At the heart of human thought and social organization lies the question: How do we make decisions? From ethical dilemmas and educational policies to AI governance and legal reasoning, understanding decision-making requires insights from ethics, religious thought, history, and law.
The REL-Symposium 2027 invites contributions that explore decision-making through these interdisciplinary perspectives, continuing the symposium’s mission of fostering dialogue at the intersection of theology, ethics, philosophy, and legal studies. We particularly welcome papers addressing questions such as:
- What have philosophers and religious traditions said about practical reasoning (including concepts such as will, reason, or the role of emotions) throughout the history of thought?
- How have historical and contemporary legal systems, both secular and religious, influenced moral, social, and political decisions?
- How can insights from religious, legal, and ethical traditions inform contemporary debates on justice, human dignity, and the common good?
- How can applied issues – such as AI governance, legal reasoning, educational policy, bioethics, environmental decision-making, and professional conduct—be understood through these lenses?
The REL-Symposium welcomes submissions from history, philosophy, theology, religious studies, and legal studies, offering both theoretical and metaethical insights alongside applied perspectives on decision-making. Selected papers may be published in an edited volume. The final conference format (online or hybrid in London) is subject to a pending funding decision and will be confirmed in due course.
Abstracts (max. 300 words) should be submitted to symposium@rel-project.com„>symposium@rel-project.com by 1st December 2026. Early career researchers (postdoc) and doctoral students are especially encouraged to participate.
