CFP: The Ethical Foundations of Public Policy

Victoria University of Wellington: 10-11 December 2009 | CFP: 12 June 2009

From their CFP:

A major conference on the Ethical Foundations of Public Policy will be held in Wellington (New Zealand) on the 10th and 11th of December. It is being hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies (School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington), in association with the Philosophy Programme (Victoria University of Wellington) and the Centre for Theology and Public Issues (University of Otago), and sponsored by the ANZSOG Trust. The conference will be opened by Rt Hon Bill English (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance), with closing remarks by Iain Rennie (the State Services Commissioner).

The purpose of the event is to encourage and facilitate debate about the ethical basis for policy making, both in terms of the principles that should inform the behaviour of individual policy analysts and decision makers and the normative considerations that should guide choices over the substantive content of particular policies. To help achieve this objective, the conference will bring together policy makers (i.e. politicians, government officials, political advisers, etc.) and academics/researchers working in a range of disciplines, including economics, law, philosophy, politics, religious studies and theology. Five specific sub-themes have been identified for particular attention: the ethics of advice giving; the ethics of decision making; the nature of justice; protecting the global commons; and measuring progress.

A significant number of internationally-recognized scholars and politicians have agreed to contribute to the conference. The six keynote speakers are:
1. Professor John Broome White’s Professor Moral Philosophy, Oxford University
2. Professor Tom Campbell Convenor, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University, Canberra
3. Professor William Galston Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution, Washington DC; the Ezra K. Zikha Chair in Governance Studies
4. Meg Munn MP former Minister for Women and Equality, and Foreign Office Minster, London
5. Professor Thomas Pogge Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs, Yale University, and CAPPE, Australian National University
6. Professor John Uhr Crawford School of Economics and Government, Australian National University
7. Professor Jonathan Wolff Head of Department of Philosophy, University College London

Call for Papers

The conference organizers are seeking papers on a variety of topics related to the broad theme of the conference – i.e. the ethical foundations of public policy. While papers that focus upon one or other of the five sub-themes will be given priority, papers on other issues of relevance to the aims of the conference are also welcome. The five sub-themes (and their respective coordinators) are:

1. the ethics of advice giving (Dr Chris Eichbaum)
2. the ethics of decision making (Professor Jonathan Boston)
3. the nature of justice (Professor Andrew Bradstock)
4. protecting the global commons (Dr Russell Harding)
5. measuring progress (Dr David Rae)

Papers are invited from academics/research ers and post-graduates working in a range of disciplines, from current and former public offi cials and politicians, and from people involved in government relations and civil society groups.

Those wishing to contribute a paper are invited to prepare an abstract for submission to the conference organizers by 12 June 2009. Abstracts should not exceed 300 words, and include the author’s name and contact details. The abstracts will be peer reviewed, and decisions made by 17 July on which papers will be accepted for presentation at the conference. Full conference papers should not exceed 7,000 words. It is expected that a selection of the best papers will be published in an edited volume (or volumes) during 2010.

Abstracts should be submitted to maureen.revell [at] vuw.ac.nz by Friday 12 June 2009.

For further information, please contact:
Professor Jonathan Boston
Director, Institute of Policy Studies
Chair, Programme Committee for the conference on The Ethical Foundations of Public Policy
Jonathan.boston [at] vuw.ac.nz; +64 (0)4 463 5456

This conference is being hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies (School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington), in association with the Philosophy Programme (Victoria University of Wellington) and the Centre for Theology and Public Issues (University of Otago), and sponsored by the ANZSOG Trust.