March 26-28, 2017

The Common Good as a Common Project is a graduate student conference sponsored by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.

Keynote speakers:

• Alasdair MacINTYRE, University of Notre Dame
• Jean-Luc MARION, University of Chicago and the Sorbonne
• Jean PORTER, University of Notre Dame
• Emilie TARDIVEL-SCHICK, Institut Catholique de Paris

The common good enjoys a central place in classical and Christian social thought. Although the concept is frequently invoked in both theological and political discourse, its rhetorical use is rarely connected to a more satisfying theory of its form or content. When rigorously conceived, however, the common good has ramifications for nearly all social inquiry, both empirical and theoretical. The resurgence of interest in the principle of the common good demands a two-fold conversation: one part building a conception of the common good that moves beyond vague or platitudinous gestures and the other applying the principle to social questions in a rigorous and intelligent way. This conference aims to embody that conversation across the many disciplines which can view the common good as their common project.

We invite both theoretical and applied papers that address key questions about the common good: Is the common good still relevant today? Which conception of the common good best illuminates our understanding of politics, ethics, economics, and other social institutions? What arrangements in family life, civil society, and politics will best foster the common good? Submissions are welcome from the perspective of any discipline of social inquiry, including but not limited to: philosophy, theology, political science, sociology, economics, history, and law. The conference will be structured to foster exchange among competing theoretical conceptions of the common good as well as debate about the application of these conceptions to particular disciplines and moral/social/political problems.

PLEASE SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT OF NO MORE THAN 300 WORDS BY NOVEMBER 15, 2016 TO CG2017@ND.EDU.

NOTICES OF ACCEPTANCE WILL BE SENT BY DECEMBER 6, 2016.  SCHOLARS OF ANY RANK OR EXPERIENCE ARE WELCOME TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, BUT SOME PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO SUBMISSIONS FROM GRADUATE STUDENTS.

All presenters at the conference will receive a private hotel room for two nights during the conference as well as a small stipend of up to $150 to help defray documented transportation expenses. There is also a limited fund to further assist those who may be traveling from abroad; such funds will be awarded upon request, based on availability. For more information, please email us at the above address or visit the conference website at nanovic.nd.edu/cg2017.