Friday, August 17, 2018

Call for Papers: Systems Theory and Human Rights

A call for papers has been issued for a conference on "Systems Theory and Human Rights," to be held at Lancaster University on October 18, 2018. Here's the call:

Recent years have seen a blossoming of scholarship on the philosophical concept of human rights, and the related notion of human rights law, with contributions from authors as diverse as Allen Buchanan, Charles Beitz, Costas Douzinas, James Griffin, and Gunther Teubner. The objective of this roundtable is to consider the distinctive offering from systems theory to the debate, including the closed systems theory of autopoiesis and open theory of complexity.

The Conference will include presentations by Christopher Thornhill (A Sociology of Transnational Constitutions (CUP, 2016) and Steven Wheatley (The Idea of International Human Rights Law (OUP, 2019).

The organisers welcome proposals from anyone working in this area, including PhD students and Early Career Researchers. There is no charge for attendance, and refreshments will be provided. Unfortunately, we are unable to help with travel and other costs.

If you are interested in present, please send a brief outline (no more than 500 words) to Professor Steven Wheatley (s.wheatley@lancaster.ac.uk) by 14 September.

If you are interested in attending without presenting, please also let us know.