June 4, 2024
The Heart of Ethics
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​The role of emotions in value theory

Hosted by the centre for aesthetic, moral, and political philosophy
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university of leeds

generously sponsored by the society for applied philOSOPHY & By the analysis trust

Conference Theme
Emotions play a crucial role in shaping the quality and significance of our lives, and have steadily come to enjoy a more prominent role in ethics. Today, there are many competing theories of what emotions are and when they are fitting, which in turn have implications across metaethics, normative ethics, and moral psychology. These developments have, for example, revived sentimentalist accounts of the nature of normative properties and our knowledge of them. Recent investigations into the temporal dimension of emotions have also sought to uncover when and why (if ever) grief may cease to be an appropriate response to loss, or resentment to a wrong. Further, innovations in the philosophy of emotions affect long-standing debates in aesthetics, such as the paradox of painful art and the epistemic value of artworks. Theorists across feminist philosophy and philosophy of race have also drawn attention to the important ways in which one’s gender and race affect one’s emotional landscape. Yet another development is the effect of emerging research in non-Western philosophy; these traditions offer alternative and under-discussed perspectives on the ethical importance of certain emotions.

The primary aim of this conference is to take stock of the latest developments in what emotions are and their connection to long-standing questions across value theory. The papers presented will illuminate our understanding of emotions and the roles that they play in our normative lives

Conference Location
William Bragg SR (GR.18)
Sir William Henry Bragg Building
Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9BW​
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(Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a map.)

Directions: enter the building via the front entrance, cross the foyer to the far right corner next to the stairs, go straight ahead and SR (GR.18) is the first door on the left.​ 
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Conference Program 
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10:25am-10:40am
  • Morning coffee, pastries and fruit
10:40am- 12pm
  • Session 1: Sara Protasi, Keynote Speaker (University of Puget Sound), 'On Courage and Fear'
12pm-1:15pm
  • Lunch
1:15pm-2:25pm
  • Session 2: Julia Mosquera (Institute for Future Studies, Stockholm), 'Conflicts and emotions: A new problem from a long-standing value inquiry'
  • Commentator: Joseph Masotti (Florida State University)
2:25pm-2:40pm
  • Quick comfort break
2:40pm-3:50pm
  • Session 3: Adrienne Martin (Claremont McKenna College), 'Directed Duties of Intimate Emotion' 
  • Commentator : Gerald Lang (University of Leeds)
3:50pm-4:20pm
  • Afternoon tea
4:20pm-5:30pm
  • Session 4: Alba Curry (University of Leeds), 'The Normative Landscape of Political Emotions'
  • Commentator: Joe Wells (University of St Andrews)
5:50pm-7:10pm
  • Drinks
7:15pm
  • Conference dinner

Accessibility
The Conference will make every effort to adhere to the BPA/SWiP Good Practice Scheme and the BPA/SWiP Guidelines for Accessible Conferences. 
  • The room for the conference, lunch, and the dinner venue, will all be accessible to wheelchair users.
  • The venues will all have available seating.
  • We will generally expect attendees to travel between venues by foot, but there is nearby parking to all venues, and taxis can be arranged.
  • We will aim to accommodate all dietary requirements. 
  • We will ask all speakers to aim to make their presentations accessible.