Fellow

Dr. Elisabeth Theresia Widmer

Postdoctoral Researcher at the London School of Economics

In cooperation with Prof. Dr. Rainer Forst

Duration of stay: April – September 2025

Dr. Elisabeth Theresia Widmer is a postdoctoral researcher, specializing in the theoretical frameworks that have shaped what is colloquially called “social democracy” (though she prefers the term communitarian republicanism). Her primary research interest lies in what she calls the “left-Kantian” tradition of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This current is heavily influenced by Kant’s philosophy but replaces his individualist notion of freedom with a communitarian concept of freedom inspired by Marx. Although her work focuses on historical authors, she engages with them in dialogue with contemporary political theorists, particularly neo-Marxists (such as Gerald A. Cohen), neo-Republicans (such as Philip Pettit), and Critical Theorists (such as Rainer Forst).

Research project title:
Left-Kantianism

Publications (selection):
Book
2023. Left-Kantianism in the Marburg School, De Gruyter
Articles
2025. “Kant’s Republican Account of Citizenship,” Ratio.
2025. “Johann Benjamin Erhard on Economic Injustice,” British Journal for the History of Philosophy.
2024. “Hermann Cohen’s Neo-Kantian Socialism,” Kantian Review.

Events:
May 27: Lecture “Kant on Republicanism, Economically Stratified” at the colloquium of Prof. Rainer Forst

News from the research center

Event
14.07.2025 | Frankfurt

Utopie und Aufbruch der 1968er – Was von politischer Rebellion und individueller Selbstbefreiung geblieben ist

Panel Discussion

Die Diskussionsrunde mit Rainer Langhans, Christa Ritter, die seit 1978 zur Selbsterfahrungsgruppe um Langhans gehört, und dem Sozialphilosophen Martin Saar widmet sich utopischen Vorstellungen, die von der 1968er Bewegung ausgingen, und beleuchtet deren Ideale, Impulse, individuelle und gesellschaftspolitische Nachwirkungen.

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Event
10.07.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Territorial Justice by Lea Ypi

Workshop

Workshop on the new book by Lea Ypi (LSE). With, among others: Andrea Sangiovanni and Ayelet Shachar.

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Event
01.07.2025 | Brussels

Europa in einer multipolaren Welt – Wie kann die EU den Herausforderungen gegenüber Großmächten begegnen?

Crisis Talk

Impuls von Prof. Dr. Nicole Deitelhoff mit anschließender Podiumsdiskussion

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News
22.05.2025

Does deliberative democracy have a future in the age of oligarchs, autocrats and patriarchs?

On June 3, Prof. Simone Chambers will give a lecture on the value of democracies and the future of the form of government.

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News
19.05.2025

What can a baroque tapestry tell us about colonial iconography?

Lecture by Cécile Fromone on May 21. The professor at the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University, director of the Cooper Gallery at the Hutchins Center and author will talk about the long-forgotten African origins of iconography and its colonial dimension.

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News
05.05.2025

Normative Orders Newsletter 01/25 published

The newsletter from Research Centre Normative Orders collects information on current events, reports, news and publications several times a year. Read the first issue 2025 here.

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News
05.05.2025

"Hitler. History of a Dictator" by Sybille Steinbacher will be published on May 15, 2025

The historian's new book deals with Hitler's origins, the roots of his anti-Semitism and his rise to power.

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News
29.04.2025

Public lecture series “Racism in the police” begins on May 13, 2025

Racism in the police has various dimensions. In the lecture series “Racism in the police - empirical findings, methodological approaches and controversies”, three empirical studies on police work will be presented.

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