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Call for Papers Theme: Justice Type: Asian Conference on Ethics, Religion and Philosophy 2016 (ACERP2016) Institution: International Academic Forum (IAFOR) Location: Kobe (Japan) Date: 31.3.–3.4.2016 Deadline: 1.12.2015 __________________________________________________ Justice is one of, if not the most challenging, controversial and complex but also universal concepts at the root of all philosophical, ethical and religious discourse. From ancient times it was a practical challenge to all emerging forms of excessive authority. The Hebrew prophet Amos (c 800 BCE) called for justice to flow like a mighty river (Amos 5:24). The Greek term dikaiosunei was the central issue in Plato’s theory of the state. Jesus of Nazareth instructed his disciples to seek the Kingdom of God and its “justice” (dokaiosunei: St. Matthew 6:33). Justitia was basic to the Roman view of the world: “fiat justitia, ruat caelum,” (may there be justice though the heavens fall). The famous 1217 Magna Carta, agreed to by King John of England still forms an important symbol of liberty to the present day, often cited by politicians and campaigners, and is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities. Lord Denning described it as “the greatest constitutional document of all times – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot.” Western law and jurisprudence owe a great deal to it. In modern times, Professor John Rawls revitalized the debate about the nature of justice in his masterpiece Theory of Justice New York: Bellknap Press, 1971 in which he linked justice with fairness in an attempt to redefine the concept in the democratic tradition. Modern theories of retributive justice are concerned with punishment for wrongdoing. That debate as to how to deal with deviant behavior remains. Public hanging, for example, as a deterrent punishment in Britain did not end until the early 20th century. The death penalty remained in force until its abolition for murder in 1965 and finally in all circumstances in 1998. Currently debated alongside older theories of retributive and distributive justice are the more controversial theories of restorative justice (also sometimes called “reparative justice”) that focus on the needs of victims and offenders. The controversy about what is justice remains elusive and enigmatic. Some of the obvious questions to be asked are how these theories relate to the modern world. A drone aircraft that causes substantial collateral damage is whose responsibility? The designer who intended it for destructive purposes, the military command that deployed it or the individual at the computer that set it in motion? If a war crime is committed, how is the issue of justice to be handled? Is restorative justice as a system within which convicted criminals confront their victims realistic or even fair to either side? What would constitute “justice” in the commercial sphere? How can the notion of distributive justice be applied? People engaging financial crimes that impoverish thousands, many of who may invest in “ethical” businesses, are inflicting damage not merely on their customers, but also on innocent dependents. What punishment is fit for this? Is the idea of justice as fairness itself not merely a tautology that avoids the question altogether? This selection of problems and themes call for perpetual reflection, and we are confident that this theme will excite a number of new research avenues, and we look forward to this being an intellectually stimulating, enlightening and “powerful” event. The organizers encourage submissions that approach the theme of Justice from a variety of perspectives. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions within and across a variety of interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Submissions are organized in to the following thematic streams: Philosophy: - Philosophy and Religion - Philosophy and the Arts - Philosophy and Public Policy - Philosophy and Technology - Philosophy and Culture - Philosophy and Education - Philosophy and Peace Studies - Comparative Philosophy - Linguistics, Language and Philosophy Ethics: - Medical Ethics - Business and Management Ethics - Ethics in Education - Ethics, Law, and Justice - Ethics and Globalization - Ethics and Science - Comparative Ethics - Linguistics, Language and Ethics Religion: - Theism and Atheism - Feminism and Religious Traditions - Religion and Education - Religion and Peace Studies - Mysticism, Faith, and Scientific Culture - Interfaith Dialogue - Comparative Religion - Linguistics, Language and Religion Interdisciplinary: - Conflict Resolution and Mediation Studies Abstract Submission Process In order to present at the conference, your abstract must first pass a double blind peer review. Upon payment of registration fees, your presentation will be confirmed. Deadlines - Abstracts submission: December 1, 2015 - Results of abstract reviews returned to authors: Usually within two weeks of submission - Full conference registration payment for all presenters: March 1, 2016 - Full paper submission: May 3, 2016 How to Submit - Register with our online submission system: http://iafor.org/iafor/iafor-submission-system/login.php - Create your account. Your email address will be used as your username and you will be asked to submit a password. - Submit your abstract of no more than 250 words, choosing from the presentation formats listed below (Individual, Poster or Virtual). - Submit well before the submission deadline in order to benefit from Early Bird rates. - Your proposal will normally be reviewed within two to three weeks after undergoing a double blind peer review. Those who submit near the December 1, 2015 deadline will usually receive results by December 15, 2015. - If your proposal is accepted you will be invited to register for the conference. Upon payment of the registration fee, you will be sent a confirmation email receipt. Status of Submission - The status of your abstract can be checked by logging in to the online submission system. The status will be displayed in the "Your Submissions" area. If your paper is accepted, a notification email will be sent to the registered email address. If you have not been able to find an answer to your question, please contact us at: [email protected] Conference website: http://iafor.org/conferences/acerp2016/ __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
