CFP: Toronto Workshop on Moral Psychology and Moral Theory

Call for Abstracts

Toronto Workshop on Moral Psychology and Moral Theory

University of Toronto November 7–8, 2026

The workshop aims to bring together philosophers, psychologists, and legal scholars working on questions about the relationship between empirical research on moral cognition and the foundations of moral theory. The goal is to foster interdisciplinary discussion about how empirical work in fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory bears on moral judgment and the evaluation of moral beliefs.

Invited speakers include:

Paul Bloom (Psychology, University of Toronto / Yale University)

Joshua Knobe (Philosophy and Psychology, Yale University)

Liane Young (Psychology, Boston College)

Roseanna Sommers (Law and Psychology, University of Michigan)

Brendan de Kenessey (Philosophy, University of Toronto)

We invite submissions addressing topics at the intersection of empirical research and moral theory. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

experimental philosophy  

the psychology of moral cognition  

causal cognition and moral judgment  

the neuroscience of moral judgment  

evolutionary approaches to morality  

empirical work bearing on normative ethics or metaethics  

methodological questions about the role of empirical research in moral theory  

debunking arguments and related challenges to moral belief  

Five contributed papers will be selected. Contributed talks will consist of a 45-minute presentation followed by 45 minutes of discussion. The workshop is designed to be discussion-focused, with substantial time devoted to questions and conversation about each paper.  

We welcome submissions from scholars in philosophy, psychology, law, and related disciplines. Submissions from early-career scholars are especially encouraged.  

Submission Guidelines:  

Please submit an abstract of 750–1000 words, along with a brief CV, to:   [email protected] 

Submissions should not be anonymized.

Important Dates:  

Submission deadline: July 1, 2026  

Notification of decisions: August 1, 2026  

Limited support for travel and accommodation may be available.    

Questions about the workshop may be directed to the conference organizer, Andrew Sepielli (Philosophy, University of Toronto), at:  

[email protected]