Political Theory

Mission Statement

In recent years, Vienna has established itself as a vibrant hub of political theory in the German-speaking world. We aim to cover the entire spectrum of political theory in our research and teaching. Our particular focus is on democratic theory, especially theories of radical democracy, as well as critical theory. Another theme of special interest is the history of political ideas, concepts, and ideologies.

We understand political theory as lively and dynamic discipline that sharpens our understanding of major social and political challenges. Especially at a time when the meaning of such fundamental concepts as democracy is increasingly contested, political theory has an important role to play in processes of collective reflection about what kind of society we want to be.