Catherine Audard / John Cottingham / Talal Asad / Mary Kenny
11am-6.15pm | Wednesday 13 June 2010
Room E171, New Theatre, East Building, LSE
Speakers
Catherine Audard, Visiting Fellow in the Philosophy Department, LSE and Chair of the Forum for European Philosophy, LSE
John Cottingham, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading
Talal Asad, Distinguished Professor in Anthropology at City University New York (CUNY)
Mary Kenny, Author, journalist and broadcaster
The recent revival of religion around the globe has raised fundamental questions not only about its role in both national and international politics, but also concerning its claim to serve as a principle of identity indispensable to the continuing survival of communities and peoples across the generations. There are many who would argue strenuously that the sense of belonging to a community is seriously weakened in the absence of a shared religious commitment. Others would insist just as strenuously that social and public life should be both conceived and organised in essentially secular terms.
Our conference, held at the LSE in the summer term 2007, brought together leading thinkers and scholars to encourage discussion and debate on this crucial contemporary theme.
Conference programme
11.00 – 11.15 | Opening and Welcome |
11.15 – 12.30 | Laicity and the French Republic Speaker: Catherine Audard / Chair: Simon Glendinning |
12.30 – 2.00 | Lunch |
2.00 – 3.15 | Formations of Faith John Cottingham Dialogue with Alan Montefiore |
3.15 – 3.30 | Coffee |
3.30 – 4.45 | Formations of the Secular Speaker: Talal Asad /Chair: Robert Eaglestone |
4.45 – 5.00 | Coffee |
5.00 – 6.15 | The Limits of Reason Speaker: Mary Kenny / Chair: Ziba Norman |