WORKSHOP: OUGHTS AND CANS FOR GROUPS

Commonsense suggests that what we ought to do is somehow constrained or conditioned by what we can do or what is feasible. Yet it remains unclear how we should understand this requirement and its constituents in the case of groups - especially relatively unstructured groups. This is a significant gap in our understanding given the central role that such groups play in social and political life. The current workshop will bring together leading scholars working on and around this topic.

Dates: Thursday 2 August and Friday 3 August 2018

Location: MacDonald Room, Menzies Library, ANU

Provisional Schedule

Thursday 2 August 2018

9:20-9:30

Welcome and Introduction

9:30-10:45

Talk 1: Douglas Portmore (Arizona State), “The best world that it is feasible for us to produce”

10:45-11:15

Coffee break

11:15-12:30

Talk 2: Stephanie Collins (ACU), “Abilities for non-agent groups”

12:30-13:30

Lunch break

13:30-14:45

Talk 3: Brian Hedden (Sydney), “Reasons, coherence, and group rationality”

14:45-15:00

Coffee break

15:00-16:15

Talk 4: Christian Barry (ANU), “An indirect argument for the responsibilities of individuals in collective harm cases"

16:15-16:30

Break

16:30-17:45

Talk 5: Bill Wringe (Bilkent), “Deliberative oughts, prescriptive oughts and ‘ought implies can' for non-agent collectives”

18:00-

Drinks at the Wig & Pen followed by a dinner (location Sammy's)

Friday 3 August 2018

9:30-10:45

Talk 6: Holly Lawford-Smith (Melbourne/ANU), “Collective responsibility revisited”

10:45-11:15

Coffee break

11:15-12:30

Talk 7: Matt Kopec (ANU), “The problem of overlapping group oughts”

12:30-13:30

Lunch break

13:30-14:45

Talk 8: David Schweikard (Europa), “Collective abilities and mutual obligations”

14:45-15:15

Coffee break

15:15-16:30

Talk 9: Nicholas Southwood (ANU), “’Yes we can!’ Feasibility for unstructured groups”

17:00-

Drinks at the Wig & Pen followed by a dinner (location Banana Leaf)