A digital magazine
about politics and society

Non-profit. Independent.
Free of charge. Without ads.

Marion Jones, Bar Chart (2015), oil and acrylic, 30 x 30 x 5 cm, courtesy the artist

zoon politikon

zo|on po|li|ti|kọn [ancient Greek]: Aristotle’s definition of human beings as by nature political and social creatures who ought to strive for the best possible life in a community of free and equal members (Aristotle, Politika, 1253a, 1255b, 1328a).

Politikon will be the first non-profit online magazine in which social science and humanities scholars make their expertise available to the public in English and German. In the long-term, we would like to publish in French, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish as well. Our topics will range from politics, society, and the economy to the environment, law, and academia.

Politikon will be independent, nonpartisan, free of charge, and without ads on a permanent basis. In mid-2021, you will be able to read our first contributions on www.politikon.net

Who we are

We are a group of social science and humanities researchers at more than 30 universities in 15 countries – Austria, Belgium, Chile, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

We have founded Politikon because we are concerned about the quality of the public discourse and the political and social developments in our countries.

Our mission

The social sciences and humanities generate many important insights. They provide theoretically sound and evidence-based research results that help us understand our complex world.

We want to make the knowledge of our disciplines accessible to a broad audience.

“From combatting climate change to treating global disease and tackling inequality, the social sciences are vital for our wellbeing and prosperity.”

— Dame Minouche Shafik (source)

“The task of the social sciences is to provide orientational knowledge and thus to promote public debate and, above all, to demand it where it threatens to wane, for these are the source of the renewal of democratic polities.“

— Nicole Deitelhoff (source)

“Democracies don’t die because there are too many enemies, but because there aren’t enough friends and defenders.“

— Harald Welzer (source)

“One will not be able to cope with the vulgar and loud with greater volume. What is required is greater passion in defending political professionalism and a critical but civil conversation.“

— Sylke Tempel (source)

“The courage and sovereignty of political science are required more than ever in this factless age.“

— Sabine Manzel (source)

“I would like to see scholars who do not cater to the market, but offer reasonable and independent guidance to an unsettled society. This enlightening and non-corruptible voice is more important than ever.“

— Ranga Yogeshwar (source)

“What is at stake here is factual reality itself, and this is, indeed, a political problem of the very first order. [...] Freedom of speech is a farce if information about the facts is not guaranteed.“

— Hannah Arendt (source)

“In public debates, professors, of all people, hardly ever speak out. [...] We need these analysts of world affairs – the sober experts as well as the daring generalists.”

— Manuel Hartung (source)

“Under the communication prerequisites of an inclusive and coercion-free discourse among free and equal participants, everyone is required to put themselves in the perspective and thus in the self- and world-conception of all others.“

— Jürgen Habermas (source)

Our goals

1 Analyzing current affairs

We plan to publish incisive analyses of current affairs by humanities and social science scholars who have special expertise on the issues under consideration. The idea is that their knowledge of the available research will help us to better understand the news of the day. They will explain complex developments and place them in the context of longer-term trends. In the daily flood of news reports, we aim to provide reliable background information and orientation.

2 Serving as a corrective against misinformation in public discourse

Researchers seek to generate knowledge by employing scholarly methods, thereby trying to come as close as possible to “the truth”. Politikon wants to democratize access to this knowledge. We strive to make available the most relevant research results from the humanities and social sciences. That way, we hope to provide policy-makers and civil society with a sound basis for their decisions.

We will also examine claims in public discourse and distinguish between substantiated and unfounded arguments. We will call out half-truths and false information.

3 Improving the exchange between scholars, practitioners, and the public

Improving the mutual exchange between scholars, practitioners, and the public is an important goal of Politikon. We don’t see practitioners and the public as passive consumers of information but as innovative actors who have themselves a considerable amount of knowledge and experience. This is why our magazine is not just about sharing academic expertise with practitioners and the public. We also seek to transfer insights from practitioners and the public to academia, thereby developing new research ideas.

4 Furthering diversity of viewpoints

5 Finding answers to the pressing questions of our time

Our articles will not only analyze current issues in politics and society. They will also examine important developments beyond the events of the day. We will reach across disciplines, languages, and borders to try and find answers to the most pressing political, social, economic, ecological, and ethical questions of our time. To this end, we will survey the global academic landscape and inform about relevant new research findings.

6 Holding the powerful to account

We will seek to reach these goals by publishing at least five new articles each week. This includes analyses, research reports, interviews, opinion pieces, and reviews of relevant new publications. Our articles will be factual, relatively short, and as comprehensible as possible.

In mid-2021, you will be able to read our first contributions on www.politikon.net

We are a member of the Transparent Civil Society Initiative by Transparency International

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A digital magazine about politics and society