| 1. |
- Birnbaum, Simon, 1977-
(author)
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Just Distribution : Rawlsian Liberalism and the Politics of Basic Income
- 2008
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Should liberal egalitarians endorse the idea of an unconditional basic income for all? This thesis defends a politics of unconditional universalism, offering a liberty-respecting and non-perfectionist basis for maximin-guided policies. The argument starts off from a Rawlsian justification of basic income in the context of institutional ideal theory. This view is based on the aim of maximising the prospects of the least advantaged in ways consistent with a robust protection of people’s effective freedom, the social bases of self-respect and access to meaningful activities at each stage of their lives.The thesis then moves on to specify such a position in response to objections based on ideas of fair cooperation and strong reciprocity. Linking John Rawls’ arguments on property-owning democracy to Philippe Van Parijs’ case for ‘gift-equalisation’, the study defends the view that a basic income is not inherently exploitative or beyond the scope of justice. To the extent that unconditional universalism is tied to the idea of sharing gift-like resources, it is just a matter of distributing wealth to which nobody has a justified prior claim, not an unfair redistribution of labour income.Introducing a problem of feasibility, however, the thesis also argues that unconditional wealth sharing may fail to meet liberal commitments and to counter structural exploitation unless constrained by other requirements of justice. The latter include a minimal autonomy constraint on maximin-objectives and the set of in kind transfers and social infrastructure needed to foster the activities and virtues on which the stability of this ideal relies. The thesis concludes with a study on the application of such standards to real-world conditions. It is argued that policy options combining a modest basic income with work-based social insurance and universal access to social services are more promising than strategies where a high basic income would replace core components of the welfare state.
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| 2. |
- Enroth, Henrik, 1971-
(author)
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Political Science and the Concept of Politics : A Twentieth-Century Genealogy
- 2004
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This dissertation is a historical investigation of the concept of politics in twentieth-century political science. It is set against the backdrop of the comprehensive rethinking of political concepts we are witnessing today in debates about forces like globalization, individualization, multiculturalism, and postcolonialism, and it seeks to account for the apparent difficulties in rethinking politics in similar terms today. Whereas core concepts like people, nation, state, society, and a host of related concepts have recently been reconsidered in light of these forces in the world, the concept of politics seems resistant to such rethinking, instead causing considerable uncertainty about the conceptual identity of politics and, by implication, about the disciplinary identity of political science in a changing world. The dissertation argues that this is largely because modern political thought has long rested on the assumption that politics is only possible and conceivable on the basis of something prior to itself, while all the entities politics has conventionally been thought to be prior to are today in question. Against this contemporary backdrop, the dissertation investigates historically how conceptualizations of politics in twentieth-century political science have consistently both sustained and been sustained by this assumption, by being premised on various descriptions of modern society. Tracing a number of such descriptions of society and related conceptualizations of politics from the early years of the twentieth century to our own day, the dissertation concludes by reconsidering the apparent difficulties in rethinking politics today. Arguing that such a rethinking would mean transcending the assumption that politics is only possible and conceivable on the basis of something prior to itself, the dissertation ends by briefly outlining what would be involved in such a rethinking, and what it would entail for the conceptual identity of politics and the disciplinary identity of political science.
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| 3. |
- Harström, Björn, 1963-
(author)
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Vad vi inte får se : 100 år av censurpolitik
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The thesis studies Swedish film censorship during the years 1911-2000. The purpose is to describe and analyse governmental standpoints and to relate them to three different normative beliefs. More precisely the objective is to analyse to what extent Swedish film censorship reflects egalitarian, perfectionist or libertarian beliefs A chronology expresses the main results of this thesis. In the first period, between 1911 and 1938, perfectionist beliefs are dominating. In the second period, between 1939 and 1959, egalitarian beliefs follow ideas of protection against harm at the expense of perfectionist beliefs about bad taste. In the third period, between 1960 and 1970 the beliefs, an egalitarian approach, rely more on science and research rather than on moral knowledge. Between1971-2000 the theme of protection against harm reflect both egalitarian and perfectionist beliefs. The thesis draws three general conclusions. First that there is continuity in the conviction that film could have a harmful influence on children. This continuity is independent of the different normative beliefs. Secondly, no argument has been made that the film sphere could do without any kind state surveillance. Thirdly, orthodox libertarian beliefs are more or less absent in the Swedish discourse. To the extent that such beliefs prevail, they are integrated parts of wider complex of mostly egalitarian beliefs.
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| 4. |
- Helldén, Daniel, 1965-
(author)
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Demokratin utmanas : Almstriden och det politiska etablissemanget
- 2005
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of the thesis is to describe how the political establishment understood the Elm Conflict (Almstriden) in Stockholm in 1971, and the way in which the establishment expressed that understanding when it made sense of the challenge to itself and to how local politics worked. The political establishment is defined as politicians in central positions in Stockholm and at the national level and the editorial pages of the Stockholm newspapers. Three themes are used to describe the construction of the establishment: a) what the cause was for the elm issue having developed the way it did; b) why that which happened was wrong; and c) why it could happen at all in Sweden. The analysed empirical material consists solely of texts and statements produced at the time of the Elm Conflict. The thesis shows that the establishment, examined at close quarters, explained the Elm Conflict as caused by either media behaviour or political inability. The political establishment was in relative agreement on the matter of local democracy: municipal democracy was first and foremost a matter for the parties and politicians. No priority needed to be given to municipal reforms. What was needed was better information about why politicians had taken specific decisions. The Liberal Party leader and newspapers differed in this respect, however, exercising more caution in pointing at more far-reaching proposals for reform. When it came to political methods, Hjalmar Mehr proved to be the person who condemned the events most strongly, and this would seem to stem from his view of democracy. The Social Democratic Party at the national level was of the view that the conflict should be condemned, but had difficulties with the criticism levelled at local democracy. The newspapers and Liberal Party leader went the farthest in their positive statements concerning the method but had difficulties putting this in words. When it came to the causes of the Elm Conflict in a larger context, explanations were sought in a world gone mad, outside forces that wanted to overturn democracy, and politicians who failed to understand people’s concerns in the face of social change. The thesis also touches on why the politicians in Stockholm found themselves involved in the conflict and on the relationship of the Social Democrats to parts of the radicalisation trend of the late 1960s.
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| 5. |
- Jedenheim-Edling, Magnus, 1960-
(author)
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The compatibility of effective self-ownership and joint world ownership
- 2003
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The three main conclusions of this doctoral thesis are: first, that effective self-ownership is compatible with joint world ownership; second, that it is incompatible with private ownership as expressed in right-libertarianism; third, that it is incompatible with private ownership as expressed in left-libertarianism. Effective self-ownership is a technical way of expressing personal freedom, and joint world ownership means that the world is owned by everyone in common and that people, therefore, have an equal say as regards its use. Right-libertarianism and left-libertarianism both support private ownership. The difference between them is mainly their respective view on how private property legitimately can be formed. Crudely put, the right-libertarian believes that ownership may be formed through mixing one's labour with the external resources in question, whereas left-libertarianism recognises ownership only if it is initially equally distributed. Furthermore, it is argued that joint world ownership, right-libertarianism, left-libertarianism and the various versions of these exhaust the field, or that these are, at least, the most obvious alternatives to be reckoned with. It may, therefore, also be concluded that if one finds effective self-ownership valuable, one should also adopt joint world ownership. To be able to assess the arguments of this thesis, one obviously needs to know more about ownership. Therefore, this doctoral thesis will also include a thorough analysis of rights and ownership.This thesis takes part in and elaborates the traditional debate within political theory: whether personal freedom is compatible with material equality. It is by many believed that they are incompatible. The reason for this is that the measures taken to uphold material equality appear to reduce personal freedom. But if effective self-ownership is a reasonable expression of personal freedom and joint world ownership of material equality, then the thesis advocated here claims that the scepticism of their incompatibility is ill founded and that they, indeed, are compatible.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Lindensjö, Bo
(author)
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Att skilja det goda från det dåliga
- 1986
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In: Utvärdering av offentlig verksamhet. - Stockholm : Liber. - 9138907704
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 9. |
- Lindensjö, Bo, 1944-, et al.
(author)
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Att utvärdera utvärdering
- 1992
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In: Forskning om utbildning. - Stockholm : Symposion Brutus Östlings bokförlag. - 9171390928
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Lindensjö, Bo, 1944-
(author)
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Demokrati och marknad
- 1992
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In: Lärdomar av maktutredningen. - Stockholm : Carlsson Bokförlag. - 9177985443
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 12. |
- Lindensjö, Bo
(author)
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Demokrati och politisk styrning
- 1991
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In: Svensk demokrati i förändring. - Stockholm : Carlsson Bokförlag. - 9177984900
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 13. |
- Lindensjö, Bo
(author)
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Den politiska maktens gränser
- 1987
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In: Maktbegreppet. - Stockholm : Carlsson Bokförlag. - 9177981103
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 14. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Lindensjö, Bo
(author)
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Högre utbildning och politik
- 1988
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In: I välståndets rävsax. - Stockholm : SNS förlag. - 9171503285
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Lindensjö, Bo
(author)
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Rawlsian justice and the modern state
- 1988
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In: Democracy, state and justice. - Stockholm : Almquist & Wiksell International. - 9122012141
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Lindensjö, Bo, 1944-
(author)
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Utilitarismen, Rawls och demokratin
- 1992
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In: Handling, norm och rationalitet. - Göteborg : Daidalos. - 9186320785 - 8290477171 ; , s. 161-174
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 27. |
- Näsström, Sofia
(author)
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The An-Archical State : Logics of Legitimacy in the Social Contract Tradition
- 2004
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The modern state is today under great pressure. In the face of globalization, many theorists seek to rethink the boundaries of the state. They call for a transformation of the state from the national to the global level. But there is a deeper theoretical question at stake. It has to do with the way we conceive of the state itself; what purposes it serves and what notion of legitimacy it harbours. This thesis undertakes a rereading of the state within the social contract tradition. It replaces a traditional conception of statehood with a version called the an-archical state. The an-archical state is sustained by way of a distinction between two different logics of state legitimacy: a vertical and a horizontal. If the vertical logic has been at the centre of the social contract tradition, the horizontal logic has for the most part been unexplored. By retrieving this horizontal logic, the thesis seeks to contribute to a new way of thinking about legitimacy. Two arguments are made. Together they make up the essence of the an-archical state. Firstly, it is argued that the rationale behind the modern state is to limit an infinite responsivity to the other. Unlike those who argue that the raison d’etre of the state is to free people from an anarchical war of all against all, this thesis contends that it frees people from the an-archical responsivity of the one for all. Secondly, it is argued that this negative act of freedom alters the political structure of the state itself. The legitimacy of the state no longer resides in the will to consent, but in the act of dissent.
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| 28. |
- Segerberg, Alexandra, 1972-
(author)
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Thinking Doing : The Politicisation of Thoughtless Action
- 2005
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Scholarly disputes about the concept of political action commonly centre on what can be regarded as political. By contrast, Hannah Arendt suggests that the concept of action itself is an equally significant component and consequently bids us to ‘think what we are doing’. The dissertation explores the idea and relevance of ‘thinking doing’ by theoretically investigating the conceptualisations of action in the contemporary political-theoretical development that is here called the politicisation of thoughtless action. Examples are selected from three areas: theorising everyday racism, individual accountability for global environmental harm, and gender performativity. The analysis revolves around the apparent difficulty of talking about such thoughtless action in its politicised form. It is argued that ‘thinking doing’ is a significant meta-methodological tool for maintaining the conceptual flexibility to register emerging forms of political action while at the same time satisfying requirements of conceptual consistency—a balancing skill essential for the scholar aspiring to theorise her contemporary context.
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