Race, Racialisation, and Racism in the European Context: Crossdisciplinary Perspectives
25–26 September 2025, Department of Philosophy, Free University of Berlin

Venue: Habelschwerdter Allee 30, Lecture Hall (Vortragsraum) 

Discussions of race and racism in philosophy are often shaped by US-centric frameworks, where the “colour line” and the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow serve as central points of reference. The European context, however, presents a different set of dynamics that do not always align with these approaches.

This international workshop brings together philosophers, historians, and social scientists to explore the social metaphysics of race and racialisation in Europe. Key themes include:

– how racial hierarchies emerge and function beyond the black/white dichotomy,
– the role of antisemitism, antiziganism, and anti-Muslim racism in European racial formations,
– the precarious racialisation of groups such as Eastern Europeans,
– the tension between colour-blind eliminativism and the need to address racialised injustice,
– and the potential of ‘racialisation’ (as opposed to ‘race’) as an analytical framework.

Confirmed speakers:

Magali Bessone (Paris 1), Leda Berio (University College Dublin), Larry Blum (UMass Boston), Manuela Bojadžijev (HU Berlin), Robin Celikates (FU Berlin), Daniel James (TU Dresden), Steffen Koch (Bielefeld), Esa Díaz León (Barcelona), Aleksandra Lewicki (Sussex), Urs Lindner (Duisburg-Essen), Joanna Karolina Malinowska (Poznań/Hamburg), Marcello Maneri (Milan-Bicocca), Leerom Medovoi (University of Arizona), and Reza Mosayebi (Bochum).

Organisers:

Leda Berio (University College Dublin), Robin Celikates (FU Berlin), Daniel James (HU Berlin), Steffen Koch (Bielefeld), and Urs Lindner (Duisburg-Essen).

Participation is primarily in-person, but online access will also be available via Webex. Further details will follow.

Please register by writing to: chiara.sacchetti@fu-berlin.de

 

This event is part of a three-day programme and is preceded by the Graduate Conference “Race, Racism, and Racialisation in the European New Right” (24 September 2025, Institute for Philosophy, FU Berlin). See the schedule here: https://philevents.org/event/show/138650