New Political Theories &Ideas

Veith Selk is a political scientist and social scientist who specializes in political theory and intellectual history. His areas of expertise include democratic theory, the history of political thought, populism, democracy, political ecology, and social conflict.

In addition to his academic activity, he is involved in civic education and citizen science.

He was a visiting professor and deputy director of the Institute for Social Change and Sustainability at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Most recently, he worked on current issues in democracy research as part of the Hessian research network “Challenges of Democracy in Times of Regression.” He currently is acting associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Vechta.

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Veith Selk - political scientist and social scientist
Suhrkamp Verlag Veith Selk Demokratiedämmerung

New Book:

"Demokratiedämmerung"

A critique of the theory of democracy (October 2023)

»Maybe a good idea in theory, but unfortunately not in practice«

In his analytically sharp book, Veith Selk shows why both democratic politics and the democratic theories that accompany it are failing in the face of reality.
The decline of democracy is not due to regression but the result of social evolution. The end of democracy leads to the decline of democratic theory, which becomes anachronistic as a scientific discipline. (Text: Suhrkamp)

Reviews:

In the media:

Coming soon (August 2026)

Post-Liberalism? A Transatlantic Debate

The dominance of liberalism appears to be coming to an end. In light of intensifying geopolitical crises and the increasing erosion of liberal democracies, political scientists on both sides of the Atlantic are discussing alternatives to liberalism, which are grouped under the broad umbrella term “post-liberalism.” This volume brings together contributions from internationally renowned scholars, including Thomas Biebricher, Annelien de Dijn, Patrick J. Deneen, Anton Jäger, Philip Manow, Samuel Moyn, Jan-Werner Müller, Elif Özmen, Adrian Pabst, and Nadia Urbinati, who examine this new phenomenon. As observers, critics, or advocates of such alternatives, they pose the question: Can liberalism still be saved?

See also

Jonas Junack im Jacobin: Sind Postliberale einfach verunsicherte Liberale?