Interdisciplinary Workshop “The limits of the market: commodification of nature and body” (September, 13-14, 2018)

>> 13-14 septembre 2018 (Paris, France). The interdisciplinary workshop (philosophy, law, economics)
“The limits of the market: commodification of nature and body” will be held on September, 13-14, 2018 at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
The aim of this workshop is to unite debates on the commodification of nature and body that usually take place in different academic worlds, specific to a culture (the Anglosphere, the European continent), a discipline (philosophy, law, economics) or an object (body, nature).
Philosophy, law, and political economy (as well as anthropology and sociology) have long been questioning what things can be sold (liberty, money, labor, land). This debate has been renewed in the 1980s, with the publication of Margaret Jane Radin’s Contested commodities in 1996, which has become a landmark in “commodification studies”. These studies do not deal with the role and desirability of the market in general, or of market societies, but focus on particular markets that might pose ethical, moral or social problems (for example for organs, babies, or environmental services), in practice or in discourse. Philosophers, like Debra Satz with her “noxious markets”, and economists, like Alvin Roth with his “repugnant markets”, also contributed to these studies. The issue is the normative limit of the scope of the market in capitalist societies, not only in terms of a yes or no question, but also in terms of the limitations imposed to this kind of markets (incomplete commodification).
This debate, or at least this self-identified field, is mainly driven by the Anglosphere. The same questions are however posed in different cultural, theoretical and cultural frameworks. In France, we can mention for example works by Marie-Angèle Hermitte in law, by Philippe Steiner in economics, and by Catherine Larrère in philosophy. One of the aims of this workshop is to compare and to confront these different traditions of thought. The scientific committee will also encourage the discussion of two kinds of specific markets: nature and the environment on the one hand, and the body, its parts and products, on the other. Specifically, do nature and the body constitute particular cases of commodification? Does the debate on the financialization and valuation of environmental services share characteristics with that on body commodification?

The Committee will favour communications in philosophy, law, economics, and political theory; as well as interdisciplinary communications. Finally, communications on the history and interpretation of these ideas, or analysing the political discourses on commodification, are also welcome.

We will have the pleasure to welcome Margaret Jane Radin (University of Toronto) and Debra Satz (Stanford University) for keynote lectures as well as invited panelists: Valérie Boisvert (University of Lausanne), Laurence Brunet (Cochin APHP), Stéphanie Hennette-Vauchez (University Paris Nanterre), Marie-Angèle Hermitte (CNRS, EHESS), Florence Jany-Catrice (University of Lille), Catherine Larrère (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Jennifer Merchant (University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas), Christine Noiville (CNRS), John O’Neill (University of Manchester), Jean-Fabien Spitz (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Philippe Steiner (University Paris Sorbonne).

Languages: French and English

Keydates:
• Submission of proposals (600 words) before 29 January 2018 to commodification2018@gmail.com
• Notification of decision before 6 March 2018
• Registration (free) before 31 May 2018
• Draft versions or extended abstracts before 31 August 2018.

Scientific committee: Elodie Bertrand (CNRS), Valérie Boisvert (University of Lausanne), Laurence Brunet (Cochin APHP), Marie-Xavière Catto (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Stéphanie Hennette-Vauchez (University Paris Nanterre), Marie-Angèle Hermitte (CNRS, EHESS), Florence Jany-Catrice (University of Lille), Catherine Larrère (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Jennifer Merchant (University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas), Alicia-Dorothy Mornington (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Christine Noiville (CNRS), John O’Neill (University of Manchester), Margaret Jane Radin (University of Toronto), Diane Roman (University of Tours), Jean-Fabien Spitz (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Philippe Steiner (Université Paris Sorbonne).

Workshop organised by the Institute for Philosophical and Legal Sciences (ISJPS – CNRS & University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne): Elodie Bertrand (CNRS), Marie-Xavière Catto (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Alicia-Dorothy Mornington (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne).

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