Renewing the Social Contract

The conference will explore how the idea of a social contract should be adapted or reconsidered to address these challenges by focusing on its relationship to democracy, and in particular to democratic government. How should social contracts be amended in the context of contemporary transformations of popular government, administrative power and regulatory frameworks? What is the role of law and legal institutions in these transformations? Are there alternative models that may keep social contracts open to contestation while establishing a legitimate foundation for governance? How are social contracts renewed or made resilient?