CFP: Rationality and Normativity Conference

The conference is on the nature of rationality and its relation to normativity, especially on how rationality and reasons generate norms for what to believe, trust or doubt. Rationality provides norms governing our thinking, not only in general (do not form incoherent beliefs), but also in specific cases (do not trust that obvious conman). Which reasons the agent does or does not possess, and their quality, is also important. This conference aims at bringing together experts on these topics and shed light on these phenomena.

Getting a clear picture of what rationality and reasons are and what norms they place on our thinking can aid with applied philosophical issues as well. For example, is conspiracy thinking, distrust towards scientific experts or falling for fake news irrational? If so, which rational norms are violated exactly, and under which circumstances? What does the rational standing of people who engage in these potentially irrational processes teach us about why they engage in them, and what if anything we should do to combat these phenomena?

We accept both talks on foundational questions and about how foundational issues can give us insight into applied matters.

Some possible (non-exhaustive) questions to address are:

-          What is the nature of rationality? What are reasons?

-          Which rational norms are there and how do they arise?

-          How are rational norms related to other norms, like moral norms? Can norms oblige us to engage in irrational behavior?

-          What does it take to possess reasons? How can they be used to form rational beliefs? What norms arise out of having (or not having) certain reasons?

-          Do people who distrust scientific experts violate rational norms? If so, how should we act towards science-sceptics?

-          Why are people susceptible to fake news? In what way are rational norms (ab)used to create this susceptibility?

 Submissions

Please submit an abstract of 300-500 words, prepared for blind review. Presentations last  30 minutes, plus 15 minutes for discussion. There is a 80 euro fee for attending the conference. This fee includes the conference dinner. Abstracts can be sent to the following address by May 31:

[email protected] 

Selected speakers will be invited to submit a full paper for a special issue we aim to publish with Synthese.

Deadline for abstracts: May 31, 2026

Notification of acceptance: July 31, 2026

Organization

Organization committee: 

Auke Montessori, Jaroslav Malík, Zuzana Votavová 

Contact:

https://ff.uhk.cz/rationalityandnorms/#contact 

This conference is organized by the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Hradec Králové, as part of the project:

Knowledge in the Age of Distrust

Funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Czech Republic). Co-funded by the European Union.