, from crusades to pacifism.

May

2023

Boston College

Through its lectures, workshops, the Seminars and Conference will seek a structural, in-depth understanding of the way wars and the collapse of empires between the 19th and 20th centuries have allowed for the formation and strengthening of national identities and narratives, as well as the self-recognition of nations emerging from such processes in the global arena. It will focus primarily on dynamics that have emerged from the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian empires and how these have led to the reappearance of nationalism on the international stage