Workshop "Moral Theories and Disaster" (Presov, May 2015)
University of Presov, Faculty of Arts
COST Action IS1201 Workshop, 13th – 15th May 2015
General Information
Joint workshop organized in co-operation between COST Action IS1201 on Disaster Bioethics and the Institute of Ethics and Bioethics, University of Prešov, Slovakia.
The aim of the workshop is to stimulate discussion on moral theories and their usefulness and role in disasters and disaster relief situations. The outcome of the workshop will be an edited book volume or a special issue of a journal which would present and compare different moral theories for use in disaster bioethics. The workshop will bring together scholars with research interests in moral theories and disaster bioethics.
Workshop Background and Description
Despite scientific and technological developments, contemporary societies are often afflicted by catastrophes and disasters. The earthquake and tsunami that occurred in East Japan in 2011, the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, hurricane Katrina in the USA in 2005, or the earthquakes in Turkey and in Greece in 1999 are just a few examples of current environmental disasters. But disasters need not have only of a natural cause. People in various parts of the world have suffered the so-called social disasters ranging from transportation accidents, civil wars, terrorist acts, to sudden unemployment and unforeseeable, debilitating financial conditions. Sometimes disasters involve both natural and human causes at the same time. In any case, disasters are very complex and unpredictable situations with far-reaching consequences which affect a wide population.
Disaster bioethics, a new discipline approaching these issues, has been recently formed to evaluate and analyze these complex and difficult cases of disasters and the matters of how to respond ethically to them. To date, scientists and professionals from various disciplines involved with the subject matter have reflected on the ethical norms and principles which could help to answer the ethical challenges of disasters and disaster relief actions. Policy-makers, medical and humanitarian professionals, environmental scientists, etc. have already worked and contributed to this vibrant discussion.
Despite the moral complexity of this problem, an in-depth analysis of the role of moral theories in disasters and disaster relief has not yet developed. In order to address these vital issues and analyze their complexity, we are organizing a workshop on Moral theories and Disaster. The aim of the workshop will be to examine disasters and disaster relief through different theoretical approaches, i.e. virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism, non-utilitarian consequentialism, ethics of care, phenomenology, etc. The topics are expected to draw equally on the different moral theories and on the complexity of disasters and disaster relief situations. The workshop will also emphasise the practical implementation of moral theories in disasters and disaster relief situations.
Programme
Wednesday May 13th
| 13:30-15:00 | Registration and Welcome Coffee |
| 15:00-15:30 |
Opening Remarks Vasil Gluchman, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, University of Presov, Slovakia |
| 15:30-17:00 |
Conflict in Ukraine from the perspective of neighborhood countries Alexander Duleba, University of Presov, Slovakia
|
| 17:00-17:30 | Discussion |
Thursday May 14th
| 09:00-10:30 |
First Session (2 Speakers) Speakers: |
| 10:30-11:00 | Coffee Break |
| 11:00-12:30 |
Second Session (2 speakers) Speakers: |
| 12:30-14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00-16:15 |
Third Session (3 speakers) Speakers: |
| 16:15-16:30 | Coffee Break |
| 16:30-18:00 |
Fourth Session (2 speakers) Speakers: |
| 19:00 | Conference Dinner |
Friday May 15th
| 09:00-11:15 |
Fifth Session (3 speakers) Speakers: Chair: Katarina Komenska |
| 11:15-11:45 |
Closing Remarks over Coffee Vasil Gluchman, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, University of Presov, Slovakia |
| 12:00-17:00 | Trip to the Refugee Centre in Humenné Note: Stopping by for lunch on the way |
Download the programme as pdf here.
Abstracts
You can download a collection of the presentations' abstracts here (pdf).
Published Workshop Results
A number of papers presented during the workshop has been published (open access) by the Journal "Human Affairs". You can access them via http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/humaff.2016.26.issue-1/issue-files/humaff.2016.26.issue-1.xml
Group Photo
