Call for Papers

Princely Virtues in the Middle Ages, 1200-1500
Herrschertugenden im Mittelalter, 1200-1500
Les vertus princières au moyen âge, 1200-1500

Nijmegen (Netherlands), 8-9 October 2004

The research programme 'A Genealogy of Morals: The Cardinal Virtues in Medieval Discourse, 500-1500' (see our website) will host an international conference on Princely Virtues in the Middle Ages, 1200-1500. The conference seeks to reflect on Latin texts from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries that defined, legitimized or criticized secular rule by using catalogues of virtues originating from ancient philosophy as well as Christian moral theology.

We invite contributions discussing various aspects related to this theme, such as the relation between virtues of rulers and general moral precepts; the tension between ‘secular’ or philosophical perspectives on virtue and Christian moral thought; the use of moral virtues for political ends; etc. The proceedings of the conference will be considered for publication.

The programme 'A Genealogy of Morals: The Cardinal Virtues in Medieval Discourse, 500-1500' (co-sponsored by the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO) and the Catholic University of Nijmegen) aims at improving our understanding of Western moral consciousness through the study of the cardinal virtues in the normative discourse of medieval Christendom.

Please send a 200-word abstract of a 30-minute paper to the address below.

For further detail please contact the organizer. Deadline for abstracts is 31 December 2003.