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Call for Papers "Climate Change and Philosophy at the Tipping Point" International Conference Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, University of Lancaster Lancaster (United Kingdom) 28-29 March 2011 __________________________________________________ Anthropogenic global warming is certainly occurring. Over the coming decades, one of the key issues that will face humanity is how to deal with it. This conference asks: Is it now too late to stop runaway climate change? Or are we still in with a chance? Either way, can philosophy help? Hitherto, philosophical concern with these matters, whether in ethics or in other areas of the discipline, has overwhelmingly assumed its practical context to be the need to avoid seriously adverse environmental consequences of global warming. But voices are now increasingly to be heard in the policy domain, suggesting that the question is no longer how we avoid such consequences, but how we go on hoping and acting after the recognition that they are coming. If that is right, very large ethical and epistemological issues (at least) may need to be re-thought. What different senses might we have to make of obligation, justice, the scope of scientific knowledge and the nature of humanity in a decisively warming world? Or are these questions still premature? - is there still philosophical work to be done which could help avert such outcomes. We believe it is time to confront philosophy directly with these challenges. The topic is of key public concern and the conference will also be open to interested members of the public. Confirmed Speakers Prof John O'Neill (Manchester) Markets, justice and climate change Dr Rupert Read (UEA) The very idea of 'sustainability': a conceptual investigation Dr James Garvey (Royal Institute of Philosophy) Ethics and Action on Climate Change John Foster (Lancaster) After illusion: realism, philosophy and hope in a seriously warming world Call for papers Papers on the topic of the workshop are invited from both graduate students and established academics. Each paper will be given 45 minutes for presentation and discussion. The conference will be open to the wider public, so accessibility of papers is at a premium. Please email a 500-word abstract to John Foster ([email protected]) by 14 January 2010. Registration Please email John Foster ([email protected]) to reserve a place for this workshop. There is no registration fee. Funded by the Royal Institute of Philosophy and Society for Applied Philosophy. Contact: John Foster, Research Fellow in Philosophy Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion County South Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YL United Kingdom Tel: +44 1524 592655 Fax: +44 1524 592503 Email: [email protected] __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
