The call for papers is closed!

Call for Papers

Deadline: 20th of December 2021

Vulnerability & Integrity

Societas Ethica’s 58th Annual Conference 2022
August 25-28, 2022 in Zürich

Societas Ethica Conference 2022

Call for Papers

Date and Location: August 25-28 2022, Zurich (Switzerland)

Vulnerability and Integrity

The moral impact of vulnerability, especially human vulnerability, has been intensely discussed in recent years. It seems that human vulnerability offers a foundation to better understand morality, especially regarding the moral duties of beneficence and nonmaleficence. But it might also enable a deepened understanding of concepts of autonomy and justice.

The concept of vulnerability refers to the potential or the risk of being wounded (Latin vulnus for wound) or harmed. Thus, the concept presupposes that there is something unharmed, some integrity (Latin integer for unharmed) that can be wounded or harmed. This points to a close relation of the two concepts of vulnerability and integrity, but the question for the moral relevance of these conceptual observation remains.

While the concept of vulnerability has been intensely discussed there is far less ethical discussion on the concept of integrity. Therefore, this conference suggests clarifying the moral relevance of vulnerability by reference to a better understanding the concept of integrity and vice versa. The topic can be discussed on a fundamental conceptual and normative level, or with regard to different areas of applied ethics as the question for vulnerability and integrity is already discussed in the context of medical ethics, nursing ethics, political ethics, and ecological ethics. We welcome proposals from researchers at every career-level in the fields of philosophy, theology, and applied ethics.

Papers can be submitted addressing the following thematic fields in this regard:

• clarifying the concepts of vulnerability and integrity

• the impact of vulnerability and integrity on concepts of ethics and morality

• vulnerability and integrity in political ethics

• vulnerability and integrity in healthcare ethics

• vulnerability and integrity in ecological ethics

• vulnerability and integrity in other fields of applied ethics

• open channel (for PhD projects)

Papers could be presented in the conference languages of English or German.

The lectures in the parallel sections are scheduled for 30 minutes for the lecture and 15 minutes for the discussion.

Keynote-Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Hille Haker, Richard A. McCormick, S.J., Chair of Catholic Moral Theology, Loyola University Chicago, USA

• Prof. Dr. James F. Keenan, S.J. Canisius Professor, Theology Department, Boston College, USA

• Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda, Professor of Ethics in Medicine at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg, Germany

• Prof. Dr. Margit Shildrick, Guest Professor in Gender and Knowledge Production, Stockholm University, Sweden.

• Prof. Dr. Svenja Goltermann, Professor of Modern History at the Department of History at the University of Zürich, Switzerland.

How to apply:

• Paper proposals will be collected till December 20th, 2021.

• Paper proposals should include a significant title and should be max. 800 words in length (excluding bibliography).

• The proposals should clearly present a moral question or argument addressing at least one of the aforementioned thematic fields.

• Manuscripts should be prepared for blind review:

  • Document 1: Your name, first name, email address, institutional address, the title of your abstract, the thematic field(s) under which your paper proposal falls, and, if eligible, your application to participate in the Young Scholars’ Award competition (see information below).

  • Document 2: Your paper proposal including bibliography (max. 10 references), keywords and title with all identifying references removed. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt for body, references and keywords, and Ariel (bold) 16 pt for headline.

  • The two documents should be sent as Word attachments to Martin Langby at martin.langby@teol.uu.se, using the subject line “Societas Ethica 2022 Conference.”

• All submissions will be subjected to rigorous blind peer-review.

• Further questions about thematic issues as well as any technical or financial question, can be addressed to Lea Chilian at lea.chilian@uzh.ch

While registrations to the conference will open in February 2022, important dates for proposal submissions are as follows:

Deadline for Abstract Submissions: December 20th, 2021
Notification of Accepted Papers: February 28th, 2022
Conference Date: August 25-28th, 2022
Deadline for Registration: May 20th, 2022

If the paper is accepted by the board members, you are kindly asked to register for the conference. Conference costs cover accommodation in a hotel close to conference venue (including breakfast), some meals and a field trip with conference dinner. Costs will amount 480€ (for members of Societas Ethica: 400€), speakers are not exempted.

Societas Ethica Young Scholars’ Award is awarded to the best presentation by a young scholar. Young scholars for the purpose of this competition are doctoral students and researchers who earned their degree less than two years ago and do not have a tenure-track academic position. For more information about Societas Ethica Young Scholars’ Award, please visit the website at www.societasethica.info

Societas Ethica – the European Society for Research in Ethics – has more than 300 members from approximately 35 countries. Led by the current president Prof. Dr. Elena Namli, Societas Ethica endeavors to promote contacts between scholars in different countries, transcending political, ideological and religious boundaries. The society is open for researchers in theological ethics, philosophical ethics, and applied ethics. We welcome papers from non-members and members.

After the annual conference, De Ethica will publish a special issue on Vulnerability & Integrity. The editors encourage the participants to submit their articles by November 30th, 2022. As always, all submissions will be subjected to double-blind peer-review. For information on submission guidelines, please see: https://de-ethica.com/about/submissions

De Ethica seeks to publish scholarly works in philosophical, theological, and applied ethics. It is a fully peer-reviewed, open-access publication hosted by Linköping University Electronic Press. We are committed to making papers of high academic quality accessible to a broad audience. For further information, see https://de-ethica.com/