In Dependent Rational Animals (1999) Alasdair MacIntyre articulates the specific difference between human beings and other “rational animals” in terms of a distinct mode of practical reason, made possible by linguistic capacities, which enables the human beings to distance themselves from and adopt a critical stance toward their desires. MacIntyre considers this distancing to be a fundamental condition of the human journey toward goods and the Good. 

In order to take account of the questions raised by MacIntyre’s work, considering its broad scope and variety, papers that focus on one or more of the following themes with reference to differing traditions of research will be particularly welcome: 

• Alternative conceptions of practical reason and their respective modes of discourse.
• The inter-subjective nature of practical reason.
• Practical reason and ideology.
• Practical reason in human beings and animals.
• Rethinking practical reason in the light of the relationship between human beings and machines.
• Practical reason and Artificial Intelligence. 
• Practical reason and new media technologies. 
• The education of practical reason.

The approach to these questions will be focused and interdisciplinary, and will draw upon various research streams such as, moral philosophy, social theory, political philosophy, philosophy of mind, philosophy of law, theology, bio-ethics, bio-politics, sociology, psychology, and pedagogy. 

We invite proposals for papers to be presented at the conference. Proposals of no more than 300 words should be sent as an email attachment to [email protected].