CFP: Special issue on Jonathan Glover

Submission deadline: July 1, 2017

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Special issue: Jonathan Glover, December 2017

Revue interdisciplinaire des études utilitaristes

Dear Researchers around the world:

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Jonathan Glover’s seminal book Causing Death and Saving Lives (Penguin Books, 1977) and of its recent translation in French by Benoît Basse, a special issue is dedicated to this major work by the Revue interdisciplinaire des études utilitaristes (RIEU). Oxford philosopher Jonathan Glover is worldwide considered as one of the pionneers in applied ethics. This book in particular may be regarded as the first attempt to reach a set of coherent point of views on the main matters dealing with the « ethics of killing » : murder, suicide, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, death penalty and war. The aim of this special issue is mainly to introduce Glover’s  work to the French speaking researchers and allow them to discuss his ideas.

Most of us would agree that killing is wrong. But can it be a universal statement? No doubt the majority of us would also accept several exceptions to this general objection to killing. In this context, is it possible to justify the way we decide to save certain lives and not others, or even to cause death? And are these answers strictly subjective or is moral philosophy able to defend normative principles and, if so, is only one principle enough? As Jonathan Glover puts it himself in his Preface, « this book discusses the moral problems involved in killing and saving lives ».

One of Glover’s original features is to discuss all these life and death issues in a single book. He thinks that they are related to each other and that a philosopher should try to reach a coherent set of answers on these matters, whereas non philosophical thinking rests on unconscious contradictory answers and principles.  

Contributors are invited to write in particular about the ideas argued by Glover in his book Causing Death and Saving Lives. But references to his other works may also be justified.

Examples of Topics of interest for the special issue include, but are not limited to:

_ The scope and limits of moral argument according to Glover,

_ Glover’s method: the interplay between responses and general beliefs,

_ The three main moral principles defended by Glover. Are they fully compatible? Is it possible to establish a kind of hierachy between them?

_ To which extent does Glover manage to combine deontological and consequentialist aspects of ethics?

_ Jonathan Glover and utilitarianism,

_ Jonathan Glover and Peter Singer,

_ His use of the notion of a « life worth living »,

_ His objections to the doctrine of acts and omissions,

_ His objections to the doctrine of « double effect »,

_ His objections to the doctrine of the sanctity of life,

_ Glover’s approach to Medical Ethics,

_ Glover’s posterity and influence on the further generation of moral philosophers (Peter Singer, Frances M. Kamm, Jeff McMahan, and others).

Important Dates:

Abstract submission deadline: 1st of July 2017

Notification of acceptance: 15/07/2017

Final paper submission: 29/10/2017

Publication: December 2017

 Special Issue Editor:

Benoît Basse

Submission Requirements:

All submitted papers can be written in English or French.

Please submit your abstracts to the following email addresses:

[email protected] and [email protected]

Scientific Committee:

Professor Antoine Capet (Université de Rouen)

Professor Didier Deleule (Université Paris X-Nanterre)

Professor Stephen Engelmann (Université d’Illinois à Chicago)

Professor Manuel Escamilla (Universidad de Granada)

Professor Marco Guidi (Università di Pisa)

Professor Suzy Halimi (Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III)

Professor Christian Lazzeri (Université Paris X-Nanterre)

Professor Frank Lessay (Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III)

Professor Peter Niesen (Technische Universität Darmstadt)

Professor Frederick Rosen (University College London)

Professor Philip Schofield (University College London)

Professor Nathalie Sigot (Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale)

Professor Michel Troper (Université Paris X-Nanterre)

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#Abortion, Suicide, Euthanasia, medical ethics, death penalty, war, utilitarianism,