Øjvind Larsen's topics are first of all ethics, political philosophy and moral sociology. Throughout his career, he has studied ethical problems from many perspectives. He started as a theologian where his main interest was the ethical consequences of Christianity from an existentialist perspective. Influenced by the social and political movements in 1968, his scope changed to a social perspective and here he found it difficult, not to say impossible to sustain this new perspective on the grounds of a theological justification.
Strongly influenced by Marx's theories on politics, economy and history, he went on with studies in sociology and history. In the end, this Marxist perspective became a cul-de-sac and therefore it was a help to study Max Weber's sociological theory and especially his studies of the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. This became Larsen's way to a new perspective because Weber could explain the rationalization and the modernization of society not only as a process of change in the production relations but also as a change in the horizon of understanding of social relations and society.
In his dissertation The Right to Dissent - The Critical Principle of Discourse Ethics and Deliberative Democracy, Larsen set about studying Habermas's theory of communicative action as a critique of Weber's limited understanding of rationalization, which is a technical-instrumental form of rationalization of European society. Habermas claims that modern society has potential for a more fundamental form of rationalization, which consists of empowering the good argument in dialogue. This potential has a huge impact on the understanding of modern communicative ethics, politics and deliberative democracy.
However, Habermas has been criticized for having a too-optimistic understanding of the possibility of attaining consensus in modern society. Larsen develops the philosophical notion of an ethics of dissent through a new interpretation of the communicative ethics and political philosophy of Habermas. He turns Habermas's notion of consent into a concept of dissent, dissent with good reasons. This concept emphasizes freedom, the right to dissent, and thoughtful critique. This critical perspective is integrated in a broader interpretation of HabermasÕ theory of communicative action and relates to the classical traditions of political philosophy Ð Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Rawls.
The right to dissent includes both the right to speak about what is right and wrong and the moral obligation to provide good reasons for a particular assertion. In a modern democratic society, the right to dissent is one of the most fundamental rights. Inherent in the right to dissent, we find the paradoxical morality of modern society, which consists of a critical assessment of what should be deemed right or wrong. The right to dissent has to be secured through the civil rights of participation in political deliberation and the cultivation of these legal rights in the public spheres of a deliberative democracy.
In his upcoming research projects, Larsen intends to develop further the notion of dissent by studying how dissent is recognized, understood and managed in areas such as ethics, politics, civil society, public administration and business organizations. This sociological perspective focuses on customs, rules and legal rights in the US and Europe as well. On the other hand, the philosophical perspective focuses on the development of a relevant form of ethics, the mediation of ethics in institutions, and the significance and value of ethical justifications in global society.
Book written by Øjvind Larsen. Museum Tusculanum Publishers, Copenhagen.
"The right to dissent includes both the right to speak of what is right and wrong and the moral obligation to give good reasons for a particular statement. In a modern democratic society the right to dissent is one of the most fundamental rights. Inherent in the right to dissent, we find the paradoxical morality of modern society, which consists of a critical assessment of what should be deemed right or wrong. The right to dissent has to be secured through the civil rights of participation in political deliberation and the cultivation of these legal rights in the public spheres of a deliberative democracy.
"The ethics of dissent is developed in this book through a new interpretation of the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas’ communicative ethics and his political philosophy. Freedom, the right to dissent, and thoughtful critique is emphasized in the concept of negative discourse ethics. This critical perspective is integrated in a broader interpretation of Habermas’ theory of communicative action and related to the classical traditions of political philosophy – Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Rawls.
"Øjvind Larsen further develops the philosophical perspective in a sociological discussion of civil society, public spheres, politics, law and a globalizing society, considered in relation to the classical tradition of sociology – Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Bauman, Foucault, and Bourdieu.
"Translated by Russell Dees."
(Source: Museum Tusculanum Publishers)
ISBN 978-87-635-0769-1
Chapter in a volume edited by Mikael Carleheden & Michael Hviid Jacobsen. Ashgate Publishing, Aldershot.
"For over 30 years it has been argued that contemporary society is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The portrait of the modern society or modernity offered by philosophers and social scientists from Hobbes to Parsons is no longer understood as a description of the final and highest stage in the social evolution of mankind. Modern society is not “the end of history” but simply another more or less contingent social and cultural formation on planet earth. This new perspective on modernity and its transformation, which has emerged from the modernist–postmodernist debate, is the subject matter of this book. It is addressed in a multidisciplinary and international way, both theoretically and empirically, and is explored not only in general and historical terms, but also through specific topics such as sexuality, identity, democracy, globalization, knowledge and leadership. Offering an important collaborative contribution to contemporary discourse in sociology, social psychology, politics and philosophy, this book represents a unique effort to come to grips with our obscure and elusive social position at the start of the 21st century." (Source: Ashgate Publishing)
ISBN: 978-0-7546-1763-1
Book written by Øjvind Larsen. Ashgate Publishing, Aldershot.
"Administration, Ethics and Democracy is concerned with the disciplines of philosophy, political science and sociology. Øjvind Larsen's book provides a deeper analysis of the relations between administration, ethics and democracy. In modern society, it is no longer sufficient to be the obedient administrator Max Weber speaks about. The time is ripe to re-evaluate the overriding responsibilities of the administration. Today, responsible administration demands an independent position to be taken. Øjvind Larsen views the administration from the continuous complex demands it is required to meet and proposes that the professional role is not exempt from personal responsibility or position. Therefore it is crucial that the administrator has freedom of expression and the opportunity to discuss his problems with others. Ethics are a common concern and also a political problem in democratic society. This is why there is a close connection between administration, ethics and democracy." (Source: Ashgate Publishing)
ISBN: 978-0-7546-1221-6
Article in <i>Danish Yearbook of Philosophy vol. 33</i>
Museum Tusculanum Press, Copenhagen.
ISBN 978-87-7289-543-7
Chapter in Der gewšhnliche Antisemitismus by Christine Kulke and Gerda Lederer. Pfaffenweiler.
Book written by Øjvind Larsen. Argument Verlag, Hamburg.