[PHILOS-L] CFA: Justice in the XXI Century: New Challenges, New Directions of Inquiry – University of Catania, February 25-27, 2026.

[Nunzio Alì]

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Call For Abstracts

Justice in the XXI Century

New Challenges, New Directions of Inquiry

University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences – February 25–27, 2026

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Over the past three decades, profound socioeconomic, political, and technological shifts have reshaped our world. It has become evident—not only to scholars but also to the broader public—that the assumption of liberal democracy’s inevitable, continuous expansion is unfounded. This is especially true if the forces undermining liberal democracy, and preventing it from fulfilling its promises of freedom, non-domination, and self-determination, remain unaddressed. Unsurprisingly, the liberal paradigm now faces explicit scrutiny over its capacity to provide valid and effective normative guidance at both domestic and global levels. Many contend that the challenges confronting today’s democracies stem from the paradigm’s intrinsic limitations—particularly its failure to address the root causes of pressing social problems. These include: the sharp rise in economic inequality, now approaching levels reminiscent of the Belle Époque; the persistence of structural racism and patriarchy; the exclusion of large segments of the population from the benefits of cooperation, fueling new forms of populism and authoritarianism; the inability to counter a distorted marketplace of ideas saturated with misinformation, echo chambers, and polarization; and the political backsliding and apathy surrounding climate change. We invite contributions that explore new, plural, and context-sensitive approaches to justice, and that encourage robust interdisciplinary engagement.

 

Keynote speakers:

Alessandro Pinzani (Federal University of Santa Catarina – Brazil)

Gianfranco Casuso (Pontifical Catholic University of Peru – Peru)

Laura Quintana (University of the Andes – Colombia)

Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen – The Netherlands)

Lukas Meyer (University of Graz – Austria)

Mariarosaria Taddeo (Oxford University – United Kingdom)

Martin O'Neill (University of York – United Kingdom)

 

The Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Catania (Italy) is pleased to host the inaugural conference of the Horizon-MSCA Staff Exchanges project Justice in the XXI Century: A Perspective from Latin America – JUSTLA (Grant 101183054). JUSTLA is a consortium of 7 EU universities and 11 Latin American academic institutions, bringing together 148 scholars. The project promotes a North–South dialogue and concentrates on new lines of research in political theory that promise to challenge the dominant liberal paradigm of justice. We welcome papers from philosophy, political theory, sociology, and related disciplines, especially those engaging with the following Work Packages of the JUSTLA project:

 

1. Democracy and Economic Inequality

Wealth concentration and democratic erosion

Limits to inequality and pre-distributive justice

Economic power and political participation

Workplace democracy, post-work, and basic income

2. Cultural Identities: Gender, Race, and Decolonial Theories

Recognition and symbolic injustice

Intersectional and decolonial approaches to justice

Epistemologies of the Global South

Resistance movements and identity politics

3. Science, Post-Truth, and Democratic Deliberation

Scientific authority and epistemic justice

Populism, political emotions, and post-truth

The boundaries of free speech in the digital age

Socio-political causes in the time of disinformation and polarization

4. Climate Justice

Distributive and intergenerational aspects of climate justice

Nature’s intrinsic value and environmental epistemologies

Political and ethical conflicts in the Green transition

Green actions: democratic consent, public reason, and individual motivation

 

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be between 400 and 500 words, with 5 keywords, clearly outlining the argument and its relevance for the conference themes. Please include a short bio (max. 150 words) with your institutional affiliation, academic position, contact information, and the WP where, in your opinion, your paper falls. The conference will be held in person at the University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences, February 25–27, 2026. The official language is English. There is no registration fee.

 

Deadline for abstract submission: November 10, 2025

Notification of acceptance: November 30, 2025

Submissions should be sent to: justl...@gmail.com

Website: https://www.justla.eu/

 

Organization:

Prof. Luigi Caranti (University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Italy)

Dr. Nunzio Alì (University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Italy)

Dr. Diana Piroli (University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Italy)

Mr. Luka Petricevic (University of Catania, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Italy)

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Prof. Nunzio Alì

Assistant Professor (RTDa)

Department of Political and Social Sciences 

University of Catania, Italy.

Latest publication:
How Rich Should the 1% Be? Proportional Justice and Economic Inequality (Routledge 2022) 

Webpage: https://nunzioali.com/

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