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2023: Dust of the Earth

2023: Dust of the Earth

Dust of the Earth: On Persons

Fall Conference | November 2–4, 2023 | University of Notre Dame

The concept of persons is, historically, a vexed one. What is a person? Who counts as a person? What is owed to persons in justice, or friendship, or solidarity? How do persons stand in relation to the created order, to God, to one another? Is the concept of persons (as distinct from human beings) valid or coherent in itself, or is it a term that serves only to exclude members of the human family?

Developments in biotechnology and the biosciences, artificial intelligence, legal doctrine and practice, the social sciences, theological reflection, ethics, art, architecture, and beyond raise distinctive questions of their own, as well as challenges to our understanding of persons, their place in the world, and what they—we—owe to one another.

At our 23rd annual Fall Conference, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture will consider the concept of persons. More than 140 presentations will explore the ethical, legal, and social concept of personhood; persons with disabilities; artificial intelligence; divine persons and the Trinity; the role of personalism in the thought of John Paul II; bioethics and environmental ethics; and the broader concept of persons as engaged across the disciplines, including philosophy, theology, political theory, law, history, economics, and the social sciences, as well as the natural sciences, literature, and the arts.

At this year’s Fall Conference, the de Nicola Center is honored to once again partner with Stanford University’s “Boundaries of Humanity” project, which seeks to advance dialogue on “human place and purpose in the cosmos.”

Register to Attend

Schedule

A full conference schedule will be available closer to the conference date.

Thursday, November 2
1:30-2:45 p.m.	Colloquium Session 1
2:45-3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15-4:30 p.m.	Colloquium Session 2
5:15 p.m.	Opening Mass
8 p.m.	Opening Keynote
9:15 p.m.	Reception
Friday, November 3
8 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
9-10:15 a.m.	Colloquium Session 3
10:15-10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m.	Colloquium Session 4
12-1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30-2:45 p.m.	Invited Session 1
2:45-3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15-4:30 p.m.	Invited Session 2
5:15 p.m.	Mass with Bishop Kevin Rhoades
6:30 p.m.	Dinner
8 p.m.	Friday Keynote
9:15 p.m.	Reception
Saturday, November 4
8 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
9-10:15 a.m.	Colloquium Session 5
10:15-10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m.	Colloquium Session 6
12-1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30-2:45 p.m.	Invited Session 3
2:45-3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15-4:30 p.m.	Invited Session 4
5 p.m.	Closing Mass
6:30 p.m.	Dinner
8 p.m.	Closing Keynote
9:15 p.m.	Reception

Transportation

Notre Dame is located in the Eastern time zone, 90 miles east of Chicago (Central time). Transportation to and from Notre Dame is available via South Bend International Airport, five miles from Notre Dame's campus; if you plan on flying into Chicago airports, please note that there is no longer a shuttle bus between the Chicago airports and South Bend. Transportation from Chicago-area airports to the South Bend airport is available via the South Shore Line.

Lodging Information

A small block of rooms is available at the Morris Inn on campus ($139/189 per night), as well as the Fairfield Inn just off campus ($129/night). Additional lodging is available at hotels in the immediate area surrounding campus, including:

Embassy Suites (Eddy St. Commons)
Inn at St. Mary’s (Rte 933)

Questions?

Please contact Brooke Tranten (btranten@nd.edu).

Past Conferences

Find information regarding past conferences and lecture videos at the links below.