The idea of loving someone or something is a familiar, everyday notion. And yet, love remains one of the most complicated ethical principles to talk about in a clear and compelling way.
The love ethic—the idea that a widespread, non-merit-based trait like love is what lies at the heart of our moral lives—has fascinated history’s greatest thinkers. It ties together early figures like Plato and St. Augustine and modern thinkers including James Baldwin, Iris Murdoch, and many others.
From August 2–7, a global group of scholars gathered at the University of Notre Dame for the inaugural Love Ethic Theory Workshop, hosted by the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG), to investigate the philosophical underpinnings of the love ethic.
Each morning the group began with a masterclass: two-hour seminars led by a senior scholar on key philosophical figures whose work has defined the love ethic. The group included scholars from a range of academic backgrounds, and the interdisciplinary presentations were meant to generate new ideas and fresh questions. The group shared works in progress, gathering feedback from colleagues on new book projects and forthcoming articles. Each night concluded with further research talks over dinner, another chance to wrestle with the day’s ideas.
As the first official gathering convened by the Love Ethic network, all events emphasized collegiality and collaboration and offered some of the trappings of summer camp, including thematic arts and crafts projects, the opportunity to earn peer-nominated merit badges for achievements throughout the week, and plenty of dedicated time for community building and workshopping ideas.
“It was such a privilege to invite this distinguished group of scholars to Notre Dame and to devote such focused attention to the role love plays in moral theory,” said Meghan Sullivan, director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. “The enthusiasm and depth of engagement this week made clear how vital this research is, and I am thrilled to continue building and expanding the Love Ethic network with this group moving forward."
The workshop embodied a central theme the group returned to in conversations throughout the week. The love ethic is a way of being. It is not just an abstract idea, but one that can and should shape the way we live.
“I am incredibly grateful to all of the scholars who gathered for a remarkably candid, rigorous series of conversations on some of our most challenging moral ideas,” said Audrey Scott, Associate Director of the Love Ethic Network at the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. “The vibrant week of summer camp gave rise to a warmth and collegiality all too rare at more traditional academic workshops.”
Love Ethic Theory Workshop Participants included:
-
Abdul Ansari, University of Notre Dame
-
Olivia Bailey, University of California, Berkeley
-
Angela Carpenter, University of Notre Dame
-
Myisha Cherry, University of California, Riverside
-
Kyla Ebels-Duggan, Northwestern University
-
Samiksha Goyal, University of Notre Dame
-
Eric Gregory, Princeton University
-
Claire Kirwin, Harvard University
-
Kelly Klee, University of Notre Dame
-
James Lewis, Cardiff University
-
Errol Lord, University of Pennsylvania
-
Austen MacDougal, New York University
-
Abe Mathew, University of Notre Dame
-
Ryan Preston-Roedder, Occidental University
-
Aaron Stalnaker, University of Notre Dame
-
Jordan Walters, Oxford University
-
Quinn White, Harvard University
-
Mike Zhao, University of Notre Dame
-----
The Love Ethic Theory Workshop was made possible by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, and is part of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good’s project, “Love and Social Transformation: Empowering Scholars and Social Innovators to Develop the Love Ethic.” The project is built around the conviction that love is the true foundation of our moral and social lives. To learn more about the Love Ethic project, including ways to get involved, visit the Love Ethic website.
