Conference Announcement "The Practice of Law-making and the Problem of Difference" International Conference in Social and Political Philosophy Philosophy Department, University of Guelph Guelph, Ont. (Canada) 13-14 November 2004
This conference is an international and interdisciplinary gathering focusing on the theme of The Practice of Law-making and the Problem of Difference. The increasing diversity of liberal-democratic states and corresponding demands of recognition have forced political theorists of various camps to reformulate their account of how to approach the goal of solidarity. Despite variation in their accounts, the majority of these theorists hold that modern constitutions can recognize and accommodate cultural diversity. For example, liberal culturalists speak about common history and language and shared law-making as the ties that bind us in multicultural societies; critical theorists speak about the principle of universalization in constitutional norms that are sensitive to difference by virtue of procedures of law-making; and minority rights theorists invoke constitutional conventions of mutual recognition, continuity, and consent in order to accommodate cultural diversity in contemporary societies. Hence, one can speak of a convergence of political ideas around the thesis of constitution-making in diverse societies as capable of fostering solidarity. Our aim in this conference is to further explore these different perspectives, and to consider their areas of agreement and disagreement. Participants include some of the most important and influential writers on questions of constitutionalism and diversity, including James Tully, ill Kymlicka, Andrew Arato, Jeremy Waldron, Charles Taylor, Michel Rosenfeld, Douglas Moggach, Thomas McCarthy, Courtney Jung, Melissa Williams, Kenneth Baynes, Simone Chambers. Contact: Prof. Omid Payrow Shabani Philosophy Department University of Guelph N1G2W1 Guelph, ON. Canada Phone +1 (519) 824-4120 x 53201 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/spp/ _________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org/ Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://agd.polylog.org/cal/
