Philosophy & Science for Human Rights: The Political Brain

We are pleased to announce the call for abstracts for the workshop “Philosophy & Science for Human Rights: the Political Brain", which will take place on March 3rd, 10:00 am-8:00 pm, at the Senate House building of the University of Bristol.

Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions the “right [...] to share in scientific advancement and its benefits," implying that there is a “Right to Science” (RtS). Inspired the idea of a Right to Science, this interdisciplinary conference will examine how a scientific understanding of the brain can and should ground democratic citizenship in the twenty-first century. It will invite philosophers, neuroscientists, and mental health researchers to explore this idea in a way that is accessible to the students and members of the public who will be invited to attend.

It will explore issues such as:

• Theoretical foundations of the right to science

• Political and social implications of the right to science

• Applications of the right to science in fields such as psychiatry, public health, and education

• Case studies of the implementation of the right to science in different contexts

The workshop will be organized in collaboration with Science for Democracy (https://sciencefordemocracy.org), a non-governmental organization that advocates for and monitors the right to science globally, and Dr. Dan Degerman’s Leverhulme Trust-funded project ‘Mortifying consciousness’.

Sincerely,

The Organizing Committee