Mental Disorder and Responsiveness to Reasons

In recent years, there has been growing interest in understanding mental disorders through the lens of responsiveness to reasons. Several accounts suggest that impairments in this responsiveness may underlie various psychiatric conditions. This workshop brings together scholars working on these themes to discuss, in an accessible way, how (and whether) mental disorders restrict reason-responsiveness and what follows for rational agency, explanation, stigma, and responsibility. We invite early career scholars at any level to submit abstracts to be considered for the programme.

Key thematic questions:

• Is there a conceptual connection between mental disorders and restricted reason-responsiveness?
• How do impairments in reason-responsiveness manifest across different mental disorders?
  If reason-responsiveness is restricted, does this imply a restriction of rational agency?
• How might we mitigate stigma associated with disorders that appear to involve a lack of reason-responsiveness?
• What causal relationship might a lack of reason-responsiveness have to the pathology of mental disorder?
• What implications does restricted reason-responsiveness have for free will, and moral and legal responsibility?
• Do mental disorders challenge the idea that rationality is the constitutive ideal of the mental?
• Are (at least some) mental disorders (at least partially) amenable to rational explanation?

Those wishing to apply should submit a blinded abstract (300-350 words) to
[email protected].

The deadline for abstract submission is June 10th 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of August. Do feel free to contact us if you have any questions/inquiries regarding submission.

Confirmed speakers:

Lisa Bortolotti (University of Birmingham)
Somogy Varga (Aarhus University)
Sanja Dembić (Humboldt University of Berlin)
Carolina Flores (University of Lisbon)
Juliette Vazard (University of Zurich)
Sophie Keeling (UNED, Madrid)

Organisers:

Aida Roige (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)
Fabian Hundertmark (Universitat de València)
Ed Armitage (Aarhus University)