Call: “Toronto Workshop on Moral Psychology and Moral Theory”

Organized by Andrew Sepielli, the “Toronto Workshop on Moral Psychology and Moral Theory” will take place at the University of Toronto from November 7 to 8, 2026.

Submissions for contributions can be submitted until July 1, 2026. The call reads:

The workshop aims to bring together philosophers, psychologists, and legal scholars working on questions about the relationship between empirical research on moral cognition and the foundations of moral theory. The goal is to foster interdisciplinary discussion about how empirical work in fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory bears on moral judgment and the evaluation of moral beliefs.

Invited speakers include:

• Paul Bloom (Psychology, University of Toronto / Yale University)
• Joshua Knobe (Philosophy and Psychology, Yale University)
• Liane Young (Psychology, Boston College)
• Roseanna Sommers (Law and Psychology, University of Michigan)
• Brendan de Kenessey (Philosophy, University of Toronto)

We invite submissions addressing topics at the intersection of empirical research and moral theory. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

• experimental philosophy
• the psychology of moral cognition
• causal cognition and moral judgment
• the neuroscience of moral judgment
• evolutionary approaches to morality
• empirical work bearing on normative ethics or metaethics
• methodological questions about the role of empirical research in moral theory
• debunking arguments and related challenges to moral belief

Five contributed papers will be selected. Contributed talks will consist of a 45-minute presentation followed by 45 minutes of discussion. The workshop is designed to be discussion-focused, with substantial time devoted to questions and conversation about each paper.

We welcome submissions from scholars in philosophy, psychology, law, and related disciplines. Submissions from early-career scholars are especially encouraged.

Submission Guidelines:

Please submit an abstract of 750–1000 words, along with a brief CV, to: [email protected] 

Submissions should not be anonymized.

Important Dates:

Submission deadline: July 1, 2026

Notification of decisions: August 1, 2026

Limited support for travel and accommodation may be available.

Questions about the workshop may be directed to the conference organizer, Andrew Sepielli (Philosophy, University of Toronto), at: [email protected]

Proto-thought:

Bigotry should not be outlawed. Specifically feelings of bigotry. Because all humans will always be bigoted to some level or another.

What should be punished should be unfair and unjust actions motivated by bigotry.

Let people feel bigoted, it cannot be prevented. What can be managed though, are harmful actions motivated by bigotry.

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As usual with proto-thought, this needs deeper analysis and more thought.

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#fzThinkingOutLoud #bigotry #society #socialInteraction #law #norms #culture

The #truth #lies
in the #middle #way
where #souls #twirl
to #fading #moon
Where the #sage and the #fool #swoon
in #ecstatic trance

#Whirl with me
through the #bleak #sandstorms
We will reach
#beyond #norms
where everything is nothing
#unwinding all #Time

https://geethaprodhom.wordpress.com/2016/06/14/unwinding-all-time/

If you are going to threaten judges, maybe the United States of America is not a nation for you. I'm sure there are others where that is acceptable - perhaps those prone to violence should move there instead of sticking around here.

#politicalviolence #deaththreats #norms