Philosophy of Breakups

CFCP Conference: Philosophy of Breakups

Many - if not most - relationships eventually end. Their endings can be good - or they can be bad. Philosophers have devoted a great deal of ink to committed relationships and enduring friendships, and to the rehabilitation of relationships - to topics like apology, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Less ink has been spilled over breakups and divorce. This event seeks to remedy this omission.

On August 17-18, 2026, the Conceptual Foundations of Conflict Project at the University of Southern California will sponsor a two-day conference on the philosophy of breakups. Quill Kukla will keynote, and remaining presentation slots will be filled via a call for abstracts. Topics to be covered include, but are not exhausted by:

What makes breakups good or bad?

What is the difference between a relationship ending or merely changing?

When do conflicts call for reconciliation and when for breakup?

What are the morally important differences, if any, between divorce and other forms of breakup?

Breaking up with parents or children as compared to friends or romantic partners

Why haven’t philosophers paid more attention to breakups?

Breakups at scale: secession, civil war, organizational separation

The ethics of navigating breakups in progress

And more! We hope you’ll come show us some of the interest and complexity in this comparatively neglected topic.