Call for Papers for the Societas Ethica Annual Conference in August 2026

We invite authors to submit paper abstracts for the conference “Crisis & Recovery: Ethics in Interdisciplinary Dialogue,” which will take place on 20–23 August 2026 at the University of Tartu.

We live in troubled times. The refugee crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the crisis of liberal democracies deeply affect individuals, societies, and the environment on many levels. Societas Ethica’s 62nd conference aims to engage with the ethical aspects of crises and recovery through interdisciplinary dialogue.

This year, we highlight conversations with memory studies and semiotics — two fields with strong traditions in Estonia that provide valuable perspectives for understanding crises, trauma, remembrance, and cultural meaning-making processes. At the same time, we welcome a broad range of contributions, from the intersections of ethics, education, and resilience to research on recovery, reconciliation, and forgiveness in philosophical and theological ethics.

We invite submissions from philosophy, theology, and applied ethics, as well as memory studies, semiotics, political science, social and economic sciences, religious studies, literary and cultural studies, psychology, history, and law.

Further information and the submission form for paper abstracts are available until 4 January!

A special conference fee of 100 euros is available for participants registering from Estonia. This includes meals, coffee breaks, and full access to the program.

The working language of the conference is English.

The conference is organized in cooperation with Societas Ethica by the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Tartu, the Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics at the University of Tartu, the Institute of Theology of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the University of Rostock.