Online book launch and discussion Depoliticisation before Neoliberalism: Contesting the Boundaries of the Political in Modern Europe

We kindly invite you to the online book launch of the volume Depoliticisation before Neoliberalism: Contesting the Boundaries of the Political in Modern Europe. Edited by Adriejan van Veen (Radboud University Nijmegen) and Theo Jung (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) and part of Palgrave’s Studies in Political History, the book analyses processes of depoliticisation in modern Europe from the emergence of a distinct ‘political’ sphere in the late eighteenth century until the present day. Developing a novel conceptual framework and drawing on case studies from across the continent, the authors argue that depoliticisation is much more than a simple negation of politics. Rather than an anonymous and amorphous process, depoliticisation often presents an express, actor-driven effort, with modes and forms no less varied than the more familiar manifestations of politicisation.

Consequently, the chapters encompass a whole range of depoliticising discursive strategies, performative practices, and institutional rearrangements, playing out across different regime types, from revolutionary orders and representative governments with limited franchises to mass democracies and totalitarian dictatorships. Illustrating how historical actors understood ‘the political’ and in which ways they intervened to renegotiate its boundaries, this book seeks to enhance our understanding of modern politics and pose questions that still resonate today. At a time when the boundaries of the political are once more heavily contested, this book offers thought-provoking insights that will appeal to scholars of history, political science, and sociology, as well as to activists and political practitioners.

After a short introduction to the volume by the editors, prof. Willibald Steinmetz (Universität Bielefeld), editor of Writing Political History Today (2013), will reflect on its approach and contribution to the study of political in modern history. Ruben Ros (Utrecht University) will then discuss his chapter as well as his latest research, studying depoliticisation using innovative digital humanities methods. The session will conclude with a Q&A and plenary discussion.

Please register using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6OKqRmMmSmGUqiZoQx019OOIU-xAJNgDo8ba9YGbtJ7l-qw/viewform.
Queries can be addressed to Adriejan van Veen adriejan.vanveen@ru.nl