Goethe University has established a new Research Training Group. Under the title “Aesthetics of Democracy”, future doctoral researchers will adopt a humanities perspective and examine democracy as a way of life. American Studies Professor Johannes Völz is the spokesperson of the newly approved group, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Whether in India, the U.S.A., or Canada: the partner universities with which the new group will collaborate were thrilled by the news that the “Aesthetics of Democracy” program has been approved. “There is much talk about a ‘crisis of democracy’; it is a truly global phenomenon,” says Völz. While the world’s attention is currently focused on Trump and the way his actions undermine democracy, attacks on democratic rules and structures can be observed in almost every society around the world, Völz points out.
Interdisciplinary Discussion
Authoritarian regimes, too, often restrict people’s freedoms under the guise of supposedly democratic procedures, pointing to an allegedly different understanding of democracy, Völz adds. One example is the way in which Viktor Orbán is curtailing the rights of queer people in Hungary under the pretext of protecting the country’s youth. Their response: take their way of life to the streets at the Pride Parade in Budapest, thereby drawing attention to the looming restrictions on their fundamental rights.
This is precisely where the new Research Training Group comes in. Its central assumption is that democracy manifests itself not only as a system of government but also as a form of human coexistence. This is also why the term “aesthetics” is broadly defined: the 12 participating professors use it to describe the sensually perceptible forms and practices of coexistence – including the debates and conflicts associated with it.
Staging, Performance, Emotions – All Part of Democracy
“In the humanities, democracy research has led a rather marginal existence to date – even though the contribution the humanities can make to democracy research is urgently needed,” says Völz. While the norms and procedures of democracy are thoroughly studied in the social sciences, the sensory dimension of lived democracy largely escapes their focus. Why is it that humanities’ perspectives have been so rarely applied to democracy? “There is this notion that the humanities are merely ornamental, a ‘nice-to-have’, even if it has become more than obvious that democracy cannot be understood without considering staging, performance, or emotions,” Völz continues.
Skepticism also extended to the term aesthetics, perhaps because it is often associated with emotionalization and irrationality. For a long time, aestheticized politics seemed to be a feature of monarchy, communism, or fascism – all systems in which political power legitimizes itself through aesthetic means. It is not without reason that carefully orchestrated parades, splendid or intimidating uniforms, and staged rituals play such a dominant role in non-democratic states. Walter Benjamin, observing Hitler’s fascism, concluded that the aestheticization of politics leads to war. While Völz acknowledges this, he adds: “It is wrong and simplistic to believe that democracy rests solely on rational discourse.” The very concept of “the people” (demos) illustrates this: “The people do not exist as such – the term is an abstraction. Democratic societies need aesthetic means to create an image of the people,” he adds.
Thus, instead of being opposed to discourse and rational exchange, aesthetics in fact is an essential part of it. Critical debate, the constant struggle for the right form of coexistence, lies at the core of the democratic principle: “The negotiation of its form in itself constitutes its form,” states the proposal.
Völz is convinced that the field of humanities-based democracy research is only just beginning to take shape, guided by questions like: What defines democracy beyond institutions and processes? How does it manifest in sensory experience? Developing a deeper knowledge of this could also help strengthen democracy worldwide. “AAs long as we lack knowledge of what exactly defines democratic coexistence, it will be difficult for us to defend democracy,” says Völz, who has already identified strong interest in the subject among young scholars.
Toward an International Center for Cultural Democracy Research
The range of disciplines represented in the program is broad. Alongside Völz, who holds Goethe University’s professorship in American Studies with a focus on Democracy and Aesthetics, the Research Training Group’s other spokesperson is philosopher Sophie Loidolt from TU Darmstadt. Ten additional researchers from Goethe University are involved, spanning Comparative Literature, American Studies, Film and Media Studies, German Studies, Art History, Modern History, Philosophy, Scandinavian Studies, and Sinology. The Research Training Group evolved from the network “Democratic Vistas: Reflections on the Atlantic World” at Goethe University’s Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften – Institute for Advanced Studies, with which all participating scholars are affiliated. Just how topical the subject is further reflected in a junior research group at Goethe’s graduate academy GRADE, titled “The Aesthetics of Democratic Forms of Life.” „Frankfurt has long stood out for its research in aesthetics, which also includes a successful master’s program in Aesthetics. With the new research training group, the conditions are now in place to establish Goethe University and the RMU alliance as an international center for aesthetic and cultural democracy research, Völz says. Eighteen partner institutions on five continents will collaborate with the program, and the doctoral researchers will anchor their work in civil society through cooperation with local cultural and political organizations. “It is very important to us that the fellows discuss their research with society in the spirit of public humanities,” says Völz. This requires a change in perspective, so that questions from literary studies, for example, can find their way into public discourse.
The Role of the Arts in Democracy
“The evil populists are taking away our democracy” – this complaint alone is not enough to save democracy. What is needed instead is an honest engagement with what is not working within democracy itself. “If we can shift the discussion toward how we can anchor democracy more deeply in our lives again — that would be a major achievement,” says Völz, adding that the arts play a vital role in democracy, too: they reflect on human coexistence and design models for new ways of living. The professors involved in the Research Training Group see numerous points of connection to their own research and welcome dissertation projects on the aesthetics of democracy. But they do not want to prescribe topics: “We are all very curious to see what project ideas applicants will submit,” says Völz. Applicants need not have any prior knowledge of German as an intensive language course will be provided at the start of their stay in Frankfurt. The professors expect the cohort to be very international. “Of course, we also encourage applications from Frankfurt and Darmstadt,” says Völz.
The DFG has made available nearly EUR 6 million for the first funding phase. Two cohorts consisting of 12 doctoral candidates each will work on relevant topics over the next five years. In addition, a Mercator Fellow Program will bring distinguished visiting scholars to Frankfurt to work closely with the fellows. The call for applications will open in August, with the program set to launch in April 2026.
