CFA: Collaboration and Complicity of Elites in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Regimes

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies cordially invites researchers to submit abstracts for the following conference.

This conference explores the motivations and varying degrees of elite collaboration in the authoritarian regimes, examining both the mechanisms and the broader social consequences. By integrating historical case studies with contemporary examples, the discussions will shed light on the impact of such collaboration on interpersonal relationships and institutional stability. Additionally, the conference aims to identify practical strategies for preventing and resisting elite complicity in authoritarian or criminal regimes, offering insights relevant to democratically functioning societies.

Thematic Sections:

  1. Theoretical Frameworks of Collaboration
  2. Historical Examples of Elite Collaboration
  3. Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Sociological Strategies
  4. Collaboration of Elites in the Present
  5. Impacts on Democracy
  6. Anti-Collaboration and Resistance

Submission Guidlines:

Abstracts of around 300-500 words should be sent by April 30, 2025 to matej.cibik@upce.cz. Acceptance decisions will be sent out by mid-May.

The conference will take place on 25-26 September 2025 at the University of Pardubice, Czech Republic, in the historic UPCE building on Československých legií Square

For further questions contact Matěj Cíbik at matej.cibik@upce.cz