Research

The Centre's research programme sets out to examine fundamental questions of justice beyond the classical framework of ideal theories for a self-contained society. Its research, therefore, focuses on issues of global, international and transnational justice as well as the implications of the findings of empirical research for normative theories of domestic or global justice.

Contemporary theories of justice face two challenges. First, their scope is often still too narrow, as they examine the state as their primary, if not unique, unit of analysis. In an increasingly globalised world order human interaction reaches beyond state-borders, and sources of power are multiple and often not grounded in national institutions. Second, normative theories of justice are often so general and abstract that it seems almost impossible to apply them to concrete political scenarios. Hence the need for a methodological reassessment, of how problems of justice are best approached by theorists.

In order to tackle these problems, the Centre holds seminars, workshops and meetings for cooperation and exchanges among its permanent members, fellows and guests.