In the course of Ius Naturale Research Group's working, it has become increasingly warranted to organise a full day-long conference on natural law in parallel sections, which, from 2016 onwards, is being scheduled for the last Friday of May. This course of conferences was initiated by the 1st Natural Law Day in 2016 and it was successively held until the 4th Natural Law Day conference in 2019. (The 2020 event was unfortunately postponed due to the COVID pandemic). Over time, the desire for a separate book launch block was also confirmed and began to be steadily integrated into the programme. As a tribute to decades of fruitful work in the field of natural law, we established the "Distinguished Scholar of Natural Law" award, traditionally presented by the Dean of the Faculty and this year by the Rector, followed by laudation. After a few years, there has been a growing need for foreign researchers to receive this recognition. The current members of the award committee are János Frivaldszky (chairman), Géza Kuminetz, Zoltán Turgonyi and Antal Hámori, who have previously been awarded the title.
It is safe to say that this event has become a true celebration of natural law thinking on a national scale, with lecturers from many Hungarian universities and research institutes coming to disseminate their latest research findings on natural law or just to listen to these lectures. The extensive output of the research group is well illustrated by the fact that the lectures have been published in edited proceedings, which could no longer fit in a single Special Issue of the journal Iustum Aequum Salutare and have been published in separate volumes by the title "Natural Law Day: Conference Proceedings". Now that our initiative has attracted international interest, we are thinking of developing it further, taking on tasks beyond our own country in the cultivation of natural law and the dissemination of this research and way of thinking in professional circles. This year, we are holding our fifth Natural Law Day conference online. On the following day, 28th May, a conference on natural law is going to be held in English and Italian with foreign participants. Hence, in this year, these two days will serve as a kind of a celebration of researchers and academics working in the field of natural law. The "Distinguished Scholar of Natural Law" awards will be presented on the second day. In this year, the award goes to Professor Andrea Padovani.
13.05.2021.
On the Break of History and Perspectives: Some Contemporary Approximations of the Natural Law Tradition
(Online conference, 28th May 2021)
Ever since some Greek philosophers of the fifth century endeavoured to seek after some rational of political obligations higher than the mere prescription of laws, the idea of higher law, or what we might call the law of nature appeared, once and for all, in the study of law and politics. Theorists of this natural law tradition have made essential and significant contribution to the development of legal and political institutions and the very basics of several of our modern legal and political phenomena have its roots and origins in the works of these natural law theorists. Despite of this long pedigree, natural law theories are, however, not mere things of the past, whose study is fueled only by some historical curiosity, but an ever valid mode of legal and political reflections. For this reason, this Conference invites contributions to consider the history and perspectives of natural law legal and political philosophy. Submissions addressing the following topics are especially welcomed:
- Greek reflections on higher law, unwritten law, and the law of nature
- Natural law in early Christian thought
- Medieval theories of natural law jurisprudence
- Natural law theories of the Enlightenment
- Twentieth-century revival of natural law jurisprudence
- Natural law and human rights
- The place of natural law theories in the third millennium
Abstract submission
Proposals must contain an abstract of 300–500 words prepared for blind review and, in a sperate file, a brief CV of 100–200 words. All proposals must be submitted to iusnaturaleresearchgroup@gmail.com
Deadline for abstract submission: 30th April 2021.
Deadline for notification of acceptance: 15th May 2021.
The Conference is convened by the Ius Naturale Research Group of Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Principal contact: Ákos Tussay tussay.akos@jak.ppke.hu
