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Report on Workshop 24 : Republican Theory, Republican PracticeDirectors: Iseult Honohan, Jeremy Jennings.

This workshop sought to confront normative theory with historical and comparative

analysis in order to explore the claim that republican theory can address contemporary

political problems in ways that are both useful and significantly different in practicefrom liberalism. The fifteen papers presented ranged in approach from conceptual

analysis to policy studies, and in context from Ireland to Central and Eastern Europe.

The first session established the central concerns - freedom and the common good -and the contested nature of republicanism. Per Mouritsen outlined an historically

informed typology, demonstrating the variety of ways in which liberty and civic

engagement can be interpreted and combined in the context of a broadly instrumental

approach. Angel Rivero's paper offered a more sceptical approach to the

contemporary republican revival as exemplified in Agnes Heller's civic humanist,

participatory politics, focusing on the implicit danger of majority tyranny in diverse

societies.

While the precise connection between historical ideas and contemporary arguments is

a matter of debate, historical analysis has played an important role in the republicanrevival. Four papers considered historical expressions of republican thought. DuncanKelly showed how republican thought persisted in nineteenth century Britain, rather

than being submerged by liberalism or utilitarianism; while the principle ofrepresentation was embraced, the importance of civic character was a recurrent theme.

Two of the historical papers examined the resources provided by French republicanpractice, often overlooked by normative political theorists. Jeremy Jennings traced thedevelopment of a more practical French republican ideology after 1848 and in the

1870s, which emphasised education rather than economic equality, rights rather thanvirtue, solidarity rather than fraternity, and restraint on executive power rather than

direct popular sovereignty. Pierre Yves Baudot's paper critically explored the idea of aspecifically republican (and rational) form of public ceremonial, and the extent towhich this was exemplified in the funeral ceremonies for 'great men' from the Third

Republic onwards. Moving to another national context, Mark McNally identified theelements of a liberal republican theory in Sean O Faolain's critique of the programme

for a Catholic and Gaelicised communitarian republic in mid-twentieth centuryIreland.

The nature and source of trust and solidarity inclining citizens to support the commongood emerged as an important theme. Francisco Herreros combined a game-theoretic

approach with insights from historical theorists to argue that the trust necessary forrepresentative politics is not a substitute for, but is strengthened by, information onthe character of politicians. Laura Andronache critically examined the accounts of

solidarity found in Viroli, Pettit and Arendt, concluding that none of these fullysucceeds in describing a form of solidarity that is simultaneously thick enough to

unite citizens effectively and thin enough to guarantee tolerance. Iseult Honohan'spaper on education for citizenship emphasised the distinction, often overlooked in

practice, between promoting civic solidarity through education in interdependence

and responsibility, and constructing cultural identity through common schooling and

curriculum.

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Contemporary republican theory is frequently seen as insufficiently specific about thepolitical institutions it entails. Two papers addressed this concern. John Maynor

argued that securing freedom as non-domination in a plural society requirescontestatory institutions that actively consult citizens, promote deliberation and

review the exercise of power. John Schwarzmantel outlined a more transformative

view of republican politics, detached from its liberal connections, creating newpolitical spaces and addressing socio-economic inequalities in order to empower

citizens.

Two papers addressed more specific policy implications of republican thought.Valrie Sala Pala compared housing policy for ethnic minorities in Britain and

France. She demonstrated how elements of convergence in policy outcomes have

been negotiated through differing pluralist and republican discourses, one explicitly

addressing, the other avoiding, issues of ethnicity. Margo Trappenburg addressed the

widespread practice among ethnic minority citizens in the Netherlands of choosing

marriage partners from their country of origin, and critically explored the normative

positions that liberals and republicans might adopt towards measures to limit suchpractices.

Finally, two papers extended the scope of republican ideas beyond the arena of thenation-state, arguing that accounts of mixed government can contribute positively tothe problems of constructing a polity in the European Union. Richard Bellamy

proposed a republican system of dispersal of power, or 'pre-sovereignty', as a betterresponse to the thorny issue of conflicting sovereignties than a rights-based post-

sovereignty. The paper by Kostas Lavdas (with Dimitris Chryssochoou) stressed thedemocratic element of mixed government, arguing for the need for a more extensive,if thin, public space through which to unite citizens in a European demos.

Discussions highlighted the many strands and continuing development of

republicanism; and confirmed that the conception of freedom in the contemporaryinstrumental account is shared with many liberals, and works within a broadly liberalframework. Yet the distinctive role of the common good and solidarity distinguishes

republicanism from liberalism. A number of challenges for republicanism wereidentified as needing further examination, including the socio-economic conditions

for republican politics, and its capacity to deal with large numbers in national andtransnational polities.

In view of the constructive exchanges elicited by the papers, the participants agreed topursue the revision of papers for a volume in the ECPR/Routledge series, to be edited

by the workshop directors.

Iseult Honohan

May 2003