NOTE: we have a few spots for session chairs (which involves introducing speakers and calling on people during the q&a). If you are interested in attending as a session chair, send an email to [email protected]

Our lives are pervaded by commitments: you might be committed to meeting a friend for dinner, exercising four times per week, learning a language, being considerate, sustaining a friendship, promoting a political cause. Some commitments are relatively trivial and readily set aside. Others are deeper and more resistant to change. They persist through doubt and difficulty, giving shape to a person's life.

When people display extreme degrees of commitment, we sometimes describe them as devoted. Devotion seems to involve a particularly robust form of commitment, which might differ from standard forms of commitment in its intensity, stability, resistance to compromise, epistemic status, or deliberative weight

This interdisciplinary conference investigates the ethical significance of devotion and other robust forms of commitment. Topics might include:

the nature and structure of deep commitment
existential, ethical, or political forms of commitment
devotion as a source of meaning, purpose, or identity
connections between devotion and love, responsibility, or integrity
the impact of devotion and robust commitment on individual or collective flourishing
the way in which devotion might interact with epistemic virtues and vices
pathological or problematic forms of devotion/commitment, such as fanaticism
devotion, commitment, and responsibility

Keynotes:

Sharon Street (NYU, Philosophy), "Devotion without Faith"

David Shoemaker (Cornell, Philosophy), "Hilarious Devotion"

Fiery Cushman (Harvard, Psychology), "Dangerous Thoughts"

Kimberly Rios (Univ. Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Psychology), "Understanding Academics' Perceptions of Religion Research: The Role of Intellectual Humility"

Jennifer Herdt (Yale, Religious Studies), "Idolatry and Devotion"

Speakers:

Giles Howdle (Utrecht University), “On Devoting Oneself”

Jason Kay (Rice), “Two Kinds of Commitment”

Jordan MacKenzie (University of Virginia) and Michael Cholbi (University of Edinburgh), “Free to Be You and Me: Devotion and Practical Fidelity in Personal Relationships”

Lilian O’Brien (Tampere University/University of Helsinki), “Committing, Intending, and the Distinction Challenge”

Catherine Rioux (Université Laval), “Striving for Balance: Difficult Long-Term Goals and the Well-Rounded Life”

Commentators:

Andrew Chignell (Princeton)

Vikas Beniwal (University of Mississippi)

Jacob Koval (Florida State)

Eric Aldieri (Bridgewater State)

Rylie Johnson (Boston College)

Brendan Kost (Florida State)

William Kanwischer (UNC)

Meredith McFadden (Northeastern)

Pengbo Liu (Bentley University)

Kaitlyn Creasy (Cal State San Bernardino)

Organizers:

Paul Katsafanas (BU)

Jesse Preston (Warwick)

Location: 43 Hawes Street Room 202 (map)

Program

Thursday, March 26

9:30-10:40

Lilian O’Brien (Tampere University/University of Helsinki)
“Committing, Intending, and the Distinction Challenge”

Commentator: Jacob Koval (Florida State)

11:00-12:10

Giles Howdle (Utrecht University)
“On Devoting Oneself”

    Commentator: Meredith McFadden (Northeastern)

12:10-1:30

Lunch break

1:30-3:00

Sharon Street (NYU)
“Devotion without Faith”

   Commentator: Andrew Chignell (Princeton)

3:20-4:30

Jordan MacKenzie (University of Virginia) and Michael Cholbi (University of Edinburgh)
“Free to Be You and Me: Devotion and Practical Fidelity in Personal Relationships”

   Commentator: Will Kanwischer (UNC)

4:50-6:20

Kimberly Rios (Univ. Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
"Understanding academics' perceptions of religion research: The role of intellectual humility"

   Commentator: Brendan Kost (Florida State)

Friday, March 27

9:30-10:40

Catherine Rioux (Université Laval)
“Striving for Balance: Difficult Long-Term Goals and the Well-Rounded Life”

    Commentator: Kaitlyn Creasy (Cal State San Bernardino)

11:00-12:30

Fiery Cushman (Harvard)
“Dangerous Thoughts”

   Commentator: Eric Aldieri (Bridgewater State)

12:30-1:45

Lunch break

1:45-3:15

Jennifer Herdt (Yale)
“Idolatry and Devotion”

   Commentator: Rylie Johnson (Boston College)

3:30-4:40

Jason Kay (Rice)
"Two Kinds of Commitment”

   Commentator: Pengbo Liu (Bentley University)

5:00-6:30

David Shoemaker (Cornell)
"Hilarious Devotion”

   Commentator: Vikas Beniwal (University of Mississippi)

6:30-7:30

Reception

https://www.philosophyofdevotion.com/