Nature and Normativity in Fourteenth- to Seventeenth-century Thought
\nA central Aristotelian idea is that moral and political norms are grounded in human nature. Human beings are understood as continuous with the rest of nature. Just as an acorn develops into an oak in accordance with its nature\, so too do human beings develop in accordance with their nature\, namely\, to live virtuous lives within political communities.
\nThis conference investigates how the link between nature and normativity was understood in Late Scholastic and Renaissance thought. To what extent was the Aristotelian framework preserved\, and in what ways was it rethought and challenged?
\nThe event forms part of the research project Nature and Norms (funded by the Swedish Research Council)\, which examines how shifting conceptions of nature in natural philosophy reshaped views of moral and political norms. A central thesis is that new conceptions of nature in mechanistic terms eroded the foundations of traditional natural norms. This raises the broader historical question: did these developments prepare the way for contractualist theories of society\, such as those advanced by Hobbes and Locke?
\nFor this conference\, we especially encourage comparative work that brings late scholastic discussions into dialogue with early modern philosophy.
\nQuestions central to the conference include (but are not limited to):
\nHow do human beings distinguish themselves from the rest of nature
\nAre moral and legal norms themselves natural norms? If not\, how are they conceived?
\nWhat constitutes a political society?
\nMust a just society be founded on consensus?
\nAre contractual theories of society already present in late scholastic thought?
\nWhat is the status of slavery and serfdom? Are there &ldquo\;natural slaves&rdquo\;?
\nWhat sources for late scholastic views of human society remain neglected?
\nHow did early modern thinkers engage with scholastic predecessors\, and what was the outcome of these engagements?
\nKeynotes:
\nAnnabel Brett FBA
\nProfessor of Political Thought and History
\nUniversity of Cambridge
\nCary J. Nederman
\nProfessor of Political Science
\nTexas A&\;M University
\nDates and location \;
\nMay 28-29\, 2026 \;
\nStockholm University\, Stockholm
\nDeadline and Submission
\nWe invite submissions of long abstracts (500&ndash\;1000 words) for a 30-minute talk. \;
\nAbstracts should be submitted to natureandnorms@gmail.com.
\nThe deadline for submission is February 20\, 2026. \;
\nThere is limited funding available for travel and accommodation. Please indicate in your email whether you have access to institutional funding and to what extent. Priority for funding will be given to graduate students\, postdoctoral researchers\, unaffiliated scholars\, and underrepresented minorities.
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