Interdisciplinary Workshop featuring Lawyers and Philosophers
Aristotle (1915) in the Ethica Eudemia defines the human being as “by nature a social animal” (VII, 10, 1242a22–27). Thenceforth, philosophers have been theoretically reflecting on the nature of sociality while law scholars have been discussing the role of law in dealing with social issues manifesting themselves in diverse forms of real-life scenarios.
A groundbreaking interdisciplinary workshop organised by Dr Cinzia Ruggeri and Professor Maria Cahill sought to contribute to the understanding of the notion of sociality by making it the focal point of a dialogue between both disciplines.
The workshop, entitled ‘The Importance of Sociality: Law and Philosophy in Dialogue’, was hosted by UCC School of Law on 20th and 21st of June 2024 under the auspices of Prof. Cahill’s Irish Research Council Laureate project Societās: Exploring the Value of Freedom of Association.
The workshop brought together legal academics and philosophers to engage in reflective discussions on the value of sociality. Contributions approached sociality from quite different and yet overlapping angles. The topics spanned the role of sociality for self-flourishing to the extent to which sociality can be promoted or undermined by legal systems and policy. Moreover, related and, at times, opposing notions such as oppression, solidarity, hostility, respect, and vulnerability were also discussed for their value in providing fruitful insights into our multifaceted social world.
A concluding round table discussion, moderated by Dr Ruggeri and Prof. Cahill, was devoted to a general Q&A session whereby the participants to the workshop had the opportunity to further comment on each other’s papers in light of the overall theme. The round table also focused on a critical evaluation of the two discipline’s approaches to the notion of sociality. This allowed legal academics and philosophers to co-reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of their respective field of research.
Overall, the workshop also provided an inspiring and friendly forum for future conversations about and explorations of the intersection between law and philosophy.
Cinzia Ruggeri (University College Cork)