The crisis of democracy has long been the subject of much discussion. But what can we do to counteract it? In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Austria, the 121st issue of the IWMpost tackles the question of how democracy, human rights and the rule of law can be not just preserved, but strengthened.
Where Anna Baar sees the answer in changing the focus of the education system to the humanistic, moral formation of each individual, according to Ivan Vejvoda what is needed is the engagement of civil society and stronger democratic structures. Philippe Narval points to a “friendly revolution” and presents new forms of participatory democracy in Europe. Indira van ’t Klooster explores the idea of “Eutopian communities,” considering alternative living communities outside the capitalist mainstream. Philipp Blom uses the metaphor of a flood as a starting point to depict the contemporary sense of uncertainty. Kenichi Mishima writes about the dangers that stem from arrogance and inattention to the past in Western democracies. Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou calls for a critical debate about the phenomenon of terrorism in scholarly discourse and in the media. What differentiates New Wars from traditional means of waging war is the subject of Mary Kaldor’s research. The role of international sanctions in containing conflicts is explicated by Thomas Biersteker in an interview with Aurel Niederberger. Using the example of the Marikana massacre of striking miners, Kylie Thomas shows that colonialism and apartheid are still palpable in South Africa today. The subject of revolution was taken up both by the presentation of Ukrainian avant-garde films and posters from the 1920s, curated by Konstantin Akinsha, and by the Vienna Humanities Festival, which comprised more than 40 events in Autumn 2017. One of the highlights was a conversation with the historian Moishe Postone, who passed away a few months later, about the contemporary significance of Karl Marx. Where Martin Schürz deals with the often-questionable attempts to legitimate wealth, Ling Li elucidates the goals and background of the largescale anti-corruption campaign in China. Michael Ignatieff warned against attacks on scholarship and humanism in his speech on the occasion of the IWM’s 35th anniversary, which was celebrated in November 2017 in the Hofburg.
Anita Dick
Marion Gollner
Download the IWMpost 121 as a PDF
Contents
Europa im Diskurs – Debating Europe
Placebo oder Am Anfang war das Wort. Am Ende auch. / von Anna Baar
Wie wird unsere Republik in 100 Jahren aussehen?
Democracy in Question
Europe’s Futures / by Ivan Vejvoda
The Amplitude of Uncertainty: Some Thoughts About the Coming Flood / by Philipp Bloom
Up The Friendly Revolution: New Beginnings for Democracy in Europe / by Philippe Narval
Forgetting and Arrogance in Democracies / by Kenichi Mishima
Democracy at Risk: Exit and Voice / by Lipin Ram
IWM’s 35th Anniversary
Free Thought and Knowledge as Care of the Soul / by Michael Ignatieff
New and Old Wars
Rethinking ISIS (and Terrorism) / by Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou
New Wars as a Social Condition / by Katharina Hasewend
Hitting the Target? Effectiveness of UN Sanctions / Interview with Thomas Biersteker
From the Fellows
Reading the Writing on the Wall / by Kylie Thomas
China’s New ‘Big Brother’ / Interview with Ling Li
Radical Ruralities: Living Labs for a Better World / by Indira van ’t Klooster
Unverschämt reich? Fragwürdige Rechtfertigungen von Reichtum / von Martin Schürz
Publications
Vienna Humanities Festival
Revolution! Vienna Humanities Festival
Marx in the Age of Trump / Interview with Moishe Postone
Ukraine in European Dialogue
Filming the Revolution: Archeology of the Ukrainian
Cinematic Modernism / by Konstantin Akinsha
In Memoriam
Der König mit der schwarzen Krone – Josef Wais (1944–2017) / von Klaus Nellen
Moishe Postone (1942–2018) / by István Adorján
Farewell
Liberal Transitions, Anti-Liberal Threats, and Intellectual Reflexivity. A Portrait of János Mátyás Kovács / by Balázs Trencsényi
News / Upcoming events
Impressum
Editors: Marion Gollner, Anita Dick
Editorial Assistance: Martina Beleva, Simon Garnett, Christina Pössel, Benjamin D. Tendler, Kate Younger, Tatiana Zhurzhenko.
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IWMpost is published two times a year.
Current circulation: 7,500
