We cordially invite abstract submissions for the 2025 Centre for Ethics as Study in Human Value Undergraduate Conference
Theme
What is the role of moral thinking in a time of crisis? In the face of the current climate crises, the rise of populism, development of AI technologies, wars and other events that disrupt and challenge our moral orientation, how should we find ways to engage with the world, or should we engage at all? Is it realistic for us to create utopian ways of thinking and find strategies of hope? What role (positive, critical, negative) can philosophical reflection play in response to phenomena such as these?
This conference aims to support undergraduate students who are interested in ethical questions related to the theme of the conference about the role of moral thinking in a time of crisis. Suitable problems that can be addressed include (but is not limited to) the climate crisis, populism and nationalism, war and violence, animal abuse, and capitalistic and patriarchal structures. What role (positive, critical, negative) can philosophical reflection play in response to large problems – that stretches well beyond individual morality – such as these? We are also interested in submissions that discuss dominant ethical theories or approaches (including from critical, feminist or non-western perspectives).
| Submission Deadline: |
January 17, 2025 |
| Decisions on Acceptances: |
January 24, 2025 |
Centre for Ethics
Founded in 2017, The Centre for Ethics as Study in Human Value at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies of the University of Pardubice focuses on issues surrounding the distinctive value of human life, and the ways in which this value may be either recognised or overlooked in both personal and political contexts. The main aim is to develop a conception of the nature and value of humanity and to apply it to a range of personal and political issues, including attitudes towards marginalised groups and issues surrounding populism, nationalism, religious conflict, migration and a changing European identity.
Format
This one-day conference will be conducted in English. Accepted undergraduate speakers will be given space for 10-minute talks in sessions alongside 2 other speakers. We will then open the floor for a moderated roundtable discussion of the topics raised in each of the papers, with attendees given the chance to ask speakers questions and make comments. The conference will begin and end with keynote addresses from the Centre for Ethics’ international research team.
Submission Guideline
This conference is only open to current undergraduate students or recent graduates who are not currently enrolled in a graduate program.
Submissions will be accepted from students from any university and from any discipline. Submissions should be sent to LesleyPaige.Jamieson@upce.cz.
We will be providing travel bursaries of up to 500CZK to accepted speakers attending the conference from within Czechia. In addition, we will provide a limited number of travel grants (2500CZK) for Ukrainian students.
Applications must include:
- Abstract of Proposed Talk. Abstracts should be approximately 200-400 words and describe the ethical or political problem/topic that the proposed talk would address and the central claim that the paper would defend. Document title and document should not contain any indicators of the identity of the submitter.
- Cover Sheet. This document should include the title of the talk (matching the title attached to the abstract); the name of the author; institutional affiliation; year of study; email address.
