Universiteit van Amsterdam

“Borders have guards and the guards have guns. This is an obvious fact of political life but one that is easily hidden from view—at least from the view of those of us who are citizens of affluent Western democracies.” This observation by Joseph Carens points to a conflict between the widely accepted right of states to control migration and the claims of those who migrate. This conflict gives rise to a series of pressing moral and political questions:

• What are the arguments for and against closed and open borders?
• Do people not only have a right to emigrate but also a right to immigrate?
• How does the status of different categories of migrants – refugees, asylum-seekers, ‘economic’ and ‘cultural’ migrants – differ?
• If people have migrated, what kind of status should they get within their new political community?
• How should we understand the increasing proliferation and militarization of borders and the regimes of illegality/legality that they establish and enforce?
• What, finally, are the forms of political agency and of resistance available to those who migrate?

These and related questions will be discussed during the autumn school from a variety of philosophical perspectives.

Participants in the autumn school will learn to use the conceptual and normative tools of political philosophy to discuss the concrete social and political challenges posed by migration. They will acquire knowledge of the major positions in moral and political philosophy on migration and learn to reflect on the relevance of the practice of migration for philosophical theorizing on the basis of cutting-edge research presented by some of the leading philosophers in the field.

• Thursday: arrival and welcome, one lecture in the afternoon
• Friday: two lectures & discussion & tutorials
• Saturday: three lectures & discussion
• Sunday: two lectures & discussion & tutorials
• Monday: departure

Program may still be subject to change.

• Christine Straehle (University of Groningen)
• Veit Bader (University of Amsterdam)
• Rainer Bauböck (European University Institute, Florence)
• Huub Dijstelbloem (University of Amsterdam)
• Anna Goppel (Universität Bern)
• Chandran Kukathas (London School of Economics)
• David Owen (University of Southampton)
• Ayelet Shachar (Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen)

All participants are expected to read the assigned literature and to actively participate in the discussions during the whole duration of the autumn school.

Members of OZSW: €190,-
Non-members: €240,-

The fee also covers all lunches and three dinners.

Note: All PhD and ReMa students can register now using the form below, but this does not guarentee participation (see ‘how to apply’). Whether or not you have been accepted will be made known after the registration deadline. If accepted, you will receive a link to the payment option, which must be completed as soon as possible (before the event).

All participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements. Participants are also expected to arrange their own accommodation in Amsterdam. Information on a number of affordable hotels in the vicinity of the autumn school location will be made available in due time.

Please use the registration form. Please do not send any applications after July 31.

Applications by PhD students will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the available slots are filled. Early applications are thus encouraged.

Research MA students will be placed on waiting list and slots will be allocated after July 31, depending on availability.