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Conference Announcement Theme: Liberal Wars Subtitle: Strategy, History, Ideology Type: International Conference Institution: University of Reading Location: Reading (United Kingdom) Date: 6.–7.7.2012 __________________________________________________ Liberalism is not pacifism. The major 'liberal' – states that attach importance, at least internally, to individual autonomy – have frequently been willing to use military force; they have also, on occasion, fought aggressive wars of choice. But liberal ideology and practice are not at ease with military adventures: war of its very nature involves attacks on life; it usually requires some kind of trade-off between security and liberty; and it encourages a warrior ethos that draws upon non-liberal motivations. On July 6-7 2012, the University of Reading's Leverhulme-supported Major Research Programme 'The Liberal Way of War' will host a conference concerned with the past, present, and future of 'Liberal Wars'. It will be concerned with the constraints on liberal belligerent states arising from their liberal commitments, the tensions between liberal professions and the realities of large-scale warfare, and the way that such states represent their actions to themselves. The speakers include scholars with backgrounds in History, Law, International Relations, Strategic Studies, or Political Theory. Papers will, amongst other things, address the following questions: - How do liberals justify fighting? - What constraints do they respect? - Have those constraints been changing over time? - Has behaviour that flouts those constraints been counterproductive? - How do liberal wars end? - Are there ideological reasons for recent wars of choice? Registration The price for the conference is £20 per day. The deadline for registration is 8 May 2012. To register for the conference please use the booking forms on the congerence website: http://www.reading.ac.uk/spirs/Leverhulme/Liberalwars.aspx Contact: Liberal Way of War Conference Room 305, HumSS Building University of Reading Whiteknights Reading, RG6 6AH United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)118 378 8501 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.reading.ac.uk/spirs/Leverhulme/Liberalwars.aspx __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
