Malte is a political theorist working on critical theory, global justice, democracy and globalization, populism, climate justice, and justice in finance. He has studied political theory in Oxford and Frankfurt, where he wrote is dissertation under the supervision of Rainer Forst and Axel Honneth.

His book, The Frankfurt School and the Idea of a Critical Theory of World Society, will be published by Oxford University Press in 2022. He has published in such journals as Political Studies, The Journal of Political Power, and Raisons Politiques.

Resarch Interests

• Political Theory
• Critical Theory
• Democracy
• Globalization
• Populism
• Climate Justice
• Justice in Finance

Current Research Projects at SCRIPTS

At SCRIPTS, Malte is working on a new book project, which aims to develop a theory of “Crisis Democracy”. The theory will offer a novel conceptualisation and normative justification of democracy as a form of government uniquely suited to overcome crises by reconstituting itself in a new institutional form in the very act of resolving the crisis. The theory aims to develop an account of the conditions under which democracy can perform this crucial function of crisis-resolution, and an account of how crisis or challenges for democracy can transform into crises of democracy, when those conditions are not met in practice.

Monograph:

• Ibsen, M.F. The Frankfurt School and the Idea of a Critical Theory of World Society, under contract with Oxford University Press, forthcoming in 2022.

Peer-reviewed articles:

• Ibsen, M.F. 2019, 'The Populist Conjuncture: Legitimation Crisis in the Age of Globalized Capitalism'. Political Studies, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 795-811.
• Ibsen, M.F. 2016, 'Den Europæiske Union: Supranationalt Demokrati eller International Konsolideringsstat?', Politik vol. 3, no. 19, pp. 48-65.
• Ibsen, M.F. 2014, 'Two perspectives on power: a Frankfurt-take on a contentious concept. Review of David Strecker’s ‘Logik der Macht. Zum Ort der Kritik zwischen Theorie und Praxis', The Journal of Political Power, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 461-466.
• Ibsen, M.F. 2013, 'Global Justice and Two Conceptions of Practice-Dependence', Raisons Politiques, special issue on the theme “Practice-Dependence and Global Justice”, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 81-96.
• Ibsen, M.F. and Mølck, C. 2012, 'WikiLeaks’ Demokratiske Potentiale', Politik, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 32-44.

Work in progress:

• Ibsen, M.F. 'From Horkheimer to Honneth and back again: A Comment on Asger Sørensen’s Capitalism, Alienation and Critique', forthcoming in Philosophy & Social Criticism.
• Ibsen, M.F. 'Debt, Domination and Crises in the Eurozone'. Article to appear in a special issue of Comparative European Politics, eds. by Rune Møller Stahl and Ben Rosamond.
• Ibsen, M.F. “Habermas, Justice”, forthcoming in Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy, Section: Justice, ed. by John Tasioulas (New York: Springer, 2023).
• Ibsen, M.F. 'Between Ideals and Realism: On the ‘Political’ in Horkheimer’s Early Thought', in Critical Theory and the Political, ed. by Anastasia Marinopoulou (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2022).