Organized by: Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy
Location: Woodbrookershuis, Barchem, The Netherlands
Deadline EXTENDED to June 22, 2012

Description: Climate Change, population growths, scarcity of natural resources and various ecological challenges are increasingly influencing the political debates about the future. The international political institutions seem not to be able to take measures to implement a sustainable politics. Climate change is not only a challenge for technology but a challenge for political institutions and the structure of economy. But furthermore climate change is challenging our social relationships and moral convictions. Distribution of the burdens of a sustainable politics between the rich and the poor countries seems to be a severe obstacle for effective political changes. The right of the global poor to a development seems to be endangered by sustainability. And moral responsibility for future generations seems to ask for changes of all our moral frameworks. Why should we see ourselves moral obliged towards future generations? How would our moral obligations look like if we would have to grant future generations a right to a decent standard of living? Is such a scope of responsibility not over-demanding for the contemporaries? What kind of motivation should we have to see us obliged too such an extent? How can we determine moral obligations with regard to the future if we can hardly oversee the consequences of our current political decisions? The summer school wants to offer a forum for PhD-students and early postdoc’s that are interested in the field of environmental ethics to discuss a broad range of perspective.

Summer School Faculty:

• Deryck Beyleveld (Durham,/ Utrecht University)
• Marc Davidson (University of Amsterdam)
• Marcus Düwell (Utrecht University)
• Axel Gosseries (Louvain-la Neuve)
• Lukas Meyer (Graz University)
• Martin Peterson (TU Eindhoven)
• May Thorseth (Trondhem)
• Herwig Unnerstall (Hofgeismar)
• Kerri Woods (York)

How to apply: Please send an e-mail to ozse@ethics.uu.nl with your contact details (email address, telephone number and postal address), a brief description of your academic background  (previous education, etc.) (max. 300 words), and a brief description of your PhD project (max. 500 words). (If your application is accepted, your contact information and the description of your research project will be included in the reader for the Summer School). When the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, we will make a selection on the basis of the relevance of the topic for the student’s dissertation. You will be notified within two weeks after the deadline for application whether your application to the summer school has been accepted.

Preparation: As this is a short and intensive course, active participation by the students is required. Participants are expected to study the reader containing the articles that have been selected for the course in advance. Tutorials with the teaching staff are part of the program. All participants will give a presentation on (part of) their PhD project.

Costs: The summer school is sponsored by The Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy (OZSE), which will cover part of the costs for participation of all the participants. Participants pay a contribution of 475 euro (based on a number of 4 nights). Private room, all meals included. PhD-students of the Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy pay the reduced price of 375 euro. The participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements.

Contacts:

• Frederike Kaldewaij (coordinator Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy)
• Judith Zijm (secretary Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy)
• Email: ozse@ethics.uu.nl
  Phone: +31-30 253 5943
  Janskerkhof 13A
  3512 BL Utrecht
  The Netherlands