University of Nottingham
16-17 July 2024
Generously sponsored by the Analysis Trust, the British Society for the History of Philosophy, the Aristotelian Society, and the Society for Applied Philosophy
Organisers: Dr Ellie Robson and Dr Ian James Kidd
This conference will be the first dedicated to exploring Mary Midgley’s (1919-2018) moral philosophy. Midgley was a distinguished British philosopher and an authority on animal and environmental ethics (among other things). A recent renewal of historical interest in her work has come from her association with a group of 20th century women philosophers known as the ‘Wartime Quartet’ (Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, Elisabeth Anscombe and Midgley).
Across the seventy years and over two hundred publications of her career, Midgley developed a rich moral vision that encompassed our relations to one another, non-human animals, and the natural world. This vision is informed by the history of Western moral and political philosophy, ethology and other sciences, and a wider range of influences, from Gaia theory to Buddhism.
This is a hybrid event – we meet in-person, but will offer online participation, for attendees and speakers; of course, speakers can decline to have their talk broadcast online.
Keynote speakers:
- Dr Clare MacCumhaill (University of Durham)
- Professor Gregory McElwain (College of Idaho)
- Professor Benjamin Lipscomb (Houghton University)
Contributed speakers:
- Dr Hannah Winther (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)
- Professor Jonathan Floyd (University of Bristol)
- Dr Elizabeth Macintosh (University of Winchester)
Schedule
Day One
Tuesday 16th
Location: A21 Trent Council Room
10:00-11:30 Keynote 1 - Clare MacCumhaill (Durham) - Games, Grammar, and the Practically Nonsensical in Anscombe and Midgley
11:30 Break
12.00-13.00 Jonathan Floyd (Bristol) - Public Political Philosophy
13.00 -14.00 Lunch
14.00- 15:30 Ellie Robson (Nottingham) – Aristotelian Ethics in Midgley and Stebbing
15:30 Break
16.00-17:00 Elizabeth Macintosh (Winchester) - Midgley's Legacy: Rerouting and Remapping the Landscape of Bioethics
Day Two
Wednesday 17th
Location: C14 Monica Partridge Building
10:00-11:30 Keynote 3 - Greg McElwain (The College of Idaho) – Environmental and Animal Ethics
11:30 Break
12.00-13.00 Hannah Winther (NTNU) - Beasts, Brutes, and New Monsters virtual presentation
13.00 -14.00 Lunch
14.00- 15:30 Ian James Kidd (Nottingham) – Wickedness and Misanthropy
15:30 Break
16.00-17:30 Keynote 3 - Benjamin Lipscomb (Houghton) – Midgley on Wickedness and Evil - virtual presentation
Accessibility
There is no registration fee. Coffee and tea will be provided, as will lunch, all-vegan. The conference dinner is optional. At the registration stage, we will communicate, to those attending in person, the details of the catering, the restaurants we’ll be eating at (including costs, menus and any tipping expectations), and details and costs of travel (for instance, if we need to get the tram or bus into town). We will do our best to accommodate the unwaged and underwaged.
Conference themes will include:
- Midgley’s contributions to applied ethical topics including animal ethics and environmental philosophy.
- Midgley’s own moral views and the relevant topics and themes.
- Midgley’s influence on moral philosophy and meta-philosophy.
- Midgley’s criticisms of mainstream approaches in philosophical ethics.
- Midgley’s place in the history of philosophy as a member of the Wartime Quartet, as a woman philosopher, and as a major figure in the history of British public philosophy.
Analysis Trust Bursaries
Thanks to the generosity of the Analysis Trust, we can offer two bursaries to be distributed between postgraduate attendees without institutional support, and under-employed recent postgraduates – to cover (partially or fully) travel and accommodation costs. If you wish to apply for one of these.
To apply for this, please include in the same document as your abstract:
- Your name, email address, working PhD title, PhD supervisor’s name and email address
- a statement to explain your need for the bursary (approx. 200 words)
This event will be complaint with the BPA-SWIP Good Practice Scheme.
Contact
Any questions, email Ian at [email protected].
