What sustains open societies: International conference on values and moral responsibility at WFI

The core values of open and liberal societies are the focus of a high-profile conference at the Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI) of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) held on October 20 and 21, entitled "Normative Foundations of Open Societies." A special focus will be on the moral responsibility of corporations in a global economy.

Logo 550 Ingolstadt

"Our political system, which is based on the values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, is increasingly being called into question. In the context of this conference, we want to explore the question of what moral foundations an open society rests on, how a liberal economic and social order can be shaped in light of the current crises, and what contribution social players such as companies and churches can make in this regard", explains host Prof. Dr. Jörg Althammer, holder of the Chair of Economic Ethics and Social Policy at the Ingolstadt School of Management. With these questions, the conference is directly linked to the humanistic tradition of the University of Ingolstadt as the first Bavarian state university. Its foundation 550 years ago is being celebrated this year, and transfers long-standing tradition to the global modern age. In addition to 40 lectures with international speakers, the program also includes two public panel discussions with high-profile guests.

On Thursday, October 20, Cardinal Dr. Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Dr. Karl-Heinrich Manzke, Bishop of the Regional Church of Schaumburg-Lippe, and jurist Prof. Dr. Steffen Augsberg, member of the German Ethics Council, will discuss the topic "Does modern society still need religion?”. The event starts at 6 p.m. in the large lecture hall at the Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI) (Auf der Schanz 49, Ingolstadt).

The second panel discussion on Friday, October 21, will focus on "The moral responsibility of multinational corporations". Prof. Dr. Christiane Woopen, Chair of the European Ethics Council from 2017 to 2021, Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Dr. Anton Losinger, longstanding member of the German Ethics Council, and Xavier Ros, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Organization at Audi AG, will discuss this topic. This event also starts at 6 p.m. in the large lecture hall of the WFI.

The range of topics of the other individual lectures reach from political-ethical foundations of the liberal constitutional state to fundamentals of sustainable management and responsibility gaps in human-machine interaction. Keynote speakers include Professor Nien-hê Hsieh, Harvard Business School, Professor Sharun Mukand, University of Warwick, and Professor Benjamin M. Friedman, Harvard University. Professor Hsieh's research focuses on whether and how managers should be guided not only by considerations of economic efficiency, but also by values such as freedom, fairness, and respect for fundamental rights. Professor Mukand's recent work, in turn, focuses on the influence of ideological narratives and economic interests on the formation of political will in democratic societies. Professor Friedman recently published a comprehensive monograph analyzing the influence of religiously motivated norms and values on the design of market-based economic orders.

In the run-up to the conference, on Wednesday, October 19, the Ingolstadt School of Management will celebrate its Dies Oeconomicus. Starting at 5:15 p.m., an ecumenical service will take place in room Z01, and at 6 p.m. the ceremony will begin in the large lecture hall. The keynote speech will be given by Prof. Dr. Amelie Wuppermann, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, on the topic "Can we still afford health in the future?”.

Free registration is required in advance for both participation in the Dies Oeconomicus and the science conference. Participation in the panel discussion is also possible without prior registration. The Dies Oeconomicus, the presentations by the keynote speakers and the panel discussion will take place on a hybrid basis, so that interested parties can also participate online. Further information on the detailed program and registration can be found at www.solios.de.