Natural Law for Real Life Problems

How does natural law contribute to a better understanding of true human flourishing? What are the hard questions identifying the values of each human being and how can natural law shape the possible answers? What is the role of natural law in solving real human problems? Over the past 75 years, contemporary analytic natural law theory has sought answers to these questions, trying to contribute to the solution of problems related to human action and its consequences, the various human goods and their role in decision-making, the authority of law and its limits, or the role of practical reason in legal philosophy. Analytic natural law theory is itself comprised of diverse approaches, but these theories have not been systematically analyzed in Continental Europe, or the broader Central-Eastern European context. The present conference has therefore two main goals: 1.) first to create an academic space in which some of the most important legal and philosophical problems of today’s society would be discussed in light of the contemporary analytical natural law, and 2.) second, to foment the dialogue between two unique philosophical and cultural milieus, the continental and the common law traditions.

For the detailed program of the conference please click here.

Keynote speakers:

14.00-17.00 Early-Career Scholar Forum

Mariana Canales (University of Oxford); Nicholas Clifford (Indiana University Mauer Law School); Ján Tomastík (James Madison Program, Princeton University); Niccoló Nobile (University of Milan); Armando Romero (University of Surrey); Róbert Papp (Mathias Corvinus Collegium)

9.00 Welcome

9.15 Panel I: The Conceptual Questions in Natural Law Jurisprudence

• Sean Coyle (University of Birmingham):

Modern Analytical Thomism and the Idea of Good

• Laura Biron Scott (St Augustine’s College): 

Envisioning the Good: Iris Murdoch and Contemporary Natural Law

• Maris Köpcke (University of Oxford):

Jurisprudence’s Lost Powers (online)

10.45 Coffee break

11.00 Panel II: Life, Religious Liberty, Family I.

• Thana De Campos (Catholic University of Chile):

The Flourishing of Mothers

• Eric Claeys (George Mason University):

Natural Law, Natural Rights, and Contemporary Property Policy

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Keynote speech I.:

•             John Finnis (University of Oxford / University of Notre Dame)

  Natural Law Theory and Today's Problems: Nine Pools of Light

13.45 Keynote discussants

• Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco (University of Surrey)
• Paolo G. Carozza (University of Notre Dame) (online)

14.15 Discussion

14.45 Coffee break

15.00 Panel III: Life, Religious Liberty, Family II.

• John Keown (Georgetown University):

The Sanctity of Life and the Criminal Law (online)

• Stephanie Barclay (Georgetown University):

Natural Law and Conflicts of Conscience

16.00 – Closing

9.30 Panel IV: Human Rights Adjudication and Natural Law I.

• Conor Casey (University of Surrey):

Natural Law Interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights

• Gonzalo Candia (Catholic University of Chile):

International Law and Human Rights Adjudication

10.30 Coffee break

10.45 Panel V: Human Rights Adjudication and Natural Law II.

• Pier Paolo Pigozzi (Ludovika University of Public Service):

Moral Absolutes and International Adjudication on Ius Cogens Norms

• Paul Yowell (University of Oxford):

Subsidiarity and the ECtHR’s Cimate Change Judgment

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Panel VI: Natural Law and Political Philosophy

• Ferenc Hörcher (Ludovika University of Public Service):

20th Century Analytical Thomism and New Natural Law - connections

• Zoltán Turgonyi (Pázmány Péter Catolic University):

Natural Law and the Necessity of a Paradigm Shift in Western Civilisation

14.00 Coffee break

14.15 Keynote speech II.

• Christopher Tollefsen (University of South Carolina):

The Mission and Vision of Natural Law in the 21st century: Attending to Some Neglected Goods

15.00 Keynote discussants

• Cristóbal Orrego (Catholic University of Chile)
• Johanna Fröhlich (Ludovika University of Public Service)

15.30 Discussion

16.00 – Closing

The conference has been organized by the MCC Center for Constitutional Politics and the Research Institute for Politics and Government of the Ludovika University of Public Service, and supported by the MCC European Center of Political Philosophy.

Organizing committee: 

• Johanna Fröhlich (Ludovika University)
• Ferenc Hörcher (Ludovika University)
• Kálmán Pócza (MCC Center for Constitutional Politics)