The Society for Applied Philosophy (SAP) aims to promote the distinctive role of philosophical thinking in the examination and discussion of matters of practical consequence and public policy. Through conferences and workshops, the SAP fosters philosophical research on problems in such areas of social life as law, politics, economics, science, technology, medicine, and education.

Although the 2008 SAP conference will have no overarching theme, it will have a sub-theme of jus post bellum. Three of the seven keynote lectures and some of the concurrent paper sessions will be devoted to this topic.

Jus Post Bellum Sub-Theme
Just war theory has traditionally focused on the questions of when war can be justly declared ( jus ad bellum ), and how wars can be justly prosecuted ( jus in bello ), but far less work has been done on the requirements of justice once wars are over. There are difficult and important philosophical questions regarding post-war situations, which include, but are not limited to:

•  What, if any, are the general rights and duties of victorious states?

•  How do the criteria of jus ad bellum interact with those of jus post bellum ?

•  What role should non-state or international institutions play in post-war development and reconstruction?

•  What role does the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, so crucial to the theory of jus in bello , have in post-war justice?
•  Does the theory of jus post bellum apply in any way to wars without a foreseeable end point?
•  Can responsibility for unjust wars persist from one generation to the next?

 

 

Postgraduate Essay Prize
A prize will be awarded to the best postgraduate essay submission (awarded in advance of the conference on the basis of the full version of the paper after acceptance of the abstract). The winning student will receive free registration and accommodation at the conference as well as reimbursement for travel expenses.

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