The Third International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities was held in early August at New Hall, Cambridge. This major new conference, attended by some 700 delegates, saw the presentation of two papers on aspects of the Principle of Goodness.
The aim of the Conference, as explained in the programme, is to "provide spaces for dialogue and for the publication of new knowledge which builds on the past traditions of the humanities whilst setting a renewed agenda for the future." In that spirit, the two papers on Goodness focussed on aspects of the Principle of Goodness echoing upon deep roots in the humanistic traditions.
The first paper, The Ethical Dimension Of Human Nature: A New Realist Theory, focuses on the Principle in the realm of the personal, the individual response to the ethical calling. It analyses the Principle in relation to three kinds of ethical theories: those based on a grounding principle, explanatory theories of science, and those setting out a complete ethical system. It shows how these three, far from being incompatible, are in fact deeply synergistic, and the mutual support from each type of theory for the credibility of ethics as a whole is seen clearly in the light of the Principle of Goodness.
The second paper, A New Way Needs a New Foundation: The Principle of Goodness, Law, and Society, addresses the Principle on the realm of society and laws. By investigating a sample of concerns within this wide arena, it attempts to show how the Principle leads to a more humane polity than any that are inspired by utilitarian or similar theories.
The papers presented at the Conference may be downloaded from the papers section.