Exploring Contradictions beyond Contradiction

Recap of the 1st International Conference on Contradiction Studies

Poster of the ECBC 2025 conference

From February 11 to 14, 2025, the Research Training Group 2686—funded by the German Research Foundation—hosted the 1st International Conference on Contradiction Studies at the University of Bremen titled “Exploring Contradictions beyond Contradiction.”

The conference featured a series of engaging keynote lectures, panels, and discussions, aimed at exploring the many facets of contradiction/s across disciplines. We were delighted to have a distinguished group of scholars and researchers join us for this groundbreaking exchange. The diverse perspectives and lively debates have undoubtedly enriched our understanding of contradictions and opened new avenues for future research.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants, especially to our Fellows and Mercator Fellows, for their invaluable contributions that made this conference a resounding success. 

For those who were unable to attend or wish to revisit the discussions, the conference program and book of abstracts are available for download on our conference website, and video recordings of the keynote lectures can be accessed here.

We look forward to continuing this important dialogue and fostering further collaborations in the field of Contradiction Studies.

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hierarchy of norms

“If social contradictions are reflected in law, law cannot form a hierarchy of norms free of contradictions.”

Andreas Fischer-Lescano
power and resistance

“Michel Foucault says: “Where there is power, there is resistance, and […] this resistance is never in a position of exteriority in relation to power” (History of Sexuality I, The Will to Knowledge, 1976, p. 95)”

Gisela Febel
problem to be solved

“Contradiction is not primarily a problem to be solved but a motor we cannot do without.”

Martin Nonhoff
relational

“At first I thought contradiction was always a relational thing; but the more I ponder it, the more I think contradiction creates relation.”

Ingo H. Warnke
idea of democratic critique

“If you think that acts of contradicting someone always need to point to better solutions, you haven’t really understood the idea of democratic critique.”

Martin Nonhoff