The LEMO project builds on the results of the LARM project (2001-2004). LARM took its point of departure in an understanding of morality (ethics) that questions a number of relativistic and rationalistic moral theories that characterize the majority of the literature on moral philosophy in the Anglo-Saxon world. The internal relationship of the moral concepts to the agent was put into focus. The LARM project studied the relations between morality, legislation and justice from different angles. The emphasis was e. g. placed on religion, ethics and law, as well as on Human Rights as a moral and legal concept.
The results of the LARM project point to various open questions. LEMO continues the work of LARM and studies closely the question of the legitimacy, in the sense of moral validity of a legal system in a society. A fundamental question is in which way the moral validity can be upheld. If morality is understood as internally related to the people of a community, then the legitimacy of a community based on the rule of law must continuously be related to the people that make up that community. LEMO intends to stu dy what this may mean. For fundamental ideas of its understanding of morality the project draws on a number of mainly English speaking writers (E Anscombe, C Diamond, R Gaita, S Hauerwas, KE Løgstrup, M Nussbaum, P Pettit, H Pitkin, R Rhees, C Taylor, P W inch). A critical discussion is carried through with some influential moral theoists in the field (among others J Rawls, J Habermas). The LEMO project further puts focus on the concepts of “a democratic discourse”, “a moral discourse”, and “a moral com munity” (M Walzer). On different levels the different individual projects study what the prerequisites for a moral discourse are, as well as how the moral dimension finds expression in political and societal decisions. Methodologically, the participants m ove on both an empirical and a conceptual level in their research.
The project is multidisciplinary. It builds on an already developed multidisciplinary way of working that has already been developed and has proved fruitful. The project will among other things result in 9 doctoral theses.
KEY CONCEPTS: Legitimacy, morality, trust, religion, life-view, human rights, democracy, democratic discourse, moral discourse, political discourse, moral community, public - private domain