CFP: POSTPONED: Ethics, Epistemology, and Where they Come Together (online conference)

Submission deadline: April 26, 2021

Conference date(s):
June 4, 2021 - June 6, 2021

Go to the conference's page

Conference Venue:

School of Philosophy and Sociology; Center for the Fundamentals of Philosophy, Jilin University
Changchun, China

Topic areas

Details

ANNOUNCEMENT: WE ARE SORRY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS CONFERENCE MUST BE POSTPONED. WE WILL UPDATE THIS WEBPAGE ONCE WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR THE CONFERENCE'S RESCHEDULING. THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS CONFERENCE WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR DEEP REGRETS FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS HAS CAUSED.

Ethics and epistemology are closely related disciplines. To begin, they are both primarily normative disciplines. Ethicists are interested, for instance, in the conditions under which we ought to do something or ought not to do something, in what justifies certain kinds of actions, and in what it is to be a good person. Epistemologists, meanwhile, are interested in the conditions under which we ought to believe something or ought not to believe something, in what justifies our beliefs, and in what it is to be a good epistemic agent. There are several important points at which ethics and epistemology intersect. For instance, one chief concern of metaethicists is how it is that we can have knowledge of the moral facts. Meanwhile, many philosophers are interested in studying – and considering how best to counteract – epistemic injustice.

       June 4-6, 2021, the College of Philosophy and Sociology and the Center for the Fundamentals of Philosophy at Jilin University will host an international conference (online), entitled “Ethics, Epistemology, and Where they Come Together”. We are pleased to announce that Professors Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame) and Russ Shafer-Landau (University of Wisconsin—Madison) will be keynote speakers. We are seeking submissions of high-quality abstracts from scholars both within China and around the globe. Submissions may be on issues within ethics or on issues within epistemology, or both. (We are especially interested in projects that lie at the intersection.) Applicants whose submissions are accepted will be invited to give 25-minute presentations on their projects. (Presentations may be given in English or in Chinese, but English is preferred from those who can speak/write in both languages.)

       We encourage submissions of abstracts on the following questions:

  • Are moral beliefs (epistemically) warranted? If so, how?
  • Are there self-evident moral beliefs?
  • Is the view that our moral beliefs are justified at odds with the theory of natural selection? More broadly, is the view that our moral beliefs are justified at odds with science?
  • How do epistemic issues regarding the justification of our moral beliefs relate to metaphysical issues regarding the truth of those beliefs?   
  • What ethical responsibilities do we have towards forming belief?
  • What is the relationship between knowledge and moral responsibility?
  • What are the various kinds and sources of epistemic injustice, and how can we best combat them?
  • What makes one a virtuous moral agent?
  • What is the nature and structure of normativity, broadly construed?

These are just some of many questions that those submitting abstracts may address. Abstracts on any issue at the intersection of ethics and epistemology, or simply within one of these disciplines, will be considered.

       To submit, please email the following documents, as Word or PDF attachments, to Ms. Zhang Xinyao at [email protected] by April 26, 2020:

[1]    Abstract of up to 500 words (without author-identifying information);

[2]      Title page, including title, word count, and author information (name, e-mail address, and affiliated institution, if any).

For questions on the conference or submission process, please contact Dr. Nicholas Rimell at [email protected] or Ms. Zhang Xinyao at [email protected].

This conference will replace the conference of the same name, originally planned for last year but indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19. Last year’s submissions to that conference will automatically be considered for this conference. (Those who submitted abstracts last year but no longer wish to be considered can contact Ms. Zhang Xinyao to let her know.)

 Details & Dates

Host: Jilin University, College of Philosophy and Sociology and Center for the Fundamentals of Philosophy

Location: online (information on the online platform will be posted closer to the conference date)

Conference dates: June 4-6, 2021 (evening/night, Beijing time)

Keynote speakers:   Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame); Russ Shafer-Landau (University of Wisconsin—Madison)

Submission deadline: April 26, 2021

Date of notification of acceptance: May 7, 2021 (or earlier)

Contact: Dr. Nicholas Rimell ([email protected]), Ms. Zhang Xinyao ([email protected])

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