The Leo Apostel Center
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in collaboration with the Doctoral Programme of the VUB invites
everyone to the 29th of its interdisciplinary seminars in the
Foundations series. In this series CLEA invites scholars that are
actively engaged in the research on the foundations of a particular
discipline. Their lectures will always be directed to an
interdisciplinary audience, and the discussions aim at confronting
the foundations of the different disciplines.

                    Arguments for moral realism
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                      by Prof. Dr. Koen Raes

                       (University of Ghent)


Friday, May 22 1998 at 5 p.m. in room G 020 (building G, esplanade)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Campus Oefenplein

About the lecture
******************

In the last decades, moral philosophy could develop very succesfully,
thanks to analytical rigor in clarifying the moral point of view.
However, the problem of the 'foundation of values' was rather
neglected and some philosophers - such as Rorty - even interpreted
Rawlsian constructivism - the tradition which is shared by most
analytical philosophers - as 'beyond foundationalism' - or
metaphysics - and proclaimed the priority of intersubjectivity to
truth or objectivity. Moral philosophy became, from such a point of
view, more and more integrated in the philosophy of language as a
particular form of action.
As far as social problems concerning interhuman relations were
analysed, there seemed to be not very much need for an objective - or
realist - theory of value. Yet, the more recent developments within
environmental and animal ethics on the one hand, and the revival of
Aristotelian 'virtue ethics' confront such
intersubjective/communicative/linguistic approaches with irresolvable
problems. Nowadays it is within these branches of ethics that the most
promising research in moral realism is going on.

About the speaker
*****************

Prof. Dr. Koen Raes (¡1954) is professor of applied ethics and legal
philosophy at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ghent where he
teaches courses in ethics, the sociology of values, medical ethics,
media ethics, ethics and economics and ethics and law. He studied law
and moral philosophy at the same university and made his doctoral
dissertation on the theory of justice of John Rawls. In his work he
is mainly engaged in tresspassing borders both between disciplines as
between philosophical schools of thought. Thus, he is convinced of
the importance of sociological theory and empirical research for
ethical theory and though his work is highly influenced by the
analytical tradition in moral and political philosophy, he remains
faithful to the rather continental tradition of synthetic
theorybuilding and socio-cultural critique.
He publishes regularly in national and international journals and
amongst his books are Politieke problemen vandaag(1980), Aan hen de
keuze? Een kritisch essay over de ideologie van het neo-liberaal
bezitsindividualisme(1983) Het rechtvaardigheidsconcept van John
Rawls(1984), Opbouw en afbraak. Dialogen met Leo Apostel (with Jaak
van Landschoot)(1984), Socialisme in de postmoderniteit (1990),
Ongemakkelijk rechtt(1992), Een kwestie van behoren (with Freddy
Mortier)(1992), Het moeilijke ontmoeten. Verhalen van alledaagse
zedelijkheid (1997), Tegen betere wetten in. Een ethische kijk op het
recht (1997).
He is the editor of Proeven en troeven van het marxisme (1983), Het
recht op privacy en de sluiers van het recht (1988), Denkers van het
licht. Opstellen over revolutie, Verlichting en moderniteit (1989),
Plural legalities. Critical legal studies in Europe (with Roel De
Lange)(1991), Economische verklaringen van het recht (with Harry
Willekens)(1994) and Liefde's onrecht. Over het onmogelijke huwelijk
tussen liefde en recht  (1998).
He is also the editor of Philosophica issues 33/34 on A marxian
approach to the problem of justice (1984) and issue 56 on Political
neutrality and the welfare state (1995).
Koen Raes is editor in chief of Samenleving en Politiek  and Ethiek
en Maatschappij and is member of various editorial boards. He is a
member of some advisory ethical commissions on bio-medical issues and
president of the preventive chamber of the Flemish Health Commission.


The presentations with questions will last about an hour. Afterwards,
an hour or more is reserved for an in-depth, group discussion of the
topic. More info at the CLEA office: phone 02-644 26 77 or via the
Web-page: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CLEA/