World Building in Times of Violence

Maynooth University, 6-7 December 2024

For the 9th SWIP Ireland Conference (2024) on ‘World Building in Times of Violence’ we present philosophical reflections on world building, and we also invite contributors to consider the nature of violence; how violence is shaped and oriented; what it means to refuse particular forms of violence; the meaning of nonviolence; and the nature of societal transformation.

We face multiple crises – climate breakdown and biodiversity destruction, widening inequalities, war and conflicts, the rise of the far right/reactionary populism, anti-gender movements focused on hostility against LGBTQI+ communities, attacks against migrants, a sharp increase in military coups and authoritarian governments as well as a resurgence of white supremacy. The scale and urgency of the transformations needed – from the structural to the personal - in order to build the conditions that enable liveable lives for all, can at times feel overwhelming.

We ask what philosophy can tell us about the root causes of violence, the means through which we can address violence, and ‘the why’ of doing the work of world building.

Keynote Speakers: