ESF Research Conferences

ESF Conference

BIOMEDICINE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE: BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND PRACTICE RECONSIDERED

Chaired by

CHAIR:

MarcusDüwellE-Mail
University of UtrechtFaculty of Humanities / ethics instituteDepartment of PhilosophyUtrechtNetherlands

VICE-CHAIRS:

DietmarMiethE-Mail
Interdepartmental Center for Ethics TübingenEberhard-Karls-Universität TübingenKatholisch-Theologisches SeminarSocial Ethics DepartmentTübingenGermany
ChristophRehmann-SutterE-Mail
Universität BaselArbeitsstelle für Ethik in den BiowissenschaftenBaselSwitzerland

Dates

8-13 April 2005

Location

Hotel Conferentiecentrum Zonheuvel, Doorn, The Netherlands
Amsterdam-Schiphol airport is the nearest airport to Doorn. It is located 70 km south-east of Doorn. Group transportation will be organised from/back to Amsterdam airport on arrival and departure days.

Final Programme & List of Accepted Partcipants

This conference is the second in the “Biomedicine within the limits of Human Existence” series. At the first meeting on “Bioethics – an Interdisciplinary Challenge and a Cultural Project” – which was held in September 2001 in Davos – a new perspective on bioethics was discussed around the concept of “finitude”: limits of human existence, limits of power and limits of knowledge. Bioethics is centrally concerned with these moral limits as they are dealing with, for example, the violation of basic moral values or the point at which biomedicine attempts to exceed prior limits of possibility. Limits do not only have to be seen as a burden, but being aware of limits can make life meaningful. What emerged to be important from that first conference was the need to evaluate different methodological approaches and to explore interdisciplinary possibilities.

Building on the results of the first conference, this second event will take up some of the basic notions that have become important in various fields within the life sciences, including the key notions of ‘life’ and ‘nature’. The concept of ‘contingency’ introduces several intriguing topics. At first sight, the life sciences seem to be focussed on reducing contingency. However, with the more recent developments in the life sciences, the complexity of the biological processes has generated deeper insights into the contingency of nature and of human beings as a part of nature. Life, nature and contingency shall be discussed in the context of the new developments of the biomedicine in their social, philosophical and ethical importance.

The conference welcomes ethicists and strongly encourages the participation of researchers from the life sciences and medicine, sociologists, anthropologists and researchers of philosophy of law. Apart from plenary sessions with prominent speakers, there will also be parallel free paper sessions in which (young) researchers are kindly invited to participate. No poster sessions are planned.  

Final Programme PDF (72 KB) Last Updated 17-March-2005
List of Invited Speakers & Accepted Participants

Short Oral Contributions & Abstract Booklet

List of Accepted Papers for short oral presentations PDF (82 KB)
Last Updated 31-March-2005 (15 min. presentation per speaker + 10 min. discussion)
Book of Abstracts PDF (1.0 MB) Last Updated 7-April-2005
A paper version of the abstract booklet will be distributed at the conference.

Group Transportation & Practical Information Guide

  • On Friday 8 April, group transportation (two buses) will be arranged from Amsterdam-Schiphol airport to the hotel. Bus departure times will be as follows: 15.00 and 17.00.
  • Bus transportation back to Amsterdam airport will also be arranged for Wednesday 13 April departing after lunch. Departure times will be finalised on the spot by the conference secretary, in order to suit the majority.
For further details, please consult the Practical Information Guide PDF (114 KB)

Conference Fees

Conference fees include full local costs, a half-day excusion and, for conferees, a registration fee of EUR 180.
Guest fees do not include use of conference facilities and equipment (i.e. internet...) nor are guests entitled to attend sessions.
This conference site is not advisable for children!

Fees

Fees (1)

What the fees cover

EUR 740

EUR 790

conference, meals and single room

EUR 690

EUR 740

conference, meals and twin OR double room

EUR 580

EUR 630

non-resident: conference, meals (no room)

EUR 540

EUR 590

guest, full-board and shared double room with conferee

EUR 350

EUR 400

guest, half-board and shared double room with conferee

(1) A 50 EUR supplement is charged if payment is received after the deadline (4 weeks prior to the conference)

Registration Form

All accepted participants - invited speakers and grantees included - are requested to confirm attendance and room requirements by filling in a Registration Form.
Closing date for registration and fee payment: 11 March 2005

ESF Contact

Phone: +33 (0)3 88762150
Fax: +33 (0)3 88767180
Please quote 05-175 in any correspondence.

With Support from

  • INTAS: the International Association for the promotion of co-operation with scientists from the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS), was established in 1993 by the European Community and like-minded countries as an international not-for-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL), to promote scientific research activities in the NIS and scientific co-operation between scientists in these countries and the international scientific community.
  • Utrecht University, which celebrates its 370th anniversary, has developed into one of Europe's largest and most prominent institutes of research and education. Utrecht University offers the broadest spectrum of disciplines available in the Netherlands, innovative research and liaises with universities and research centres all over the world
  • Faculty of Humanities, Utrecht University: With over 6,000 students and almost 900 members of staff, our faculty is the largest faculty of humanities in the Netherlands. The Faculty of Humanities was established in January 2007 after a merger of the Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Arts. The Humanities cover a wide range of subject areas including language, history, culture, visual arts, literature, film and television studies, music studies, philosophy, religion, and communication studies.
  • Ethics Institute, Utrecht University: founded in July 2003, the Institute builds upon the University's 15 years of experience in research, education and consultancy in the fields of bio-ethics and health law. It currently employs some 20 staff, including doctors, veterinarians, social scientists and, of course, theologians and philosophers. The Institute participates in many educational programmes, including Medicine, Biology, Pharmacy and Veterinary Science, teaching courses such as Patient and Medicines, Bio-ethics for Biologists and Ethics for Medical Students.
  • Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW): the Academy promotes the quality of scientific and scholarly work and strives to ensure that Dutch scholars and scientists make the best possible contribution to the cultural, social, and economic development of Dutch society.
  • The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is responsible for enhancing the quality and innovative nature of scientific research as equally initiating and stimulating new developments in scientific research; mainly fulfils its task by allocating resources; facilitates, for the benefit of society, the dissemination of knowledge from the results of research that it has initiated and stimulated; mainly focuses on university research in performing its task.