What is the proper relationship between God, the human person, and the state? In a 1993 address, Nobel Laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn observed that, “having refused to recognize the unchanging Higher Power above us, we have filled that space with personal imperatives, and suddenly life has become a harrowing prospect indeed.” Twenty-five years after Solzhenitsyn’s address, and one hundred years after his birth, the Center for Ethics and Culture’s 19th Annual Fall Conference will consider how every human pursuit can be oriented toward higher powers and reflect on the true measures of social progress, the role of morality in law and politics, and the dynamics of liberty, dignity, self-sacrifice, and the good in public life.

The 19th Annual Fall Conference takes place November 1–3, 2018 at the University of Notre Dame.

In its characteristic interdisciplinary spirit, the Center for Ethics and Culture hosts presentations from a wide array of fields of inquiry, including theology, philosophy, political theory, law, history, economics, and the social sciences, as well as the natural sciences, literature, and the arts. In honor of his centenary, we also will feature reflections specifically on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s life and work.

Keynote addresses will be livestreamed, and major presentations will be posted to the Center's YouTube channel after the conference.

Visit the Fall Conference webpage for the full schedule of talks.