Belén Pueyo-Ibáñez

Aufenthalt

Oktober 2023 – August 2025

Forschungsthema

»Rationality in a Polarized Society: Exploring the Socio-Affective Preconditions of Collective Discourse«

Projektbeschreibung

The point of departure of this research project is the idea that the exercise of democracy consists, in a fundamental sense, in the exercise of thinking with others and, therefore, that of engaging in joint conversations on the basis of which to make coordinated decisions on matters of common concern.
The degree of democratic health of a given society can be determined by considering the quality and effectiveness of these conversations as occurring not only between political and social leaders, but also between leaders and citizens, and between citizens themselves. Now, the extent to which public discourse has become polarized in recent years in the United States, Europe, and beyond, is raising serious concerns about the present and future of democracy worldwide.
While reform and improvement of both political institutions and practices are certainly indispensable to preserve and strengthen the democratic order, they alone cannot guarantee its survival and success. Rather, it is equally important—if not more so—to think about and reconsider our approach to the crucial epistemic exercise of thinking with others. This, I contend, demands critical reflection not only on the dynamics of interpersonal conversations but also, ultimately, on the very nature of interpersonal relationships. Contributing to this analytical task is the main purpose of this project.

Veröffentlichungen (Auswahl)

• »The (Very Needed) Experimental Turn in Ethics«, in: European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy 13, 2 (2021).
• »Moral Inquiry Beyond Objectivism and Subjectivism«, in: The Journal of Speculative Philosophy 35, 2 (2021), S. 165-175.
• »The Advancement of Altruism as a Criterion of Moral Validity«, in: Contemporary Pragmatism 16, 4 (2019), S. 348-365.
• »Living as a Creative Activity: An Introduction to John Dewey's Theory of Experience«, in: Pragmatism Today 5, 2 (2014), S. 8-13.

Forschungskontext

2023/24 war Belén Pueyo-Ibáñez auf Einladung von Rainer Forst, Professor für Politische Theorie an der Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main, und dem an der Universität angesiedelten Justitia Centre for Advanced Studies, das von der Alfons und Gertrud Kassel Stiftung gefördert wird, Postdoctoral Fellow am Kolleg. 2024/25 arbeitet sie im Kontext des Forschungsschwerpunktes »Democratic Vistas: Reflections on the Atlantic World« am Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften.