“We cannot say we”: litigation, representation, and the emergence of (more-than-human) plural subjects

On 31 March we welcomed Professor Hans Lindahl (Tilburg University) to share his research on representation with its relevance and limits in the democratic process, and in relation to litigation.

In his lecture, Professor Lindahl offered a reconciliation of climate litigation and democratic representation against claims about climate litigation being undemocratic. Lindahl conceptualizes democratic representation as continuous claims of inclusion and exclusion, which can legitimately be made and challenged also in litigation. Climate litigation also raises the question who and what is included in the “we”. Lindahl makes it clear that this discussion on the proper delineations of the democratic “we” in the Anthropocene takes place especially in private law as our understanding of property, torts, contracts, and consumption form the basis of detrimental environmental destruction.

We recorded his presentation and you can view it here. Our thanks to Hans!