LU konference
The recent studies in cognitive sciences have raised a number of issues concerning the essence of morality judgement: how is morality related to emotions? Has the ability to make moral judgements developed as a result of evolution? What processes occur in brain when making moral judgements and choices? What is the significance of empirical studies in building our understanding of morality? The symposium was a great opportunity to learn more about the opinion of and discussions among leading specialists.
The symposium was opened with a lecture Sentimentalism Naturalized by Jesse Prinz, professor of the City University of New York. By applying empirical examples taken from experimental philosophy and studies of cognitive sciences, he examined the impact of emotions on moral judgements. J. Prinz made a statement that emotions are not only strongly linked to our moral judgements, but serve also as essential preconditions to these judgements. The recorded interview with J. Prinz is available at vimeo.com/23813083
The symposium was concluded with a lecture The Evolution of Morality? by professor Stephen Stich from Rutgers University, USA. The central thesis of his lecture was a statement that there exist certain psychological mechanisms developed during evolution, which motivate people to judge or obey others, thus building fundamentals to moral judgements. The speeches at the symposium’s plenar session were delivered by Michael Bishop, well-known professor of epistemology and the philosopy of mind at Florida State University, USA, and Edouard Machery, promising representative of experimental philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, USA, as well as many other researchers in moral psychology. In parallel sections there were presentations on recent studies in experimental philosophy and discussions about moral responsibility concept from the point of cognitive sciences, as well as the link between moral judgement and emotions. Altogether, the symposium was attended by more than 100 representatives of cognitive and other sciences from Latvia, USA, Canada, Australia and Western Europe. Some of the lectures after a careful selection and reviewing will be published in the Baltic International Yearbook of Cognition, Logic and Communication (www.thebalticyearbook.org), which will be partly financed by ERAF project Support to the UL International Cooperation Projects and Other International Cooperation Activities in Science and Technologies.
Translated by students of the professional study programme Translator of the University of Latvia.
The symposium was opened with a lecture Sentimentalism Naturalized by Jesse Prinz, professor of the City University of New York. By applying empirical examples taken from experimental philosophy and studies of cognitive sciences, he examined the impact of emotions on moral judgements. J. Prinz made a statement that emotions are not only strongly linked to our moral judgements, but serve also as essential preconditions to these judgements. The recorded interview with J. Prinz is available at vimeo.com/23813083
The symposium was concluded with a lecture The Evolution of Morality? by professor Stephen Stich from Rutgers University, USA. The central thesis of his lecture was a statement that there exist certain psychological mechanisms developed during evolution, which motivate people to judge or obey others, thus building fundamentals to moral judgements. The speeches at the symposium’s plenar session were delivered by Michael Bishop, well-known professor of epistemology and the philosopy of mind at Florida State University, USA, and Edouard Machery, promising representative of experimental philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, USA, as well as many other researchers in moral psychology. In parallel sections there were presentations on recent studies in experimental philosophy and discussions about moral responsibility concept from the point of cognitive sciences, as well as the link between moral judgement and emotions. Altogether, the symposium was attended by more than 100 representatives of cognitive and other sciences from Latvia, USA, Canada, Australia and Western Europe. Some of the lectures after a careful selection and reviewing will be published in the Baltic International Yearbook of Cognition, Logic and Communication (www.thebalticyearbook.org), which will be partly financed by ERAF project Support to the UL International Cooperation Projects and Other International Cooperation Activities in Science and Technologies.
Translated by students of the professional study programme Translator of the University of Latvia.