Department of philosophy and religious studies cordially invites reserachers to submit papers for the conference Food and Ethics in Culture and Religion: Historical, Social Scientific, and Philosophical Contexts
Food. This at first glance universal and vital need is connected with wide cultural production during human evolution. Food was and is the subject of manifold rules, prohibitions, regulations, and intellectual reflections. Around the representations of food, complex symbolic systems were and are being built, informing about the functioning of the cosmos and the role of humankind in it. Food thus becomes an important object of interest for religious and spiritual traditions worldwide. This biological and cultural significance of eating has also caused food to be a political and ethical issue. Who should have power over sustenance, food preparation, and consumption? What forms of sustenance and dealing with food are legitimate and ethical, and which are not? These and other questions on food ethics are answered by various actors in different, even conflicting ways. Their answers do not arise separately from broader cultural contexts and religious, social, political, and philosophical positions. The international conference Food and Ethics in Culture and Religion: Historical, Social Scientific, and Philosophical Contexts opens questions on the ethicization of human nutrition in history and today. The program will include contributions that deal with the relationships between food, religion, and ethics from the perspective of various academic disciplines – the study of religions, anthropology, environmental studies, sociology, philosophy, history, natural sciences and technical fields, such as agricultural science, forestry, and other disciplines. The conference is also open to the wider learned public.
We accept abstracts of a maximum length of 300 words in Czech and English. You can submit your abstract by 31st March 2025 to foodandethics@gmail.com. Information of acceptance: 12th April 2025.
Suggested thematic lines:
- Food, sustenance, and their regulation in religion and culture in history and today
- Ritualization of food production and consumption
- Food as a functional symbol in religious and philosophical systems
- Animal on a plate? Vegetarianism, veganism, and meat consumption across social, religious, and historical contexts
- Philosophical and ethical refl ection on food, nutrition, and sustenance
- Ethical and political aspects of technologies of animal husbandry, hunting, agriculture and food processing
Date: 11-12th March 2025
Venue: Gočárova galerie, Automatické mlýny 1961, Pardubice
Contacts:
- Mgr. Olga Čejková, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Pardubice, olga.cejkova@upce.cz
- Mgr. Matouš Mokrý, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Pardubice, matous.mokry@upce.cz
