"Virtue and Economic Crises," Mykolas Romeris University, July 29-August 1, 2010.

Fourth Annual Conference, International Society for MacIntyrean Philosophy. Keynote Speakers: Bob Brecher (Center for Research and Development, University of Brighton) Zenonas Norkus (Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Vilnius) John O’Neill (School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester) Clemens K. Stepina (Institute for Theatre, Film and Media Sciences, University of Vienna) Alasdair MacIntyre once argued that Karl Marx left philosophy and turned to political economy at a time when his philosophical enquiry was still incomplete. From After Virtue to Dependent Rational Animals Alasdair MacIntyre’s work has laid a solid philosophical foundation for building an understanding of the nature of human rationality, virtue and practice. One aim of this conference is to use MacIntyre’s work in thinking through some of the challenges and problems we face today: the crumbling neo-liberal economic order, equitable economic development, the role of virtue in the practices of production, and the lack of democracy in the dominant economic institutions of production.Further, this conference aims to encourage interdisciplinary research into the field of ethics, philosophy, political economy, social theory and theology in order to think through the moral as well as political aspects of the future of economic development. Its underlying presupposition rests in our belief that the orthodox neoclassical economic theory – the rational individual consumer aiming to maximize his/her preferences at any cost – has to be theoretically challenged. A robust Aristotelian social theory and moral philosophy can contribute in rethinking some of these presuppositions and beliefs. Possible Topics: 1. The importance of moral and intellectual virtues for equitable economic development. 2. What are the moral and philosophical presuppositions behind the neoclassical economic thought and behind the existing socio-economic order of market capitalism? 3. What can economic theory learn from moral philosophy and virtue ethics? 4. What is the role of business ethics in times of economic crises? Please submit proposals, including title and abstract, of no more than 350 words to: Dr. Andrius Bielskis, Department of Politics, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania, e-mail: andrius.bielskis@mruni.eu. Conference website: http://www.macintyreanenquiry.org/Vilnius2010/Vilnius2010.html.