Inclusivity and Ethics

Ethical theorists often take positions, whether by accident or on purpose, that entail strong divisions in who (or what) counts as having moral status. Whether in respect of marginalized groups, future generations, or impersonal entities (like the environment), concerns of inclusivity are at the forefront of contemporary ethical discussions. These discussions may take place on the more abstract level of meta-ethics, as certain theories may distribute moral agency on the basis of rational capacities that non-human animals—and some humans (e.g., very young children)—arguably lack. They may take place on the level of normative theories that only grant moral status to conscious entities that can be made more or less well-off, a consideration that means it is not possible to act in morally wrongful ways towards non-conscious entities. And perhaps paradigmatically, theories can fail to be inclusive by omitting or trivializing the concerns of marginalized groups, often because they are left out of the institutions and knowledge-making processes that set the agenda for academic debates. To reflect on 'inclusivity' as a philosophical theme is not only to reflect on the abstract commitments that make a moral theory more or less inclusive, but also to reflect on the specific concerns and applied cases that our discussions have failed to include.

Short info

• Dates: 10th - 12th July 2023
• Location: Department of Philosophy (University of Vienna), NIG, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
• Link to PhilEvents

Application

Applicants are asked to send the following documents:

• a short academic CV
• an abstract for a ten minute presentation (approx. 150 words) that does not contain your name or any identifying information.

Please send the completed application to summerschool.philosophie@univie.ac.at until May 26, 2023.

We strongly encourage PhD researchers working in all areas of philosophy and neighbouring disciplines (e.g., gender studies, sociology, queer theory, or medicine) to apply. If numbers allow, we may consider applications from advanced masters students and early-stage postdocs.

There is no application fee. Once your proposal is accepted, participants will be required to pay an administration fee of €21,20.