Danish Drug Policy: Between Repression and Harm Reduction

The development of drug policy in Denmark has moved from a relatively liberal position to a stricter policy. The 2020s is marked by both criminalization and harm reduction and the development can be characterized as following a dual track where people with a problematic drug use are being cared for.

Capital, Ideology, and the Liberal Order

Thomas Piketty’s Capital and Ideology (2020) offers a powerful critique of ideological justifications for inequality in capitalist societies. Does this mean we should reject capitalist institutions altogether? This paper defends some aspects of capitalism by explaining the epistemic function of market economies and their ability to harness capital to meet the needs of the relatively disadvantaged. We support this classical liberal position with reference to empirical research on historical trends in inequality that challenges some of Piketty’s interpretations of the data. Then we discuss the implications of this position in terms of limits on the efficacy of participatory governance within firms and the capacity of the state to levy systematic taxes on wealth.

Alexander von Humboldt: the Outstanding Natural Scientist, the Silent Ideologist of Multiculturalism

The author studies the reception of A. von Humboldt of the humanitarian prob­lems of his time. In his works Humboldt articulated many ideas of the just social order and even of multiculturalism. But despite great interest towards the natural science of the regions he visited, the researcher avoided public judgments about social problems of these states’ residents. A. Humboldt criticized many actual so­cial problems: aggressive cultural assimilation, colonialism, slavery, social in­equality etc., but avoided public demands of social transformations in the re­gions he visited. He either could reject any violent social transformations or looking for loyalty of the state’s authorities, that financed and organized his ex­peditions. A. Humboldt, the opponent of slavery, never once spoke critically about slavery in a personal conversation or correspondence with T. Jefferson. During his journey across Russia, the scientist was extremely careful in his judg­ments about the Russian bondmen. The inconsistency of the Humboldt’s per­sonal liberal position and his humanitarian blindness to socio-political problems illustrates the problem of the relationship between people of authority and people of knowledge, that was announce by F. Znanetsky. Humboldt who was primarily such a lay counselor just focused on his own academic research thar was his main priority.

Identidade, intersubjetividade e dignidade humana

Em sua teoria política do reconhecimento, Taylor trata de um dos grandes desafios das sociedades contemporâneas: o desafio do multiculturalismo. O pluralismo de ideias, articulado de forma racional, é o fundamento de uma boa democracia; no entanto, para Taylor, não basta que haja o pluralismo ou a diferença, mas é fundamental que a relação intersubjetiva desses indivíduos se desenvolva com o devido respeito à diversidade; portanto, é fundamental que exista o reconhecimento do outro, um olhar para a alteridade e para a formação da identidade dos indivíduos, sendo esta última entendida como uma característica fundamental dos seres humanos. Neste texto, refletimos sobre três ideias fundamentais presentes no texto A política do reconhecimento: (i) em que consiste o reconhecimento; (ii) por que ele é uma necessidade humana vital para a formação saudável e igualitária tanto da identidade do indivíduo como de uma determinada cultura; e (iii) a crítica a neutralidade da posição liberal e a importância de uma meta coletiva forte. Identity, intersubjectivity and human dignity: some thought on Charles Taylor’s politics of recognition Abstract: In his theory of recognition, Taylor thematizes one of the greatest challenges of contemporary societies: the challenge of multiculturalism. The pluralism of ideas, articulated in a rational way, is the fundament of a solid democracy; however, according to Taylor, is it not sufficient the existence of pluralism or difference, but it is central that the intersubjective relationship of these subjects could be developed with the correct respect to diversity; therefore, it is fundamental the existence of the recognition of the other, a looking to the alterity and the formation of the identity of the individuals, this last understood as a basic characteristic of human beings. In this paper, we will reflect on three key ideas developed by Taylor’s The politics of recognition: (i) the sense of the recognition; (ii) why it is a vital human need to the sustainable and egalitarian formation to both individual identity and cultures; and (iii) the criticism of the neutrality of the liberal position, as the importance of the strong collective aim.

Pro-Еuropean elected representative in the presidential elections in Austria (2016)

The article deals with the next presidential election in the Republic of Austria, which took place on December 4, 2016, and ended with the victory of the famous leader of the Green Party Alexander Van der Bellen, who takes a clear pro-European stance and adheres to a liberal position on migration and refugee rights. The main results, conclusions of outstanding political scientists, experts who were engaged in research of presidential elections in Austria are in details analyzed. The main powers, functions of the federal president are analyzed. Specific features of the presidential election 2016, which occurred during the global upheavals, pro-European, pro-Russian and Euroskeptic sentiments of the Austrian population are in details characterized. Keywords: presidential elections, political system, political party, euroscepticism, migration.

Analysis of political orientation and left-right party labelling in the European Parliament

This article explores the political parties in the 8th European Parliament on the basis of roll-call vote analysis. Besides the left-right divisions, we have also analysed the nationalist-globalist political cleavage. We have compared the resulting party positions with their left-right wing party labels. In addition, we have focused on inconsistencies and biased existing labels and the geopolitical interests connected with the current way of labelling. We have found out that the current way of left-right labelling privileges a globalist and liberal position, while some other political positions were not even represented. Finally, we have presented a new way of political labelling, which would also include a nationalist-globalist cleavage.

Restraint of Trade and Freedom

This chapter argues that on the republican view of contract law, freedom resides not in absence of interference per se (the liberal position), but rather in the absence of arbitrary interference or dominium by others. It claims that the restraint of trade doctrine protects this kind of republican freedom by preventing the promisee from using contract law to constitute a relationship of dominium over the promisor. Such contracts or contract clauses involve a subversion of the true purpose of contract law which is to structure intrinsically valuable relationships between the parties based on trust, equality, and cooperation. To explain the invalidity of clauses in restraint of trade, it is necessary to reach beyond promise to this constitutive purpose.

Unnatural acts lead to unconsummated marriages

In June and July 2013, the UK House of Lords debated, and ultimately accepted, a Bill to legalise same-sex marriage. Following the model of Baker’s (2004) work on a set of earlier Lords debates relating to homosexuality, this study uses a corpus-based keywords analysis to assess the main lexical differences between those arguing in favour and those arguing against a change to the marriage laws. In so doing, it sheds light on the ways in which discourses relating to homosexuality are constructed and accessed by the Lords. In general, it is shown that supporters of reform take advantage of their hegemonic liberal position to construct a simple line of argument in contrast to the opponents, who are forced to use more subtle and elaborate lines of reasoning by the limited discursive space available to those espousing anti-LGBT sentiments.

Public Administration and the Classical Liberal Perspective

This article argues that despite the widespread perception to the contrary, it is possible to articulate a classical liberal position on public administration that recognizes and confronts the problems of collective governance in the public domain, as opposed to either circumventing them or imposing institutional designs and policy standards not fully in accordance with the nature and structure of the collective phenomena in case. As such, the article revisits, clarifies, and elaborates a classical liberal inspired perspective on the problem of collective action and public governance, arguing for its distinctiveness while articulating its basic conceptual and theoretical elements.