Call for Papers

Updated DEADLINE: 15 Mars, 2023!

Ethics of Reconciliation – European perspectives

Societas Ethica’s 59th Annual Conference 2023
August 24-27 2023, Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Ethics of Reconciliation – European perspectives

The concept of reconciliation, in a social context, refers to the potential of restoring broken trust and relationships, and the need for a community and persons to recover from damages caused by conflicts and wars. Reconciliation has been studied by theorists as well as discussed by practitioners from a variety of perspectives among which ethics of reconciliation is one of the most important. The relationship between reconciliation and justice is, naturally, one main issue of ethical concern. However, this relationship is marked by significant differences in experience of conflicts, demand for justice, and limits of reconciliation.

Current developments in Europe – such as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, several conflicts marked by escalating violence towards minorities, militarization of many European countries, and increasing scepticism towards pluralistic models of democracy – urge for a deeper scrutiny of philosophical, legal, and theological approaches to reconciliation.    

Societas Ethica invites ethicists to its annual conference in Sarajevo 2023 that will be devoted to ethics of reconciliation with particular attention paid to European experiences of and perspectives on social, political, and religious conflict. What are resources and obstacles to reconciliation if assessed from a perspective of ethics? How should we understand the relationship between reconciliation and transitional justice? When and how might the longing for reconciliation promote or devaluate social justice? What resources for a more nuanced and critical approach to reconciliation are there in different religious traditions?   

Societas Ethica promotes scholarly dialogue between philosophers, theologians, and theorists working within applied ethics.

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

• the concept of reconciliation as related to different contexts

• moral dimensions of reconciliation, conflict resolution, and transitional justice

• reconciliation and social justice

• reconciliation, justice, and truth

• limitations of reconciliation and limited reconciliation

• theological contributions to ethics of reconciliation

• critical philosophical and empirical approaches to reconciliation

• critical approaches to the paradigm of transition

• dealing with the past and reconciliation

• European minorities and future(s) of pluralistic democracy

• hermeneutics of conflicts, narrative identity and reconciliation

• reconciliation and emotions

• reconciliation and recognition

• rebuilding damaged relationships after violent conflict with a focus on Europe

• ethics of reconciliation, memory, and forgetting

• open channel

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

Keynote-Speakers and Panelists (among others):

• Professor of Sociology Dino Abazovic (Sarajevo)

• Professor of Islamic Studies Samedin Kadić (Sarajevo)

• Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics Martin Leiner (Jena)

• Professor of International Relations Kjell-Åke Nordquist (Stockholm)

• Doctor of Gender Studies Zilka Spahic (Sarajevo)

Please note that we have a second call for papers open with the following deadlines:

• Deadline for Abstract Submissions: Mars 15, 2023

• Notification of Accepted Papers: By April 30, 2023

All other deadlines are as below. We also wish to specify that the Open Channel (that the paper proposal does not have to be on the theme of the conference) is open to all applicants. Previously, this was only available for Ph.D. students, but from 2022 and onwards this is accessible for all applicants. We look forward to see your proposals!

How to apply:

• Paper proposals will be collected till December 20th, 2022.

• Paper proposals should include a significant title (please, indicate the thematic field) and not exceed 800 words in length (excluding bibliography).

• The proposals should clearly present a moral question or argument.

• 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 2023 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 the Quaester of Societas Ethica Dr. Johanna Ohlsson at johanna.ohlsson@teol.uu.se

While registrations to the conference will open in February 2023, important dates for proposal submissions are as follows:

• Deadline for Abstract Submissions: December 20th, 2022

• Notification of Accepted Papers: By February 23th, 2023

• Deadline for Registration: May 19th, 2023

• Deadline for payment: June 16th, 2023

• Conference Date: August 24-27th, 2023 

If the paper is accepted by the board members, you are kindly asked to register for the conference. Conference costs cover accommodation in a conference hotel (including breakfast), most meals and a city tour with the conference dinner. Costs will amount to 480€ (for members of Societas Ethica: 400€); speakers are not exempted. Minor adjustments of the amount might take place.  

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 the conference theme. The editors encourage the participants to submit their articles by November 30th, 2023. 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/