Global Health Justice: Principles and Practice
Following the research focus of the Global Health Justice Postdoctoral Programme, the “Global Health Justice: Principles and Practice” conference places a particular emphasis on themes such as the human right to health, political activism and health justice issues, and problems of structural injustice and vulnerable populations in health care. Keynote lectures by Jonathan Wolff, Kanchana Mahadevan, and Caesar Atuire.
more information ›The Cambridge History of Latin American Law in Global Perspective
Duve, Thomas; Herzog, Tamar (eds.): The Cambridge History of Latin American Law in Global Perspective, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024 (portugiesisch 2025; spanisch 2026).
more information ›Rechtsgeschichte des frühneuzeitlichen Hispanoamerika
Duve, Thomas; Egío, José Luis (2023): Rechtsgeschichte des frühneuzeitlichen Hispanoamerika, Berlin: De Gruyter, 2023.
more information ›Das Prinzip Donald Trump und die Verrohung der Welt
Ein neuer Politikstil macht international Karriere. Er ist gekennzeichnet von Vulgarität, Verrohung und erklärter Rechtsfeindschaft. Machtinteressen werden nicht mehr juristisch bemäntelt. Stattdessen wird das angebliche Recht des Stärkeren zur Staatsdoktrin gemacht – innenpolitisch wie außenpolitisch. Treibende Kraft hinter dieser Verrohung der politischen Sitten ist ein US-Präsident, der nicht nur die amerikanische Gesellschaft und Kultur, sondern auch die globale Ordnung nach seinen Vorstellungen und Interessen umgestaltet. Die Römerberggespräche wollen diesen Politikstil verstehen.
more information ›Political Legitimacy, Authoritarianism, and Climate Change
Lecture by Ross Mittiga (SOAS London). The lecture series examines questions of the climate crisis as challenges for democratic societies and focuses on issues of political legitimacy, fossil fuel resistance, and the interests of future generations. It is organized by Prof. Dr. Darrel Moellendorf and Dr. Lukas Sparenborg.
more information ›Toward a Critical Theory of Trust
Rainer, Forst (2026): „Toward a Critical Theory of Trust“. In: Political Theory, OnlineFirst.
more information ›Satanist politics and the decline of reason in liberal democracies
For the last time in the winter semester 2025/26, the Research Center hosted the lecture series “Am Scheidepunkt. On the crisis of democracy”. At the end, philosopher Michael Rosen from Harvard University presented his concept of “satanic politics” as a variant of the political interpretation of the world.
more information ›On the topicality of the concept of violence based on Camus and Derrida
Prof. Dr. Christine Abbt from the University of St. Gallen gave a lecture on democracies and the concept of violence as part of the lecture series “At the crossroads? On the crisis of democracy”, she gave a lecture on democracies and the concept of violence. Under the title “Defending democracies. On the topicality of the concept of violence in Camus and Derrida”, the philosopher discussed forms of violence and revolt and categorized them with regard to a democratic setting.
more information ›States competing for people – David Owen on civil geopolitics
As part of the lecture series “At the Crossroads – The Future of Democracy”, David Owen from the University of Southampton presented his concept of civil geopolitics.
more information ›Rainer Forst awarded Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt
On 4 September 2025, Prof. Rainer Forst, political philosopher and director of the Research Centre Normative Orders, was awarded the Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt. With this award, the city honours individuals, whose academic work and/or public activities have shaped Frankfurt and beyond.
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New Research Program “Zeitenwenden. Normative Ordnungen im Umbruch?”
The Research Centre Normative Orders receives a generous funding by the Commerzbank Foundation Fund within the framework of the Stifterverband for German Science. A total of €750,000 will be made available over a period of five years. The project is set to launch this fall.
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Rainer Forst über Habermas – „Die Diskursethik bleibt ein Meilenstein“
Philosoph Rainer Forst über die Theorie und die Wirkung von Jürgen Habermas. Ein Interview von Michael Hesse (Frankfurter Rundschau)
zum Beitrag ›Jürgen Habermas – Der letzte große Aufklärer
Jürgen Habermas ist tot – der Denker des herrschaftsfreien Diskurses prägte die politische Philosophie der Bundesrepublik. Für Martin Saar war er ein „ganz, ganz großer“ Philosoph, der wissenschaftliche Tiefe mit öffentlicher Wirkung verband. (Sein und Streit, Deutschlandfunk Kultur)
zum Beitrag ›Jürgen Habermas – Sollte er nicht ewig leben?
Jürgen Habermas prägt die Philosophie und Gesellschaftstheorie nachhaltig. Sein Tod markiert das Ende einer Epoche und hinterlässt eine große Lücke. Nicht nur bei seinen Schülern und Weggefährten. Ein Gastbeitrag von Axel Honneth (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
zum Beitrag ›Großes Denken – langes Leben: Zum Tod von Jürgen Habermas
Mit u.a. Beiträgen von Axel Honneth und Rainer Forst (Sendung Fazit, Deutschlandfunk Kultur)
zum Beitrag ›
Research
The Research Centre Normative Orders is home to various research projects. Up-to-date information on all current and past projects can be found under Research.
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Publications
The Research Centre maintains a publication database with current publications by participating researchers. In addition, the Centre publishes a series of its own publications with Campus-Verlag. The volumes document the interdisciplinary collaboration at the Centre and are each dedicated to the examination of important topics from the Normative Orders research program.
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Events
The Research Centre Normative Orders organizes events, workshops, conferences and practical forums at Goethe University, in the city of Frankfurt and beyond. In the event calendar you will find all current and past events in the context of the work of the Research Center as well as information on how to participate.
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Media library
The Research Centre publishes video recordings of many lectures, discussions and other events, such as the well-known Römerberg Talks. You can find and watch these and other videos in our media library.
Media libraryAbout Normative Orders
How do political, legal, religious or economic orders establish and change, how do power structures crystallize, how are power and life chances distributed – also on a transnational level? The researchers involved in the Research Centre Normative Orders reflect on these questions. The focus is on current social conflicts, in particular the just ordering of society in times of globalization, and their long history. The normative ideas that play a role in such processes and conflicts are examined. The questions are complex. This is why the Research Centre Normative Orders at Goethe University Frankfurt works on an interdisciplinary basis: from philosophy, history, political science and law to ethnology, economics, sociology and theology.