Workshop: The Philosophy of Iris Murdoch

Date
June, 2026
Thursday, 4th June, 14:00-18:45
Friday, 5th June, 10:00-18:00

Location
Center for Ethics and Philosophy in Practice
LMU Munich, Main Building, Room M 210 (LMU room finder)
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich

Registration 

eveeno.com

About

Iris Murdoch is celebrated in the English-speaking world as an important and inspiring philosopher. In Germany, however, she has only recently begun to receive greater attention. Our workshop brings together renowned scholars from the UK, the US, and Europe to discuss the philosophical significance of Iris Murdoch. On the first day of the workshop, we will discuss chapters from an ongoing book project by Anil Gomes (Oxford University). On the second day, various themes from Iris Murdoch's work will be addressed and discussed in individual presentations.

Programme

Thursday (June 4, 2026)
14:00h Arrival and Welcome (Nora Kreft and Paulus Kaufmann)

14:30h Intro Anil Gomes

15:00h Anil Gomes: 'Privacy, Perfection, and the Philosophy of Mind' 
           Comment by Cathy Mason
           Response and Discussion

16:15h Coffee Break

16:30h Anil Gomes: 'Iris Murdoch on God, Good, and the Limits of Science'
           Comment by Quinn While
           Response and Discussion

17:45h End of Day 1

19:00h Dinner

(The two papers are pre-circulated to participants)

Friday (June 5, 2026)
10:00h Carla Bagnoli: 'Just Looking: On the Intricacies of Love and Justice'

11:00h Coffee Break

11:15h Tony Milligan: 'Sacrifivial Virtues: Iris Murdoch's Departure from Aristotelian Virture Ethics'

12:15h Coffee Break

12:30h Eva-Maria Dürninger and Silvia Caprioglio Panizza: 'In Defence of Consolation'

13:30h Lunch

14:30h Paulus Kaufmann: 'Seeing the World: Some Reflections on Murdoch and Buddhism'

15:30h Coffee Break

15:45h Justin Broackes: 'Perception and Reality: The Good and the Real in Plato, Freud and Murdoch'

16:45h Coffee Break

17:00h Christian Kietzmann: 'We were 'all eyes': the transformative potential of art Murdoch's The Bell'

18:00h Final Discussion and Dinner

Speakers

Carla Bagnoli (University of Modena & Reggio Emilia)

Justin Broackes (Brown University)

Silvia Caprioglio Panizza (Universität Tübingen)

Eva-Maria Düringer (Universität Tübingen)

Anil Gomes (University of Oxford)

Paulus Kaufmann (LMU)

Christian Kietzmann (Universität Leipzig)

Cathy Mason (CEU)

Tony Milligan (University of Sheffield)

Quinn White (Harvard University)

Organisation: Nora Kreft (LMU), Paulus Kaufmann (LMU)