CFP: Religion and Morality: Hume and his Context International Conference

Religion and Morality: Hume and his Context

International Conference

May 28 – 29, 2015

University of Antwerp, Philosophy Department, Center for Ethics

Keynote speakers:

Michael B. Gill (University of Arizona)

Gordon Graham (Princeton Theological Seminary)

Thomas Holden (University of California, Santa Barbara)

Jennifer Marusic (Brandeis University/Humboldt University, Berlin)

James Harris (St. Andrews)

Call for Papers

We welcome papers dealing with the topic of the conference, Religion and Morality: Hume and his Context.

The conference seeks to offer the opportunity to discuss Hume’s understanding of morality and of religion, as well as their relation. We also welcome papers discussing the relation between Hume and his predecessors or contemporaries on issues pertaining to morality and religion.

The central focus of the conference will be Hume’s practical critique of religion (i.e. his scattered but recurrent remarks on the detrimental influence of religion on moral character and agency) together with his understanding of religion as a natural phenomenon that may play an important role in fostering human virtues. How does Hume’s moral critique of religion square with his observations that morality and religion are closely interwoven? Hume seems to be convinced that the masses will never be able to live without some form of religion. How does this fit with his defense of a secularized ethics?

We also seek to address the views of Hume’s contemporaries that directly challenge or enforce Hume’s understanding of morality and religion.

Other possible topics include the context in which Hume develops his account; contemporary accounts that are related to Hume on morality, religion, and, for instance, cognitive science or experimental psychology; the naturalness of religion and its impact on the moral or political life; and true religion and passions in Hume. We also welcome papers dealing with question such as: why and how is Hume’s morality secular? Does Hume’s account of the virtues and vices undermine or discredit religious morality or the teaching of Christianity?  Is the autonomy thesis (morality autonomous from religion) in conflict with theism and with religion? Etc.

Deadline for submission: January 8th, 2015.

Please send abstracts of maximum 500 words to

Esther Kroeker ([email protected])

University of Antwerp

Philosophy Department, Center for Ethics

Grote Kauwenberg 18

2000 Antwerp