Too often, democratic debate reduces opponents to caricatures. Let’s Agree on Poland: A Case Study of Constitutional Design (Oxford University Press, 2025) — the product of the Social Contract Incubator (IUS), an association of 130 Polish intellectuals spanning the left to the conservative right — insists on a different approach: distinguishing moral legitimacy from democratic legitimacy. The book not only sets out institutional proposals but also advances a sociological understanding of how progressive and conservative electorates can live together. In Bucharest, this lecture will reflect on the intellectual journey behind the book. Drawing on IUS’s cross-ideological collaboration, it will argue that contractarian constitutionalism offers a framework for “recognizing, not demonizing” one’s opponents. The discussion will resonate with Romania’s own challenges of polarization: can we design institutions and norms that allow progressives and conservatives to recognize each other as full citizens, even amid deep moral disagreement? Key questions include: How can contractarian constitutionalism operationalize the ethic of recognition within polarized democracies? In what ways can institutions cultivate civil dialogue and civic trust without compromising pluralism? How can Poland’s cross-ideological design inform governance in other divided contexts, including Romania and beyond?
Methodology: Sociological reflection on the IUS experience, coupled with contractarian analysis of Poland’s constitutional proposals; dialogic exchanges between scholars to surface ethical commitments and practical constraints.Expected outcomes: A concrete ethical framework for constitutional design that prioritizes recognition over demonization, along with governance guidelines that promote inclusive participation, legitimacy, and durability in divided societies.