In close collaboration with the IFK Religious Conflicts and Coping Strategies of the University of Berne, and in particular its 'legal branch' represented by Martino Mona, we will examine the epistemology of religious tolerance, in particular with respect to its legal dimension. One guiding question is in formal epistemology: how can I rationally, or at least reasonably, give the "benefit of doubt" to those who disagree with what I most intimately believe to know? How can I accept, or even tolerate, religious views that are so radically different from my own that I take them to be impossibly true, perhaps even inconceivable? Another, is in the ethics of belief: How can I ascribe value to such views and to people subscribing to them, how can I treat them as alternative views of the world and as partners in a sensible conversation at all? A third one is in political philosophy: is its ability to 'accommodate' its alternatives a distinctive advantage of liberalism? At this workshop, we will pursue these and related questions, particularly with a view on opening up new avenues of research.

This workshop is a part of the Swiss Doctoral Programme in Philosophy, organised by ου̉σία, the Centre for the Philosophy and Theology of Being at the University of Lucerne.

The conference takes place in the beautifully located bilingual village of Ligerz / Gléresse, on the shores of the lake of Biel/Bienne (also bilingual):

If you are interested in participating, send a short abstract in pdf format to Philipp Blum. Participants will have costs of simple accommodation and of food covered, and may receive a travel stipend, depending on their needs.

Participation. Participants should arrive by Thursday evening and stay at least until Sunday noon. They should commit to have a first draft / extended abstract of their paper or discussion contribution ready a week before the start of the conference, read at least some of those of the others in advance and make an effort at reading some of the other material suggested by the other participants. They should commit to staying in Ligerz for the whole duration of the conference, except of course for the joint excursions to the regions' vineyards and the shores of the lake of Biel/Bienne.

Reading material. It would be good if as much as possible of the reading material could be made available to participants in advance (via a dropbox folder, for which I will send participants an invitation). This includes (i) abstracts / drafts; (ii) background reading, e.g. articles by others specifically discussed or older texts not easily available.

Travel. Ligerz is mid-way between Biel/Bienne and Neuchâtel and reachable by train in 1h43 from Zurich Airport, in 1h50 from Geneva Airport and in 1h55 from Basel EuroAirport. Check the Swiss railways website for timetables.