Ethics and Civil Society

How should we conceive of civil society? What sorts of ethical questions arise from the renaissance of ‘civil society' as a central focus of an array of political and social projects?

These were the core questions discussed by five researchers from the Institute of Applied Ethics and colleagues from the Russian Academy of Sciences and State University of Moscow at a two-day workshop on ‘Ethics and Civil Society' in Moscow, in January 2009. These questions were approached from a variety of political, legal and philosophical perspectives.

The workshop was organized jointly by Dr Suzanne Uniacke of the Institute of Applied Ethics and Professor Ruben Apressyan, Head of the Sector of Ethics at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Philosophy. The workshop was funded by a grant from the British Academy and the Russian Academy of Sciences under their ‘Special Joint Project Programme', which supports joint projects between British and East European scholars in the fields of the humanities and social sciences.

Over the two days of the workshop scholars from the Institute of Applied Ethics, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the State University of Moscow shared and explored information and ideas about a range of exciting developments within the civil sphere in Russia and Britain. Papers by Russian contributors were followed by detailed commentaries from British participants and vice versa.

In his opening address, Professor Vladimir Mironov, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow Lomonosov State University - which hosted the first day of the workshop - provided a warm welcome to the visitors from the Institute of Applied Ethics and expressed his enthusiasm forthis initiative. Following two days of intensive discussion, the workshop concluded with an agreement to hold a further interdisciplinary workshop at the University of Hull in 2010, with a view to producing a book comparing developments in Russia and Britain and exploring their significance for international debate about civil society and democracy.

The participants from the Institute of Applied Ethics were: Prof. James Connelly, Dr Antony Hatzistavrou, Prof. Gerry Johnstone, Dr Colin Tyler and Dr Suzanne Uniacke.

Faculty of Philosophy, Moscow Lomonosov State University
Institute of Applied Ethics, University of Hull
Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences
British Academy

ETHICS AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Russian-British Workshop
January 17-18, 2009

PROGRAM

January 17, St            Venue: Faculty of Philosophy, Moscow Lomonosov State University

                                    1^st  Study Building, 27 Lomonosov Prospect, A-517

10.00-10.30                 Welcome address
                                    Vladimir Mironov, Dean, Faculty of Philosophy
                                    Abdusalam Gusseinov, Head, Chair of Ethics

                                        Sessions Chairs:  Suzanne Uniacke and Abdusalam Gusseinov

10.30-11.30                James Connelly, ‘Developing Civil Society: Deliberation, Experts and Rationality'
                                   Comments by Helen Petrovsky
11.30-12.00                Break
12.00-13.00                Alexander Razin, ‘Public Relations in the System of Civil Society'
                                   Comments by James Connelly
13.00-14.00                Lunch
14.00-15.00                Gerry Johnstone, ‘The Ethics of Restorative Justice'
                                   Comments by Ruben Apressyan
15.00-15.15                Break
15.15-16.15                Andrey Prokofyev, ‘Moral Aspects of Regulating the Games Industry'
                                   Comments by Gerry Johnstone
16.15-16.45                Break
16.45-17.45                Antony Hatzistavrou, ‘Legitimate Authority in Civil Society'
                                   Comments by Alexander Razin
18.45                          Dinner

January 18, Sn          Venue: Sector of Ethics, Institute of Philosophy
                                   14 Volkhonka St, 420

                                       Sessions Chairs: Suzanne Uniacke and Abdusalam Gusseinov

10.00-12.00                Kremlin and Red Square Tour
12.00-13.30                Lunch
13.00-14.30                Welcome address
                                   Abdusalam Gusseinov, Director, Institute of Philosophy
                                   Ruben Apressyan, Head, Sector of Ethics
14.30-15.30                Helen Petrovsky, ‘The Ethics of Anonymity'
                                   Comments by Antony Hatzistavrou
15.30-15.45                Break
15.45-16.45                Colin Tyler, ‘Political Identities in an Agonal Civil Society'
                                   Comments by Andrey Prokofyev
16.45-17.15                Break
17.15-18.15                Ruben Apressyan, ‘Functional Peculiarities of Philanthropy'
                                   Comments by Colin Tyler
18.15-18.45                General Discussion: Experience and Prospects

19.30                          Dinner