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Hoffberger Center Hosts First-Ever International Conference: "Legitimate Decision-Making in Times of Crisis"

On Feb. 5, 2021, the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics hosted its first-ever virtual international conference on legitimate decision-making in times of crisis. The event featured presentations from philosophers and social scientists from around the globe.

CONFERENCE SPONSORS

• Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics
• Center for International and Comparative Law
• Philosophy, Law, and Ethics program
• School of Public and International Affairs

About the Conference

A world pandemic has shined a spotlight on the nature and practice of legitimate decision-making in times of crisis. Crises create novel circumstances that may preclude the use of normal democratic structures, where the structures themselves do not settle who or how decision-making should proceed. Or democratic procedures may include escape clauses for truncated decision-making procedures in ways that are unclear and ill-defined, and may raise questions of legitimacy themselves. Some specific domains, such as triage in times of war, have a long history of addressing crises; but Covid-19 highlights the broader topic of legitimacy when political units as a whole, such as nation-states, experience significant procedural stress or breakdown in the face of crises. The relative balance of global, national, regional, and local decision-making can quickly become scrambled.

This virtual conference invites philosophers and social scientists to address a feature of legitimate decision-making in times of crisis. How do and should crises alter the notion of legitimate decision-making, if at all? Another set of questions revolve around who should make decisions and over what matters. A third set of questions revolve around the best form of legitimate or ethical decision-making, given who should decide. For example, is cost-benefit analysis the best method for decision-makers for closing or re-opening schools and Universities, or businesses? Papers may address these or other related questions theoretically (as topics in political legitimacy and applied ethics) or as case studies with answers in practice (in law and social science).

Conference agenda

VIEW THE PRESENTATION SUMMARIES

8:30-9 a.m.	Opening Morning Ceremonies Joshua Kassner director, Research Fellows Program, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, The University of Baltimore Christine Spencer dean, Yale Gorden College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Baltimore Kurt Schmoke president, The University of Baltimore
9-10 a.m.	Keynote Address Introduction Ivan Sascha Sheehan executive director, School of Public and International Affairs, The University of Baltimore Keynote Speaker Thomas N. Nichols university professor, U.S. Naval War College
10 a.m.-noon	Legitimate Decision-Making I Panel Chair Mortimer N.S. Sellers director, Center for International and Comparative Law, The University of Baltimore School of Law Presenters Thom Brooks dean, Durham Law School United Kingdom   Veronique Champeil-Desplats professor, Paris Nanterre University France Santiago Mejia assistant professor, Fordham University
noon-12:30 p.m.	lunch and breakout discussions
12:30-1 p.m.	Opening Afternoon Ceremonies Roger Hartley dean, College of Public Affairs, The University of Baltimore Catherine Andersen interim provost, The University of Baltimore
1-2 p.m.	Keynote Address Keynote Speaker Fabienne Peter professor, University of Warwick United Kingdom Commentator Alec Walen professor, Rutgers Law School
2-4 p.m.	Legitimate Decision-Making II Panel Chair Jude Mutah University of Baltimore Presenters Cindy Holder associate professor, University of Victoria Canada Christopher Morris emeritus professor, University of Maryland William Tullius instructor, American Public University
4-4:15 p.m.	Closing Remarks Joshua Kassner director, Research Fellows Program, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, The University of Baltimore Ivan Sascha Sheehan executive director, School of Public and International Affairs, The University of Baltimore Steven Scalet director, Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, The University of Baltimore

Conference Organizers

• Joshua Kassner 
• Steven Scalet 
• Sascha Sheehan