Summer School in Philosophy and Society: The Right to Be Loved, 21-30 August 2017, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Love and morality connect and conflict in various ways. On the one hand, both are manifestations of the deeply social nature of human beings, and in many traditions moral wisdom is interpreted in terms of love for humanity. On the other hand,  love flourishes above all within a personal and intimate relationship, while morality is essentially impartial and therefore often thought of as impersonal. Philosophers are therefore divided over the question whether the loving standpoint and the moral standpoint are compatible. During the summer school we will seek a better understanding of the problem by addressing at least the following questions:

• Is it possible to wrong someone by not loving him or her?
• Can there be a duty to love?
• Are moral attitudes different in nature from loving attitudes?
• How does love relate to moral norms?

With

• lectures by leading international philosophers working in the analytic tradition (Stephen Darwall, Maureen Sie, Carrie Jenkins (live streaming), Matthew S. Liao (live streaming) and others TBC).
• reading seminars on canonical texts and recent articles by amongst others Susan Wolf, Stephen Darwall, Bernard Williams, Edward Harcourt, Carrie Jenkins, Maureen Sie, Harry Frankfurt, Patricia Churchland, Jeanette Kennett, R. Jay Wallace, Michael Smith, Matthew S. Liao, and David Velleman.
• evening programme of films dedicated to the analysis of the relationship between love and morality

The course is mainly targeted at Master students in philosophy, but also open to PhD students in philosophy or in a closely related field. At the time of participating  in the summer school, participants should have at least completed 3 full years of undergraduate education (Bachelor level).

Study credits (ECTS)

To keep the minds fresh and to maximise interaction, a wide variety of fun and interesting social activities will be organised during evenings and weekends so participants can make the most of their stay in Antwerp.

Participants will not only have the opportunity to get to know their fellow class-mates and staff in a more informal way, but will also be able to get in touch with peers attending other summer schools at the Antwerp Summer University. A visit to the beautiful city hall, a networking reception, a guided city walk, a quiz night, a football game and a day-trip to another Belgian city such as Bruges or Brussels are only some examples of these activities.

All activities of the social programme are offered free of charge, in some cases participants will be asked for a deposit which will be reimbursed upon participation to the activity.

Application procedure in 4 steps

1. Register in Mobility Online
2. Fill in personal details ,complete some extra questions and upload required documents
3. Wait for approval of your application (notification of approval within 14 days)
4. Pay the participation fee within 10 days after approval to secure your spot

Applications can be submitted by filling in the online registration form via Mobility Online. After having registered, you will automatically receive an email with further guidelines to complete your application.

Application deadline: May 28 (early bird) and June 25 2017

Required documents for Bachelor and Master students: Applicants are expected to submit a brief CV (1 page, with a focus on education, study results and the topic of Bachelor and/or Master theses) and a cover letter (250 words, detailing the applicant’s particular skills and qualities, motivation and interest in the course). Notification of selection results within 14 days.

Required documents for PhD candidates: Applicants are expected to submit a paper proposal (max. 250 words) to be presented at the summer school, a brief CV (max. 2 pages, containing education, affiliation, PhD research topic and a list of selected publications, working papers and/or presentations) and a cover letter (250 words, detailing skills and qualities, motivation and interest in the course). Notification within 14 days.

Upon successful submission you will receive an automatic reply to confirm your application. You will be informed about the results of selection within 14 workings days. In case your application is accepted, you will receive an email with more practical information on payment and visa.  Note that your subscription is only valid when the participation fee is received by the summer school’s secretariat.

Accepted students will be registered as regular students of the University of Antwerp and will hence receive a student account and a student card with which they will have access to the catering facilities and to the Wi-Fi network of the University of Antwerp. Furthermore, accepted students will be automatically insured under the policy of the University of Antwerp.

Registration fee