Past events

Calendar archives

  • Reading Group on the Book “Animals and the Right to Politics” (OUP, 2025) @ Online.

    12 h 30 – 14 h 30

    The CRÉ will co-organise an interdisciplinary reading group on the book Animals and the Right to Politics (OUP, 2025) by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka. The group will meet for three sessions, each covering a part of the book. The next session will take place on June 18, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., online. This session will focus on giving an exposition of the context of the book and will address topics such as challenges and political exclusion, political wardship, resistance, and cosmopolitan temptation.

    To register and participate via Zoom, click here. For more information, click here.

    Co-organized by the Social Justice Centre at Concordia, the CRÉ, the GRÉEA, the Observatoire québécois en droit animalier (OQDA), the Canadian Society for Critical Animal Studies (CCAS) and Animals in in philosophy, politics, law, and ethics research group (APPLE).

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  • Third Session – CRÉ Graduate Fellows’ Seminar @ Room 309, CRÉ, hybrid

    13 h 30 – 15 h 00

    You are invited to the third session of the 2025–2026 edition of the CRÉ Graduate Fellows’ Seminar.

    On this occasion, France Lacharité and Nohémi Bokuma will present their research projects. Each presentation will last approximately 20 minutes and will be immediately followed by a discussion of about 25 minutes.

    The aim of the Seminar is to provide our graduate fellows with constructive feedback and critical input to help them strengthen their research projects. It also offers them an opportunity to practise delivering a presentation in a format comparable to that of academic conferences. We very much hope that many of you will take part in this activity, which we intend to be particularly valuable as a learning experience.

    Program:

              1) 1:30–2:15 p.m. — Presentation by France Lacharité, PhD candidate in Contemporary Religious Studies at the Université de Sherbrooke, supervised by Bertrand Lavoie, Marc Dumas, and Louise La Fontaine

    Coping with Finitude: Limits, Vulnerabilities, and Meaning in Pediatric End-of-Life Care

    In December 2015, Québec’s Act Respecting End-of-Life Care came into force, recognizing medical assistance in dying (MAID) as a form of end-of-life care for certain individuals aged 18 and over. After more than ten years of implementation, growing social acceptance and a reduction in resistance within the medical community have prompted discussions about extending MAID to other groups, including certain minors. More broadly, the question of MAID raises a number of issues, notably concerning our relationship to life and death.

    Confronting death is difficult in itself, but it becomes even more complex when it concerns a child. In this context, the death of a child leads healthcare professionals to experience intense emotions and to face various limits (legal, professional, moral, or ethical). They are thus confronted with their own vulnerability, which can give rise to ethical, moral, and existential questions.

    This presentation aims to share preliminary findings from a qualitative study conducted in a Québec pediatric hospital, based on shadowing observations of five healthcare professionals and approximately fifty semi-structured interviews with different types of caregivers.

    Initial analyses highlight interactions with families and the challenges that arise when questions of time, hope, and meaning emerge as the end of life approaches. They also bring to light certain needs of healthcare professionals when providing pediatric end-of-life care.

              2) 2:15–3:00 p.m. — Presentation by Nohémi Bokuma, MA student in Political Science at Concordia University, supervised by Dr. Stephanie Paterson and Dr. Jonathan Martineau.

    Examining and identifying the gaps in Canadian policies and how they respond to digital gender-based violence

    Digital gender-based violence in Canada is increasing and even materializes beyond the internet and into our real world. Alek Minassian was found guilty of the “2018 Toronto van attack, […] the deadliest incident linked to the incel movement” (Beckett 2021), a sub-culture of men who believe “that women use their sexual power to dominate [them] socially” (Basu 2020). Thus, through an analysis of this emerging dimension of misogynistic digital violence, this master’s thesis will examine how Canadian policies interact with digital gender-based violence, with the sexist radicalization of young men online, and will also critique the technologies that facilitate this precise and gendered violence. The central question arises from the following observation: the feelings shared amongst internet users, namely the sense of belonging to a community, freedom and anonymity, in addition to the “differences between web hosts” (Ganesh 2018, 38) and the lack of unified regulations, all lead to the undermining of women’s cybersecurity. As a result, as groups such as those from the manosphere are allowed to migrate from one platform to another, further escaping the threat of their online community being shut down and maximizing their promotion of a misogynistic digital culture, women’s digital security is weakened and is made even more vulnerable.

    Through this analysis, the following questions emerge: the ethics behind the current practices (and the policies that govern them) of platforms such as Reddit, 4Chan, Meta and X (Twitter), the governance and ethics advanced technologies and artificial intelligence within these platforms, and finally, the question of the power acquired and the profit generated by these companies at the expense of women.

    Chair: Ryoa Chung (UdeM).

    To participate via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 704 532 7051; Passcode: 9Me2EW).

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  • Workshop on the Philosophy of Mental Health @ Université du Québec à Montréal

    9 h 30 – 17 h 00

    You are cordially invited to a workshop on the philosophy of mental health, scheduled for May 28, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event will take place in room W-5305 of the Thérèse-Casgrain Building at the Université du Québec à Montréal, located at 455 René-Lévesque Boulevard East in Montreal.

    Schedule:

    Morning session, chaired by Anne-Marie Gagné-Julien (Université Laval)

    • 9:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.: Opening remarks
    • 9:40 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.: Sandrine Renaud (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), “Injustices Experienced by Adults Diagnosed with Psychotic Disorders in Mental Health Care: A Scoping Review”
    • 10:25 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Break
    • 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: Axel Constant (University of Sussex), “The participatory stance: A veritistic social epistemology for patient knowledge”
    • 11:15 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.: Break
    • 11:20 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.: Shannon Mahony and Owen Chevalier, “Beyond listening: epistemic conflict in anorexia nervosa and the participatory solution”
    • 12:05 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

    Afternoon session (I), chaired by Luc Faucher (Université du Québec à Montréal)

    • 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Ian Gold (McGill University), “Devices and Delusions: James Tilly Matthews and the Air Loom”
    • 2:15 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.: Break
    • 2:20 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.: Alexandre Poisson (Université du Québec à Montréal), “Autistic Expertise Matters: from Participatory Autism in Research to a Participatory Philosophy of Autism”
    • 3:05 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.: Break

    Afternoon session (II), chaired by Ian Gold (McGill University)

    • 3:20 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.: Matthew Valiquette (McGill University), “Towards a Culture of Quantification: Machine-Learning in Mental Health”
    • 4:05 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.: Break
    • 4:10 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: Florence Legault, “Epistemic injustices in healthcare: rethinking the agency of individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder through an enactive and ecological view of cognition”
    • 4:55 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Closing remarks

    The registration deadline is Sunday, May 24, 2026. To register, please scan the QR code below.

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  • 10th Montreal Social Justice Theory Workshop @ Concordia University

    28 May – 29 May All day

    Annual Intensive Research Workshop

    The aim of the Social Justice Theory Workshop is to enable sustained exploration in the theory of social justice. It addresses topics such as the articulation of ideals and principles of economic, political, gender, race, environmental, and cultural justice; the critique of inequality, domination, exploitation, and alienation; and the illumination of political institutions, practices and processes of transformation that might foster progressive change.

    Workshop papers will be pre-circulated, and participation implies a commitment to reading the papers in advance.

    This workshop is organized by Pablo Gilabert and Peter Dietsch, in association with the Social Justice Centre (Université Concordia), the Centre de recherche en éthique (Université de Montréal) and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Victoria.

    The 10th edition of this intensive research workshop will take place on May 28 and 29, 2026, in room MB 14.250 at Concordia University’s John Molson Pavilion, located at 1450 Guy Street in Montreal, Quebec.

    The workshop will be in person. Places are limited and registration is required. If you would like to participate, please contact Christiane Bailey at the following address before May 1st : sjc@concordia.ca.

    Programm :

    Thursday, May 28 2026 (day 1)

    • 9:00 – 9:15 am: Coffee and snacks
    • 9:15 – 10:30 am: Cristina Lafont (Northwestern University), “Inequality and the Human Rights Project,” commentary by Dominique Leydet (Université du Québec à Montréal)
    • 10:30 – 10:45 am: Break
    • 10:45 am – 12:00 pm: Gina Schouten (Harvard University), “On Educational Opportunity,” commentary by Andrée-Anne Cormier (École Nationale d’Administration Publique)
    • 12:00 – 1:30 pm: Lunch
    • 1:30 – 2:45 pm: Vid Simoniti (University of Liverpool), “Democratic Control of Cultural Change Through Images,” commentary by Ryoa Chung (University of Montréal)
    • 2:45 – 3:00 pm: Break
    • 3:00 – 4:15 pm: Pablo Gilabert (Concordia University), “Why We Should Support Working Artists,” commentary by Louis-Philippe Hodgson (York University)
    • 6:30 pm: Diner (speakers and commentators) 

    Friday, May 29 2026 (day 2)

    • 9:30 – 9:45 am: Welcome 
    • 9:45 – 11:00 am: Sanjay Reddy (New School for Social Research), “Intergenerational concern in a new key,” commentary by Colin Macleod (University of Victoria)
    • 11:00 – 11:15 am: Break
    • 11:15 – 12:30 am: Peter Dietsch (University of Victoria) et Thomas Rixen, “How to Catalyse the Green Transition: Insulation, Expansion, and the Politics of Distribution,” commentary by Matthias Fritsch (Concordia University)
    • 12:30 – 3:00 pm: Dinner
    • 3:00 pm: Goodbye

    For more information, please consult the following link.

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  • David J. Holroyd (University of Sheffield) @ Room 309, CRE, hybrid

    12 h 00 – 13 h 30

    The CRÉ, the Social Justice Centre (SJC) and the Research Group on Environmental and Animal Ethics (GRÉEA) are pleased to welcome David J. Holroyd (University of Sheffield), who will give a talk entitled Navigating the Leviathan: A Skeptical Ethos for Animal Politics.

    Abstract

    Within contemporary Animal Politics, the state is frequently positioned as the primary vehicle for justice, with animals framed as the ‘next frontier’ for integration via legal rights and representation. However, this extensionist approach frequently overlooks the state’s historic role in facilitating the systemic exclusion and political subordination of nonhuman animals. Given this reality, how should animalist scholars orient themselves toward the state?

    This presentation proposes a skeptical ethos toward the state, moving beyond the binary of statist optimism and anarchist dismissal. The talk addresses three core features of this orientation:

    1)     Recognising historical realities: State-building projects have historically caused many animal injustices, undermining the state’s presumed emancipatory potential.

    2)     Engaging with imperfect institutions: Political complexities must be navigated case-by-case, since an outright rejection of statist approaches may expose animals to more severe injustices.

    3)     Expanding political imaginations: To envisage radical forms of politics beyond the anthropocentric status quo, one must step outside an exclusively statist framework for ‘doing politics’.

    By cultivating a skeptical ethos, scholars (and activists) can move beyond entrenched dogmas to discover more reliable, nuanced, and effective modes of political engagement with the Leviathan.

    To obtain a copy of the paper to read in advance of the presentation, please write to valery.giroux@umontreal.ca.

    Biography:

    David John Holroyd is a PhD candidate in political theory at the University of Sheffield, funded by the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities. His research broadly addresses the themes of animal justice, state power, social identity, and the role of academic ideas in public debate.

    Chair:

    Juliette Roussin (Université Laval).

    To participate on Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 704 532 7051; Secret code: 9Me2EW).

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  • New Research in Political Philosophy @ McGill University, LEA 429 (Tuesday), LEA 937 (Wednesday)

    26 May – 27 May All day

    The CRÉ invites you to a workshop in political philosophy, organized by Sari Kisilevsky (Queens College, CUNY), with the help of Patrick Turmel (Université Laval).

    Program :

    Tuesday, May 26 2026, room LEA 429 

    Wednesday, May 27 2026, room LEA 927

    • 9:30-10:00 am: Coffee
    • 10:00-11:00 am: Sandra Raponi (Merrimack College)
    • 11:15 am-12:15 pm: Stephanie Kapusta (Dalhousie University)
    • 12:15-1:45 pm: Lunch
    • 1:45-2:45 pm: Hugo Cosette-Lefebvre (McGill University)
    • 3:15-4:15 pm: Vida Panitch (Carleton University)
    • 4:15-4:30 pm: Closing remarks, Sari Kisilevsky (CUNY, Queens College)

    Register here!

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  • Lecture by Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen) @ University of Montreal

    12 h 00 – 13 h 30

    You are cordially invited to the third lecture in the Lecture Series on Invisible Work, organized by the Aesop Chair in collaboration with the Centre de recherche en éthique. For this third lecture, we are pleased to welcome Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen) for a presentation titled “Against Careers.”

    Abstract: This paper argues against work being organized in “careers,” with individuals being expected, over the years, to climb up a ladder of increasing income, power, and status in one specific area of paid work. This organization of work creates an “ideal biography norm” that disadvantages many groups who cannot fulfil it, e.g. active parents and other groups doing “invisible” work. After defining what I mean by “careers” and what kind of critique I raise against the concept, I briefly set out the historical background of how today’s understanding of careers developed. This shows that many arguments that spoke in favor of careers in the past no longer hold. Today, work being organized as careers threatens at least two sets of values: equality of opportunity, understood across people’s whole life, and value pluralism. As an alternative, and to rescue what still stands from the historical arguments in favor of careers, I suggest a model of “merit without careers,” in which certain functional requirements for jobs remain in place, while giving up the assumption of linearity, leaving behind the “ideal biography norm” as the “normal” case. This would better align the organization of work with the values of equality of opportunity and value pluralism.

    The event will take place on May 19th, 2026, at noon in room 422 of the Department of Philosophy at the Université de Montréal (2910 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC) in hybrid format.

    Please register via the following link. To participate via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 704 532 7051; passcode: 9Me2EW). 

    The Lecture Series on Invisible Work is an initiative by Denise Celentano (University of Montreal), holder of the Aesop Chair, in collaboration with the Centre de recherche en éthique. For more information, please contact Denise Celentano (UdeM) denise.celentano@umontreal.ca or Dominic Martin (UQAM) martin.dominic@uqam.ca.

    General information about the Lecture Series: The concept of invisible work describes the forms of work that fall outside the traditional model of waged employment and are not recognized, in a monetary and/or symbolic sense, to the point that even their nature as “work” is often disputed. Invisible work takes place behind the scenes of more recognized and valued work. Given its liminal nature with respect to long-established categories, it serves as a prism for exploring a number of issues, from recognition to social segregation to the critical questioning of the normative assumptions behind what is supposed to count as “work.” The notion of invisible work promises to shed light, as it were, on the mechanisms of valorization that operate behind social cooperation. This series of lectures, open to the public, explores the subject from both a philosophical and interdisciplinary perspective.

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  • Roundtable Discussion on Ernest-Marie Mbonda’s Book @ Centre de recherche en éthique

    14 h 00 – 15 h 30

    On Monday, May 18, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., join us for a roundtable discussion on Ernest-Marie Mbonda’s book, Pouvoir, droits et justice en Afrique. Essais de philosophie politique appliquée (2024, L’Harmattan), as part of the partnership between the Centre de recherche en éthique and EthicsLab (Université catholique de l’Afrique centrale). The roundtable will be held in the presence of the author, Ernest-Marie Mbonda (Université catholique d’Afrique centrale), as well as commentators Ryoa Chung (Université de Montréal), Anatole Fogou (Universités, HDR de l’Université de Lille III, École Normale Supérieure, Université de Maroua au Cameroun), Christian Nadeau (Université de Montréal), and Thierry Ngosso (Université catholique d’Afrique centrale).

    The event will be held in hybrid format in room 307 of the Centre de recherche en éthique, located at 2910 Édouard-Montpetit Boulevard in Montreal, Quebec. To join via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 704 532 7051; Passcode: 9Me2EW).

    We look forward to seeing you there!

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  • De choses à êtres sentients : 10 ans après la réforme du droit animalier @ Cinema DeSève followed by a reception in the lobby J.W. McConnell Building (library) at Concordia University

    15 May 9 h 00 – 16 May 19 h 00

    This first conference of the Observatoire québécois en droit animalier, organized in collaboration with Concordia University’s Social Justice Centre and the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ), with the support of the Université de Sherbrooke and the Chambre des notaires du Québec, invites reflection on the ten-year period following the 2015 reform of animal law, which, from a legal standpoint, shifted the status of animals from things to sentient beings.

    To register for the event, please click here.

    May 15, 2026 – Intensive Research Workshop (by invitation)

    This research workshop on animals provides a space for reflection and discussion centered on works in progress. It is open to research concerning animals across a range of disciplines, including law, philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, cultural studies, literature, and related fields.

    This intensive workshop is conceived as a privileged opportunity for researchers to engage in in-depth exchanges with one another about a work in progress or a publication project, in a more intimate setting than that of the main conference, while also fostering lasting connections within the research community concerned with animals. It enables participants to discuss their research projects in small groups and to receive constructive critical feedback in preparation for conference presentations, publications, or job talks. The aim is to help researchers refine, enrich, and deepen their ideas.

    Format

    The workshop day will be devoted to the discussion of four papers. Each paper will be discussed in a session structured as follows: a researcher will first briefly present their work in progress. The paper will have been circulated to participants in advance, allowing for careful prior reading. A designated respondent will then offer comments on the paper. Workshop participants will subsequently engage in constructive discussion, questions, and critique of the work.

    May 16, 2026 – Conference opened to the public

    8:30 am – 9:00 am Registration and welcome
    9:00 am – 9:15 am Opening remarks
    9:15 am – 10:15 am

    Comparative perspectives: Reforming animal law in France and Québec

    • Sophie Gaillard (SPCA)
    • Romy Sutra (Université Toulouse Capitole)
    10:15 am – 12:15 pm

    Reforming the foundations of law

    • Virginie Simoneau-Gilbert (Université Queen’s)
    • Michaël Lessard (Université de Sherbrooke)
    • Hania Kassoul (Université Côte d’Azur)
    • Alexandra Popovici (Université de Sherbrooke)
    12:15 – 1:30 pm  Lunch
    1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

    Reforming legal practice

    • Marie-Claude St-Amant (Melançon Marceau Grenier Cohen)
    • Chloé Surprenant (BFGJ & Morasses Avocats)
    • Nicolas Morello (Communauté Droit animalier Québec – DAQ)
    3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  Break
    3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

    Those left behind by Québec animal law

    • Stéphanie Roy (Université de Sherbrooke)
    • Gabrielle Perras St-Jean (INRS)
    5:00 pm – 7:00 pm  Reception with vegan hors d’oeuvres

    *Please note that the workshop will be conducted in French.

    For any inquiries: info@oqda.org

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  • Economic Philosophy Reading Group @ Room Édouard-Montpetit, 3rd floor, HEC

    14 h 30 – 16 h 00

    Please note that the event will now take place in the Édouard-Montpetit Room (HEC), on the 3rd floor of the Côte-Sainte-Catherine Building (near the elevators).

    You are cordially invited to the final meeting of the season for the Economic Philosophy Reading Group, which will be held in hybrid format (Zoom) on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Montreal time). The meeting will take place in room Édouard-Montpetit (HEC), on the 3rd floor of the Côte-Sainte-Catherine Building.

    This session will focus on a text by Nicolás Aguila, Paula Haufe and Joscha Wullweber entitled “The ecor as global special purpose money: towards a green international monetary system to finance sustainable and just transformation”. To participate via Zoom, click here.

    To receive the text, please write to the organizers: Morgane Delorme (morgane.delorme1@umontreal.ca); Gabriel Monette (gabriel.monette@hec.ca); and Nicolas Pinsonneault (nicolas.pinsonneault@hec.ca).

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  • “La problématique des éthiques endogènes : vers un universalisme pluraliste” @ Room 309, CRÉ, hybrid mode

    13 h 00 – 14 h 30

    The CRÉ is pleased to welcome Anatole Fogou  (Universities of Maroua and Buea, Cameroon), who is undertaking a research stay at the Centre as part of a partnership between the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ) and the Laboratory for Ethics and Public Policy (EthicsLab) at the Catholic University of Central Africa (Yaoundé, Cameroon).

    Anatole Fogou will present a talk entitled “The Problematic of Endogenous Ethics: Toward a Pluralistic Universalism,” followed by a commentary delivered via videoconference by Thierry Ngosso (University of Hamburg & Chair of Business Ethics, Technical University of Munich; Founding Director, EthicsLab).

    Chair: Ryoa Chung (Université de Montréal)

    Abstract

    Contemporary moral thought is marked by a crisis of normative foundations and by the persistence of deep disagreements regarding the criteria for the justification of action. At the same time, globalization has fostered the emergence of norms with universal aspirations, often formulated within particular cultural frameworks. This paper examines the legitimacy of such universalist claims in a context of moral pluralism. It argues that a reflective engagement with endogenous ethics provides a promising avenue for rethinking the conditions of a non-hegemonic universalism. Far from leading to relativism, this approach opens the possibility of a pluralistic universalism grounded in intercultural dialogue and in the recognition of context.

    Keywords: endogenous ethics, moral pluralism, contextualism, universalism, bioethics.

    To join via Zoom, please click here (Meeting ID: 871 9735 6788; Passcode: 9Me2EW)

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  • 2025-2026 Annual Transatlantic Workshop in Practical Philosophy @ Online.

    12 May – 13 May All day

    You are cordially invited to the next Annual Transatlantic Workshop in Practical Philosophy, scheduled for May 12–13, 2026.

    To join via zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 841 3736 0747; Secret Code: 9Me2EW).

    The conference, which will be held online, will be divided into two half-days:

    Tuesday, May 12, 2026

    • 9:00 a.m. — 9:05 a.m.: Opening remarks

    First panel, chaired by Ryoa Chung (CRÉ, University of Montreal)

    • 9:05 a.m. — 9:50 a.m.: Meredith Sheeks (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), “Artificial Intelligence and Epistemic Expertise”
    • 9:50 a.m. — 10:35 a.m.: Cécile Rosat (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), “The Feeling of Relational Responsibility and Narratives”

    Second panel, chaired by Sarah Stroud (Parr Centre, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

    • 10:50 a.m. — 11:35 a.m.: Maëva Herriau (Catholic University of Louvain), “Basic Equality Between Adults and Children”
    • 11:35 a.m. — 12:20 p.m.: Cléo Salion-Girault (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), “Can the Practice of Medicalized Assistance in Dying be Conceptualized as ‘Care’?”

    Wednesday, May 13, 2026

    Third panel, chaired by Magali Bessone (NoSoPHi, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)

    • 9:05 a.m. — 9:50 a.m.: Morgane Delorme (University of Montreal), “From Financial Literacy to Financial Justice”
    • 9:50 p.m. — 10:35 a.m.: Caterina Donelli (Catholic University of Louvain), “Limiting Wealth to Address the Climate Crisis: A Green Case for Limitarianism”

    Fourth panel, chaired by Samuel Dishaw (Hoover Chair, Catholic University of Louvain)

    • 10:50 a.m. — 11:35 a.m.: Tommy Johnson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), “Owning and Giving: Virtue Ethics and the Moral Tragedy of Climate Displacement”
    • 11:35 a.m. — 12:20 p.m.: Will Gildea (McGill University), “Casal on Interspecies Justice without Over-demandingness”

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  • Political Philosophy for a Better World @ Université Laval

    6 May – 8 May All day

    Bilingual conference jointly organized by the Department of Political Science at Université Laval, the Chair in Democracy and Public Ethics (Université Laval), and the Centre for Research in Ethics (CRÉ).

    We are pleased to welcome Jonathan Wolff (Oxford) and Daniel Weinstock (McGill) as our two keynote speakers.

    Summary

    The conference aims to explore how political philosophy can be mobilized to address the major challenges we face as a society – such as the climate crisis, the rise of populism, the erosion of democratic norms, and radicalization. In this context of polycrisis, there is a need to create a space for reflection dedicated to addressing these pressing problems. Hence the appeal to political philosophy, which is by nature a normative discipline: its objective is to provide us with norms and guidelines to help us move towards a more just society. However, it is not enough to have good ideas and policies; we need ideas and policies that will be supported by the population. It is therefore worth noting that there is a link between distributive justice and social acceptability, in that there is empirical evidence supporting the idea that fair distributions enjoy greater popular support. Thus, this discipline stands to gain significantly by directly addressing the major challenges we face today and by doing so in a way that brings knowledge out of the confines of academia.

    This conference will therefore bring together renowned researchers to reflect on and formulate recommendations to help address these major challenges, including climate change, the rise of populism, disinformation, and the erosion of democratic norms. The presentations will therefore not be solely intended for the academic community, but rather for society at large. Presenters are encouraged to formulate clear recommendations, regardless of the stage of development of the problem they are considering. Researchers are invited (but not required) to shed light on concrete public decisions that have been or will be made, using specific examples (public policies, bills, evidence-based data), thereby demonstrating both how political philosophy is essential for understanding these issues and how it helps us move towards solutions that can garner broad public support.

    Schedule: 

    Wednesday, May 6, 2026

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm·: Welcome table

    • 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Student Panel 1, chaired by Alexandre Gajevic Sayegh (ULaval).
      • Molly Dea Stephenson (McGill), Ecotage and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: On Defensive Justification of Putatively Hopeless Climate Activism;
      • Ester Palm (UdeM), Repenser la justice à partir du ‘travail animal’ et du ‘prolétariat du sentient’;
      • Sasha Emanuel Mossu (ULavaL), Différentes crises, différentes philanthropies : quelle durée de vie pour les fondations ?.

    2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Coffee Break Coffee and snacks will be served

    • 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Student Panel 2, chaired by Sylvie Loriaux (ULaval).
      • David Oh (McGill), Reconsidering (Dis)trust: Reluctant Reliance and Normative Expectations;
      • Mélanie Guillemette (ULaval), Ce que les injustices épistémiques et l’ignorance active font à la démocratie;
      • Alexandre Petitclerc (UdeM), Le court-métrage documentaire et la philosophie politique: au delà de la mobilisation des connaissances.

    6:50 pm – 7:30 pm: A pleasant walk in the Parc and the Citadel with stunning views of the city, and the Parliament.

    7:30 pm – 10:00 pm: Dinner in lively St-Jean Baptiste neighbourhood at Le Hobbit.

    Thursday, May 7, 2026

    9:45 am – 10:15 am: Welcome and Coffee

    • 10:15 am – 10:30 am: Opening remarks.
      • Conference organizer Alexandre Gajevic Sayegh will set the tone with a brief overview of the conference’s themes and a warm welcome to all participants.
    • 10:30 am – 12h00 pm: Panel 1, Structural Change and the Aesthetics of Equality, présidée par François Blais (ULaval).
      • Mauro Rossi (UQAM) – An Account of Structural Change – CANCELED;
      • Christian Nadeau (UdeM) – Mouvements sociaux et fragilisation de l’État de droit.

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Atrium Lunch

    • 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Panel 2, Taxation, Capital and the Moral Limits of Markets, chaired by Jérôme Gosselin-Tapp (ULaval).
      • Patrick Turmel (ULaval) – Dépasser la taxe Zucman: impôt sur le capital et démocratie;
      • Vida Panitch (Carleton) – The Moral Limits of Markets and Non ideal Justice.

    2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

    • 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Panel 3, Pipelines, Resistance, Climate Action and Populism, chaired by Naïma Hamrouni (UQTR).

    4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Coffee Break 

    6:15 pm – 9:00 pm: Reception Drinks and a food buffet will be offered

    Friday, May 8, 2026

    9:30 am – 10:00 am:  Welcome and coffee

    • 10:00 AM – 12:00 pm: Panel 4, Social Movements and Ghost Work, chaired by Sylvie Loriaux (ULaval).
      • Jocelyn Maclure and Hugo Cossette-Lefebvre (McGill) – Freedom of Speech, Autonomy and Epistemic Dependence;
      • Denise Celentano (UdeM) – Ghost Work: Conceptual and Normative Concerns.

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Atrium Lunch

    • 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Panel 5, Institutional Distrust and Political Emotions, chaired by Ryoa Chung (UdeM).
      • Natalie Stoljar and David Ho (McGill) – What is Institutional Distrust?;
      • Laura Silva (ULaval) – On People’s Passion: On Emotion and Populism.

    2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

    • 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Panel 6, Education and Democracy, chaired by Patrick Turmel (ULaval).
      • Arash Abizadeh (McGill) – Popular Sovereignty vs Democracy: Or, How Rousseau Killed Democracy;
      • Andrée-Anne Cormier (ENAP) – Democratic Education Today: Political Philosophy, Civic Skills, and Higher Education – CANCELED.

    4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Coffee Break 

    • 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Keynote Session, chaired by Ryoa Chung (UdeM).

    7:00 pm – 8 :00 pm: Walk Old Town Gorgeous walk from Hotel Le Concorde through Quebec City’s famous old town. 

    8:00 pm – 10:30 pm: Le Don Dinner at Le Don, eclectic vegan spot for food and cocktails in beautiful Basse Ville.

    Conference organizers: Alexandre Gajevic Sayegh (Associate Professor, Political Science, ULaval) Ryoa Chung (Full Professor, Philosophy, UdeM) Patrick Turmel (Full Professor, Philosophy, ULaval) Alexandre Petitclerc (PhD candidate, Philosophy, UdeM).

    Our partners:
    Chaire de recherche Démocratie et éthique publique
    Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ)
    Département de science politique, Université Laval
    Faculté de philosophie, Université Laval
    Institut d’éthique appliquée (IDÉA), Université Laval
    Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire sur la normativité (GRIN)
    Faculté des sciences sociales, Université Laval

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  • Chrisoula Andreou (University of Utah) @ Room 309, CRÉ, hybrid

    12 h 00 – 13 h 30

    The CRÉ welcomes Chrisoula Andreou (University of Utah), who will give a presentation entitled “Benevolence, Free-Riding, and Efficacy.”

    To participate via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 704 532 7051; Passcode: 9Me2EW).

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  • Tyler DesRoches (Arizona State University) @ Room 309, CRÉ, hybrid

    12 h 00 – 13 h 30

    The members of the CRÉ’s Ethics and Economics Axis are pleased to welcome Tyler DesRoches (Arizona State University), who will present a paper co-authored with his colleagues Paul Bartha, Kian Mintz-Woo, Angela Rodriguez, and Daniel Steel, entitled “Climate Nudging, Climate Catastrophe and Cost-Benefit Analysis.”

    To join via Zoom, please click here (Meeting ID: 815 3210 8882; Passcode: 9Me2EW).

    Chair: François Claveau (University of Sherbrooke)

    Abstract

    Green nudges (GNs) are increasingly popular behavioral interventions aimed at mitigating environmentally mediated harm, particularly in the context of climate change. Examples include default enrollment in renewable energy programs and real-time feedback on energy consumption, designed to promote sustainable behaviors by leveraging behavioral insights and social norms (Thaler and Sunstein 2008; Allcott 2011).

    The justification of GNs traditionally relies on cost-benefit analysis (CBA), which quantifies the total costs and benefits, factoring in probabilities to maximize expected utility (Sunstein and Reisch 2013; DesRoches et al. 2023). However, the application of CBA faces significant challenges when GNs involve potential catastrophic outcomes associated with climate change and climate nudging. These include violating basic human rights, potential civilization collapse, and ethical concerns over autonomy and paternalism (Caney 2010; Steel et al. 2022; Berlin 1969).

    This article argues that the qualitative distinction between catastrophic and non-catastrophic outcomes poses a challenge for traditional CBA. While CBA is adept at assessing ordinary costs and benefits, it struggles to accommodate the putative catastrophic outcomes linked to climate change and climate nudging. To address this challenge, this article considers the lexical precautionary principle (LPP) as a viable decision-making framework for climate nudging. Unlike CBA’s decision rule, maximize expected utility, LPP maximizes lexical utility, thereby prioritizing the avoidance of catastrophic outcomes (Bartha and DesRoches 2021; Steel and Bartha 2022).

    This article makes two original contributions to two different literatures, one negative and one positive: the first is to the literature on the ethical permissibility of green nudging. Our claim is that the received view on justifying GNs should be amended for the special case of climate nudging when catastrophic outcomes are at stake. If climate nudging involves the prospect of catastrophic outcomes and CBA cannot handle the distinction between non-catastrophic and catastrophic outcomes, then a decision-making framework that can accommodate such outcomes should be given careful consideration. Second, our article shows how the LPP can apply to climate nudging, which is a contribution to the theoretical literature on the precautionary principle. We argue that LPP offers a notable advantage over CBA by accommodating the qualitative distinction between catastrophic and non-catastrophic outcomes, even when policymakers disagree or foresee multiple catastrophes.

    References

    Allcott, H. 2011. Social norms and energy conservation. Journal of Public Economics, 95(9-10), 1082-1095.

    Bartha, Paul and C. Tyler DesRoches. 2021. “Modeling the Precautionary Principle with Lexical Utilities.”Synthese 199, 8701–8740.

    Berlin, Isaiah. 1969. “Two Concepts of Liberty.” In Four Essays on Liberty, 118–172. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Caney, Simon. 2010. “Climate Change, Human Rights, and Moral Thresholds,” Climate Ethics: Essential Readings. New York: Oxford Academic.

    DesRoches, C. Tyler, Daniel Fischer, Julia Silver, Philip Arthur, Rebecca Livernois, Timara Crichlow, Gil Hersch, Michiru Nagatsu and Joshua K. Abbott. 2023. “When is Green Nudging Ethically Permissible?”Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 60C.101236.

    Steel, Daniel, C. Tyler DesRoches and Kian Mintz-Woo. 2022. “Climate Change and the Threat to Civilization.” Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences of the United States of America 119 (42) e2210525119.

    Steel, Daniel, and Paul Bartha. 2022. “Trade-offs and the Precautionary Principle: A Lexicographic Utility Approach.” Risk Analysis. 43 (2): 260-268.

    Sunstein, Cass R. and Lucia A. Reisch. “Green by Default.” Kyklos 66 (3): 398-402.

    Thaler, R. H., and Sunstein, C. R. 2008. Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press.

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Kory Schaff (California State University, Los Angeles) @ Online.

    12 h 00 – 13 h 30

    Kory P. Schaff (California State University, Los Angeles) will give a presentation entitled “Free from Work? Dependence, Independence, and Automation” as part of the activities of the Philosophy of Work Network.

    The activities of the Philosophy of Work Network are open to researchers and graduate students with research interests in this area. Please write to the organizers, Denise Celentano (denise.celentano@umontreal.ca) and Pablo Gilabert (pablo.gilabert@concordia.ca), to receive the Zoom link.

    Abstract

    The automation of tasks accelerating in the labor market threatens a sizeable portion of workers with unemployment through no fault of their own. While technological unemployment in general is thought to be temporary, many economists are worried that the scope and depth of automation now taking place will leave many permanently unemployed. This threat raises the obvious question: what will they do for their own welfare including the satisfaction of needs and pursuit of life plans? Underlying this question is a conception of freedom that includes some form of self-sufficiency: that is, individuals are independent insofar as they can satisfy their own welfare. In this paper, I explore the arguments in support of this conception and evaluate whether they serve as the basis for a critique of automation. The philosophical question pursued here is, can one be “free” without work?

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  • Economic Philosophy Reading Group – Special Edition @ Room 2.880 (space z), 2nd floor, HEC

    10 h 00 – 11 h 00

    You are cordially invited to a special session of the Philosophy of Economics Reading Group, which will be held in hybrid format (Zoom) on Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Montreal time). The meeting will take place in room 2.880 (space z), 2nd floor at HEC, 3000 Côte Ste-Catherine (in the premises of the Alphonse-et-Dorimène-Desjardins International Institute of Cooperatives at the end of the hallway next to the library).

    This session will focus on a chapter from the book by Tyler DesRoches (Arizona State University) titled A New Theory of Consumer Well-Being. Tyler will lead the session in person, but it will also be possible to attend remotely via Zoom using the following link.

    Please note that Tyler will also present another article titled “Climate Nudging, Climate Catastrophe, and Cost-Benefit Analysis” from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in room 309 of the CRÉ.

    Pour receive the text, please write to the organizers: Morgane Delorme (morgane.delorme1@umontreal.ca); Gabriel Monette (gabriel.monette@hec.ca); and Nicolas Pinsonneault (nicolas.pinsonneault@hec.ca).

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  • Conference on the theme of “Trust” @ Salle C-2059, Carrefour des arts et des sciences, Pavillon Lionel-Groulx, Université de Montréal, mode hybride

    All day

    The Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ) is pleased to announce a workshop devoted to the theme of Trust, which will mark the launch of its new flagship research theme.

    Few would dispute the importance of this notion, which cuts across multiple research axes and contexts of analysis: institutional trust and distrust, the role of mistrust in vaccine hesitancy, trust in the patient–physician relationship, among others. This workshop aims to bring together CRÉ researchers working on these issues in order to present their work in progress, share avenues for reflection, and foster discussion and collaboration.

    Designed as an open and stimulating space for exchange, the event will place a strong emphasis on discussion, in a deliberately informal format conducive to the exploration of new ideas.

    Schedule:

    • 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Welcome & launch of thème phare – Kristin Voigt (McGill)
    • 9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.: Natalie Stoljar (McGill) and David Oh (McGill): “What is Institutional Distrust?”
    • 10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.: Daniel Weinstock (McGill): “Why (and when) to distrust”
    • 11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.: Alexis Morin-Martel (McGill): “Vicarious Distrust”
    • 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch
    • 1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.: Abraham Tobi (UdeM): “Relational Trust-Building”
    • 2:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.: Aude Bandini (UdeM): “Would you trust a stranger? The role of authenticity and relatability in online peer-support groups” (via Zoom)
    • 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.: Ian Gold (McGill): “Institutional Trust, Vaccine Hesitancy, and Conspiracy Thinking During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
    • 4:30 p.m. – 5:20 p.m.: Kristin Voigt (McGill): “Equality, distrust and public health policy: how (not) to ban menthol cigarettes”
    • 5:20 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.: Closing remarks – David Oh (McGill), Natalie Stoljar (McGill), Kristin Voigt (McGill)

    Everyone is welcome. Please register before April 26, 2026, via the following link.

    We very much hope you will be able to join us.

    To participate via Zoom, please click here (Meeting ID: 827 5605 4721; Passcode: 392745).

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  • Charles Côté-Bouchard (Collège Montmorency) @ Room 309, CRÉ, hybrid

    12 h 30 – 14 h 00

    The CRÉ is pleased to welcome Charles Côté-Bouchard (Collège Montmorency), who will give a talk entitled “Le brain rot et son importance: un examen sceptique.”

    Abstract

    The aim of this presentation is to shed philosophical light on the concept and phenomenon of brain rot. Translatable as digital stupefaction or mental dulling, the term has recently entered common usage and has quickly become ubiquitous in discussions about our use of the web. It was also named Word of the Year 2024 by the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary, who define it roughly as follows:

    The supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state as a result of overconsumption of content (especially online) that is trivial or not intellectually stimulating.

    But what exactly is brain rot? What kind of mental or intellectual deterioration is at issue? Is brain rot necessarily or conceptually bad? Are we right to fear this phenomenon? Does it really designate something new and distinctive? After distinguishing several of the main uses of the expression, I defend a generally skeptical stance regarding both the significance of brain rot and the theoretical usefulness of the concept.

    To participate via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 883 6649 5097; Password: 478352.)

    Please note that the presentation will be in English.

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  • (Décom)poser les limites : dialogues et enjeux actuels @ Room 223, University of Montréal, hybrid mode

    8 h 45 – 17 h 00

    Join us for the 2025–2026 CRÉ Annual Graduate Fellows Conference! This year, the conference will feature three sessions and roundtables: the first session will focus on social limits and normativity; the second will address the nature of political, economic, and ecological limits; and the third will explore limits and mortality. See below for abstracts for each presentation and session.

    To participate via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 704 532 7051; Secret code: 9Me2EW)

    Schedule:

    • 8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.: Coffee and welcome snacks
    • 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.: Opening remarks, Ryoa Chung (UdeM), co-director of the CRÉ

    First session – focus on social norms – chaired by Alex Stankovich (UdeS), “Les limites à la reconnaissance des savoirs expérientiels : une discussion croisée entre les milieux académique et pratique”

    • 9:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Presentations by Reem Alameddine (Mauve Clinic, UdeM, UQÀM), “Habiter l’entre-deux : produire du savoir depuis une position située”; Aude Bandini (UdeM), “Savoirs expérientiels et extractivisme épistémique”; Amandine Catala (UQÀM), “Savoirs expérientiels et justice épistémique dans le contexte de la neurodiversité”; and Fernanda Pérez-Gay Juárez (McGill; Neurophilosophy Lab), “Des vécus pluriels aux savoirs reconnus : patient·es, clinicien·nes et chercheur·es en circulation”
    • 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: Break

    Second session – focus on the nature of political, economic, and ecological constraints – chaired by Olivier Boucher (UdeM) and Nohémie Bokuma (Concordia), “Les limites économiques et politiques : réflexions sur la gestion collective des limites”

    • 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Presentations by Denise Celentano (UdeM), “Les limites du travail”; and Michaël Lemelin (UdeM), “L’argument démocratique en faveur du limitarisme à l’épreuve de la stagnation économique”
    • 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

    Third session – focus on limits and mortality – chaired by Olivier Boucher (UdeM), “Les limites et la mortalité : trois voies/voix de réflexion sur l’expérience de la finitude”

    • 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Presentations by Louise La Fontaine (AQSP, UdeS); France Lacharité (UdeS); and Vincent Rochelle (ULaval)
    • 3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.: Break
    • 3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Plenary session – chaired by Alex Stankovich (UdeS) ; Sophie Djigo (Laboratoire STL, Lille ; Institut Convergences Migrations), “Frontières et limites : Déjouer le blanchiment / résister en solidarité”
    • 4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Closing remarks

    First session: “Les limites à la reconnaissance des savoirs expérientiels : une discussion croisée entre le milieu académique et les milieux de pratique”

    Participants: Reem Alameddine (Clinique Mauve, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal), Aude Bandini (Université de Montréal), Amandine Catala (Université du Québec à Montréal) and Fernanda Pérez Gay Juárez (PGY-2, psychiatrie, McGill University; Neurophilosophy Lab).

    Description of the roundtable 

    L’université comme institution, avec sa vocation pédagogique non-négligeable, entretient un rôle sociétal fort. Ayant centralement des buts épistémiques (ex. : création/conservation/révision des savoirs), elle a une implication, à degré variable, sur ce que nous considérons comme un savoir dit « valide » ‒ qui possède (ou non) une expertise, quoi devrait être étudié ‒ et assure la transmission de ces connaissances au public. Ce pouvoir lui génère donc aussi des responsabilités épistémiques.

    Sachant que toutes les voix ne sont pas audibles et que toutes les expériences ne sont pas visibles, pour l’axe Normativités sociales du colloque annuel des boursier·ère·s du CRÉ, nous avons décidé de saisir l’occasion de mettre en dialogue des intervenant·e·s des milieux universitaires, pratiques et aussi ceux·celles qui se trouvent entre les deux. Bien que notre table ronde n’ait pas la prétention d’entamer un changement systémique ou institutionnel, nous croyons qu’une réflexion fertile pourrait éclore sur la pertinence des savoirs situés et de la (ou des) (in)justice(s) épistémique(s), afin de repenser les pratiques hégémoniques de production des connaissances.

    Reem Alameddine (Clinique Mauve, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal)

    “Habiter l’entre-deux : produire du savoir depuis une position située”

    Abstract

    Cette présentation propose une réflexion située sur les limites à la reconnaissance des savoirs expérientiels, à partir d’un double ancrage en recherche doctorale et en pratique clinique à la Clinique Mauve. En mobilisant une posture d’ethnographie féministe, elle met en lumière les tensions liées à la position de chercheuse à la fois « insider » et « outsider », ainsi que les enjeux éthiques et épistémiques associés à la production, à la traduction et à la représentation des savoirs issus des personnes musulmanes LGBTQI+.

    À partir d’exemples concrets, notamment en contexte de pratiques transaffirmatives et intersectionnelles, la présentation interroge les conditions de légitimité des savoirs expérientiels dans les milieux académiques et institutionnels, et souligne les dynamiques de pouvoir qui continuent de structurer leur reconnaissance. Elle propose enfin des pistes de réflexion visant à repenser les rapports entre savoirs académiques, communautaires et expérientiels, dans une perspective de justice épistémique et de transformation des pratiques.

    Aude Bandini (Université de Montréal)

    “Savoirs expérientiels et extractivisme épistémique”

    Abstract

    À première vue, la notion de “savoir expérientiel” constitue un outil prometteur que l’on gagnerait à intégrer à l’appareillage théorique de l’épistémologie sociale. Dans cette présentation, je défendrais cependant la thèse selon laquelle après réflexion, ce concept n’a pas la robustesse nécessaire pour ce faire, en raison des tensions internes qui en rendent la définition nécessairement confuse, et le rendent particulièrement susceptible de faire l’objet de diverses instrumentalisations et de pratiques extractivistes dommageables pour les personnes concernées.

    Amandine Catala (Université du Québec à Montréal)

    “Savoirs expérientiels et justice épistémique dans le contexte de la neurodiversité”

    Abstract

    Cette présentation souligne l’importance des savoirs expérientiels et des perspectives à la première personne des personnes autistes pour cultiver une plus grande justice épistémique. Je commence par un bref survol de ma théorie pluraliste de l’agentivité et de l’injustice épistémiques, qui inclut non seulement les savoirs propositionnels mais aussi pratiques, tacites, incarnés et affectifs. Je montre ensuite en quoi cette théorie pluraliste peut s’appliquer dans le contexte de la neurodiversité et de l’autisme.

    Fernanda Pérez Gay Juárez (PGY-2, psychiatrie, McGill University; Neurophilosophy Lab)

    “Des vécus pluriels aux savoirs reconnus : patient·es, clinicien·nes et chercheur·es en circulation”

    Abstract

    Cette intervention examine comment les savoirs expérientiels en santé mentale, ancrés dans le vécu des patient·es et la pratique des clinicien·nes, s’articulent avec les savoirs produits en recherche. Elle met en lumière les tensions éthiques liées aux hiérarchies entre formes d’expérience et à leur reconnaissance académique.

    Second session: “Les limites économiques et politiques : réflexions sur la gestion collective des limites”

    Participants: Olivier Boucher (Université de Montréal), Denise Celentano (Université de Montréal) and Michaël Lemelin (Université de Montréal).

    Description of the roundtable

    Alors que les inégalités ne font que s’aggraver à travers le monde, en 2026, nous constatons qu’il a fallu moins de 9 heures pour que les 100 patrons d’entreprises les mieux payées au Canada « empochent l’équivalent du salaire annuel moyen des travailleurs ». Ainsi, de ce même constat où les élites, une minorité, accumulent une richesse écrasante et sans fin au détriment des plus pauvres, Professeure Ingrid Robeyns introduit le concept du limitarisme. En soulignant que l’extrême richesse affaiblit la démocratie, est incompatible avec le bien-être de tous et a des impacts considérables sur notre environnement, Robeyns met de l’avant une question importante pour nos invités, celle de la nécessité des limites par rapport à l’économie et la politique. Ainsi, cette discussion cherche à introduire des réflexions critiques sur le capitalisme et la précarité qu’il entraîne à tous les niveaux, en plus de la manière dont les limites peuvent servir d’outils afin de réimaginer le monde d’aujourd’hui.

    Third session: “Limites et mortalités : trois voies/voix de réflexion sur l’expérience de la finitude”

    Participants: France Lacharité (Université de Sherbrooke), Louise La Fontaine (AQSP, Université de Sherbrooke) and Vincent Rochelle (Université Laval).

    Description of the roundtable

    Alors que nos sociétés sont de plus en plus confrontées aux frontières de la vie humaine, les limites de nos existences et de notre rapport à la mort sont ici mises en question. Dans ce contexte, la Dre Louise La Fontaine, Ph. D., (médecin à la retraite, spécialisé en soins palliatifs et présidente de l’Association québécoise de soins palliatifs, professeure associée au Centre d’études du religieux contemporain de l’Université de Sherbrooke), entamera une discussion avec France Lacharité (doctorante en études du religieux contemporain à l’Université de Sherbrooke et proche aidante) et Vincent Rochelle (doctorant en philosophie à l’Université Laval). En croisant des savoirs issus de la pratique clinique, de l’expérience vécue et de la réflexion philosophique, cette rencontre des différentes voies/voix permettra d’interroger les manières dont la finitude humaine est comprise, habitée et accompagnée. Elle ouvrira également un espace de réflexion sur les expériences subjectives et les horizons de sens qui émergent à l’approche de la mort. Les échanges mettront ainsi en dialogue les aspects pratique des expériences de la finitude vécues lors de l’accompagnement de personnes malades et de leurs proches en soins palliatifs, en lien avec des dimensions théoriques et conceptuelles.

    — Keynote speaker —

    Sophie Djigo (Laboratoire STL [Savoirs, Textes, Langage], Lille; Institut Convergences Migrations)

    “Frontières et limites : Déjouer le blanchiment / résister en solidarité”

    Sophie Djigo est une philosophe engagée, professeure de philosophie en khâgne et directrice de recherche au Collège International de Philosophie, également chercheure affiliée au laboratoire STL (Savoirs, Textes, Langage) à Lille ainsi qu’à l’Institut Convergences Migrations. Spécialiste des questions migratoires, elle s’impose comme une philosophe de terrain en menant des enquêtes approfondies auprès des personnes en exil à Calais, Londres, Paris-La Chapelle, et Bruxelles. Ses recherches explorent la condition migrante, les politiques migratoires françaises et européennes, ainsi que les différentes formes de solidarité. Défenseure des droits, elle a fondé en 2018 le collectif citoyen Migraction59, dédié à l’accueil et au soutien des personnes migrantes. Plus récemment, ses travaux se sont concentrés sur les liens entre les questions migratoires et la politisation des quartiers populaires, soulignant l’urgence d’une réflexion critique sur les dynamiques sociales et politiques à l’œuvre dans ces contextes. Elle a notamment publié Les migrants de Calais (2016), Aux frontières de la démocratie (2019), Des philosophes sur le terrain (2022) et il y a quelques semaines: La solidarité n’est pas un crime (Textuel).

    Abstract

    La notion de limite se trouve au cœur de l’élaboration du régime de frontière. Or, le régime de frontière, en fabriquant des limites, en particulier ethno-nationales, ouvre la possibilité d’un régime d’action « sans limites » du point de vue pratique et moral, qui court-circuite toutes les règles de l’action et les lois. Ce régime déploie un processus de frontiérisation de la solidarité, qui l’enferme dans des limites ethno-nationales, au-delà desquelles « tout est permis ». Il fonctionne par un double geste d’affirmation-abolition: affirmation des lois et du droit à l’intérieur de l’espace national et au profit des citoyens/ abolition des droits à l’extérieur, notamment dans les espaces coloniaux ou marqués par la colonialité. Cela est rendu possible par un épaississement et une démultiplication de la frontière, y compris à l’intérieur de l’espace national, en fabriquant des catégories hors-la-loi et privées de droit. Historiquement, l’impérialisme colonial repose sur l’accumulation primitive des richesses, qui constitue justement l’objet d’un effacement, ou plutôt, d’un processus de blanchiment: les violences de la spoliation coloniale sont légalisées, normalisées, invisibilisées par les États de droit qui peuvent ensuite assurer le règne de la stabilité et d’une relative abondance au sein de leur territoire, tout en niant son coût à l’extérieur. Pire, pour perpétuer l’accumulation, les États de droit occidentaux continuent à piller dans d’autres territoires, en toute impunité. Ce qui est obtenu illégalement d’un côté de la limite est transformé en propriété légitime de l’autre. C’est le blanchiment — avec toute la connotation raciale qu’il implique aussi. Ce processus de blanchiment contraste avec la criminalisation de ceux que l’on appelle les “passeurs”. Il y a alors deux formes de transgression des limites, l’une, qui est blanchie et légitimée malgré sa violence, l’autre, qui est criminalisée et condamnée alors qu’elle repose sur le droit fondamental de libre circulation et la quête d’asile. Un double processus opère d’une part, à travers la légitimation de pratiques transgressives et immorales et d’autre part, avec la disqualification des acteurs qui tentent de contourner, transgresser, subvertir le régime de frontières et de revenir à une limite commune — celle des mêmes droits pour tous. Dans un monde où la solidarité se retrouve frontiérisée par des clôtures (sociales, nationales, ethno-nationales), transgresser les frontières de la solidarité permet de remettre une limite à l’exercice de la violence coloniale.

    *Please note that this event will take place in French.

    Organized by Olivier Boucher (Université de Montréal), Nohémie Bokuma (Concordia University), Melissa Hernández-Parra (Université de Montréal), France Lacharité (Université de Sherbrooke), Vincent Rochelle (Université Laval) and Alex Stankovich (Université de Sherbrooke).

    Poster design: Déborah Léa Girard Iduma.

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