Chair of Political Theory and History of Ideas
The chair represents the field of political theory and the history of ideas. Its research focuses—both systematically and in terms of the history of ideas—on the areas of democratic theory, constitutional theory, and international political theory (IPT). Research and teaching are guided by the understanding that political theory is a practice-oriented endeavor whose core theme is legitimate governance. Current research topics at the chair include the disintegration of multilateral orders (e.g., withdrawals from international treaties) and the digital transformation of democracy, particularly the role of Big Tech.
New publication: The Oxford Handbook of Constituent Power
Recently published: The Oxford Handbook of Constituent Power, edited by Peter Niesen, Markus Patberg, and Lucia Rubinelli (OUP 2026).
In sixty chapters, the handbook explores new paths in the intellectual history of constituent power (Part I); systematically develops the idea of constituent power in its relation to neighbouring concepts such as sovereignty (Part II); examines constituent power’s role and meaning in the context of different types of polities, including international institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations (Part III); investigates the plural manifestations of constituent power in terms of practices and agents, ranging from revolutionary violence to citizens’ assemblies (Part IV); and tackles new challenges and developments such as the prefigurative politics of protest movements or ascriptions of constituent power to nature (Part V).