On Feb. 5, 2021, the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics hosted its first-ever virtual international conference on legitimate decision-making in times of crisis. The event featured presentations from philosophers and social scientists from around the globe.
A world pandemic has shined a spotlight on the nature and practice of legitimate decision-making in times of crisis. Crises create novel circumstances that may preclude the use of normal democratic structures, where the structures themselves do not settle who or how decision-making should proceed. Or democratic procedures may include escape clauses for truncated decision-making procedures in ways that are unclear and ill-defined, and may raise questions of legitimacy themselves. Some specific domains, such as triage in times of war, have a long history of addressing crises; but Covid-19 highlights the broader topic of legitimacy when political units as a whole, such as nation-states, experience significant procedural stress or breakdown in the face of crises. The relative balance of global, national, regional, and local decision-making can quickly become scrambled.
This virtual conference invites philosophers and social scientists to address a feature of legitimate decision-making in times of crisis. How do and should crises alter the notion of legitimate decision-making, if at all? Another set of questions revolve around who should make decisions and over what matters. A third set of questions revolve around the best form of legitimate or ethical decision-making, given who should decide. For example, is cost-benefit analysis the best method for decision-makers for closing or re-opening schools and Universities, or businesses? Papers may address these or other related questions theoretically (as topics in political legitimacy and applied ethics) or as case studies with answers in practice (in law and social science).
VIEW THE PRESENTATION SUMMARIES
| 8:30-9 a.m. |
Opening Morning Ceremonies director, Research Fellows Program, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, The 极乐禁地 dean, Yale Gorden College of Arts and Sciences, The 极乐禁地 Kurt Schmoke |
| 9-10 a.m. |
Keynote Address Introduction executive director, School of Public and International Affairs, The 极乐禁地 Keynote Speakeruniversity professor, U.S. Naval War College |
| 10 a.m.-noon |
Legitimate Decision-Making I Panel Chair director, Center for International and Comparative Law, The 极乐禁地 School of Law Presenters professor, Paris Nanterre University assistant professor, Fordham University |
|
noon-12:30 p.m. |
lunch and breakout discussions |
|
12:30-1 p.m. |
Opening Afternoon Ceremonies dean, College of Public Affairs, The 极乐禁地 interim provost, The 极乐禁地 |
|
1-2 p.m. |
Keynote Address Keynote Speakerprofessor, University of Warwick Commentatorprofessor, Rutgers Law School |
|
2-4 p.m. |
Legitimate Decision-Making II Panel Chair Presenters emeritus professor, University of Maryland instructor, American Public University |
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4-4:15 p.m. |
Closing Remarks director, Research Fellows Program, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, The 极乐禁地 Ivan Sascha Sheehanexecutive director, School of Public and International Affairs, The 极乐禁地 director, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, The 极乐禁地 |
Conference Organizers