Conference: The Concept of Disease.

University of Leeds, U.K.

27^th-28^th June 2005

Sponsored by the British Society for the Philosophy of Science, the Society for Applied Philosophy, and the University of Leeds.

Rationale

Whether or not a condition is considered a disease often has social, economic and ethical implications. Are psychopaths evil or sick? Should the NHS pay for the treatment of nicotine addiction? Is it right for shy people to take character-altering drugs? All these debates may be seen to depend on whether the conditions in question are diseases, and developing an account of disease may therefore be central in addressing such questions. Over the last decade or so various different accounts of disease have been proposed. However, often the proponents of the various accounts have been isolated and apparently unaware of competing accounts. As such, while there are now a number of different accounts of disease available, there is no consensus as to which, if any, of these accounts might be ultimately acceptable. This conference on the concept of disease aims to take discussion of disease to a new level. We aim to bring together the proponents of different accounts with the objective of at least beginning work that aims to determine which account of disease is the most acceptable. With this aim in mind, the two-day format is designed to maximise informal discussion between participants.

Programme – All talks will be in the Leeds University Philosophy Department, Room Baines Wing G.36

27^th June

12 onwards	Registration
2.00 - 3.15	Bill Fulford, Warwick – Fact AND Value in Diagnosis: Recent Developments in Policy, Training and Research
3.15 - 3.45	Coffee
3.45 – 5.45	Chris Megone, Leeds - Disease, metaphysics and the fact-value distinction: an Aristotelian approach Rachel Cooper, Lancaster – Problems with Aristotelian accounts of disease
7.30	Conference Dinner in University House

28^th June

10:00 -11.15	Stephen Wilkinson, Keele - The Moral Significance of the Therapy-Enhancement Distinction
11.15 - 11.30	Coffee
11.30 - 12.45	Piers Benn, Imperial College, London - Disease, Addiction and the Freedom to Resist.
12.45 - 1.30	Lunch
1.30 - 2.45	Richard Sykes (Former Director of Westcare UK, and former ANU) - The distinction between physical and mental disorder: redefine or discard?
2.45 – 3	Coffee
3 - 4.15	Jennifer Radden, University of Massachusetts at Boston, USA - Universal Suffering and Disease Concepts

Conference Fee – £30 to be paid by anyone attending any part of the conference. Reductions for members of the SAP, BSPS, graduate students and unwaged.

Accommodation – B&B accommodation available in Charles Morris Hall - student halls - 2 minutes from conference site.

Food – Buffet lunches, and a buffet conference dinner, are available. Alternatively, there are many cheap eating places close to the University campus.

Getting to Leeds - Please see University of Leeds web-site for details (www.leeds.ac.uk).

Registration Forms should be returned by 1^st June.

(If you miss this date, but want to come to the conference, please e-mail us to let us know you are coming. You can pay the conference fee on the door, but will need to organise food and accommodation yourself).

Further queries Please e-mail R.V.Cooper@lancaster.ac.uk or C.B.Megone@leeds.ac.uk

Registration Form – Concept of Disease Conference

Name:

Postal Address:

E-mail:

If eating please circle: Meat-eater Vegetarian Vegan

Other dietary requirements:

			Please indicate requirements in this column
Conference Fee (Payable by anyone attending any part of the conference)	Standard	£30
	Members of SAP, BSPS, Graduate Students, unwaged	£15
Bed and Breakfast	Night of 26^th	£25
	Night of 27^th (main conference night)	£25
	Night of 28^th	£25
Conference dinner buffet		£20
Lunch	27^th	£8
	28^th	£8
Total

Please send cheques, payable to the University of Leeds, to Chris Megone, Philosophy, Leeds University, Leeds, UK by 1^st June 2005.