Human Dignity: Theory and Practice
Philosophy Departments
Concordia and McGill Univerisities
The purpose of the conference is to explore recent work on human dignity. Questions of topical relevance are those regarding the relationship between dignity and (anti-discrimination) law, the (metaphysical/political) grounds of dignity, the relationship between dignity and (relational) equality, the history of the concept of human dignity, skepticism and/or criticism regarding the functional role that dignity-talk plays in moral and political discourse, Kant’s theory of human dignity, religious conceptions of dignity, etc.
Registration is free. Please do register in advance via this link.
Program:
April 28, 9:00am-5:00pm (EST) – Concordia University, Webster Library Building (Pavillion J.W. McConnell Bldg, 1400 Maisonneuve West) in Room LB-322 (on the 3rd floor). Food will be served in LB-361.
9:00 am – Coffee & snacks
9:30 am – Intro & welcome
9:40 am – Pablo Gilabert (Concordia) – « The Dignitarian Approach »
10:40 am – Coffee break
11:00 am – Tom Christiano (Arizona) – « Equal Moral Status and the Collective Character of Rationality »
12:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – Jordan Walters (McGill) « Naïve Humanism »
2:00 pm – Coffee break
2:20 pm -Andrew Lichter (Arizona) « Enabling Rights »
3:20 pm – Coffee break
3:40 pm – Stephen Darwall (Yale) « Two Kinds of Human Value »
4:40 pm – Leftover coffee & snacks
April 29, 10:00am-5:00pm (EST) – McGill University (855 Sherbrooke West) in the Leacock Building (LEA 429)
10:00 am – Coffee & snacks
10:30 am – Matthew Perry (Manchester) « Animal Dignity without Hierarchy »
11:30 am – Lunch
1:00 pm – Ariel Zylberman (SUNY) « Dignity and Recognition »
2:00 pm – Coffee break
2:20 pm – Regina Surber (Zurich) « Why military conditioning violates the dignity of soldiers »
3:20 pm – Coffee break
3:40 pm – Nandi Theunissen (Pittsburg) « Revisiting Regress Arguments for the Value of Humanity »
4:40 pm – Leftover coffee & snacks
Generously sponsored by the Social Justice Centre at Concordia University, the Katharine A. Pearson Chair in Civil Society and Public Policy at McGill University, the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en philosophie politique, Le Centre de recherche en Éthique, and the Canadian Journal of Philosophy.
(For inquiries, e-mail jordan.walters@mail.mcgill.ca or christiane.bailey@concordia.ca)
