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Josefine Lykkegaard

PhD fellow

Subjects
Employment Working environment Democracy Politics Job market Philosophy

Primary research areas

Philosophy of Work and Alienation

I explore how philosophical traditions conceptualize alienation and rootedness in modern work life, moving beyond existential perspectives to examine how institutions structure meaningful participation.

Hegelian Institutional Theory

I investigate Hegel’s concept of ethical life as a framework for understanding how societal institutions can foster freedom, rootedness, and social integration through work, emphasizing their role in counteracting precarity and alienation

Normative Political Philosophy and Work

I aim to develop a normative account of how institutions should be designed to foster meaningful work and rootedness, contributing to debates on governance, social transformation, and the future of work.

I draw on philosophy to rethink work as a site of freedom, meaning, and rootedness

My research investigates how institutions can address one of the central challenges of our time: the growing alienation of work. Drawing on philosophy, especially Hegel’s theory of institutions, I explore how work can become not only a source of income but also a foundation for freedom, meaningfulness, and rootedness.  

I focus on how labour market institutions and workplace governance can be structured to counter precarity and create meaningful forms of participation. Rather than reducing work to individual fulfillment, my approach highlights the normative role of institutions in shaping the conditions under which work contributes to both personal identity and collective life.  

Through this research, I aim to contribute to debates on the future of work, democratic organization, and social transformation. My ambition is to develop frameworks that help policymakers, organizations, and unions rethink how institutions can sustain rootedness and counter alienation in contemporary society.