Institute for Ethics & Society Workshop - Under Pressure: Character, Certainty, Conspiracy How people change (or fail to) under pressure, false certainty and misinformation
Thursday 3 September 2026 10:00 am – 4:30 pm In an age of outrage, algorithms and information overload, how do we become people of resilient character, humble conviction and wise discernment? Drawing on several funded research projects in Europe and Australia, this workshop explores how pressure exposes the heart and yet shapes the self, how self-righteousness quietly corrupts our capacity for knowledge and understanding of self and others, and how conspiracy theories and AI-generated “slopaganda” shape the way we see the world. The IES is pleased to host this event on the occasion of Laura Candiotto’s visit to Sydney. Laura is Associate Professor of Moral Philosophy (Universities of Cagliari and Pardubice). She currently leads two research projects, including ‘Vicious Epistemic Cultures’ on the ethics of knowledge with a specific focus on emotional friction in revision responsibility, funded by the Czech Science Foundation. Laura is currently working on a monograph, Emotional Friction, and a co-edited collection entitled Vice Epistemology and the Philosophy of Emotions (Routledge). SPEAKERS Laura Candiotto (Cagliari and Pardubice) ‘Character revision under duress’ John Lippitt (Notre Dame IES and Pardubice) ‘Failures of receptivity: self-righteousness as a stealthy vice’ Adam Piovarchy (Notre Dame IES) ‘Conspiracy theories are Infohazards’ Mark Alfano (Macquarie) ‘Slopaganda’ Event poster: https://www.notredame.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/1003632/Under-Pressure-IES-Workshop.pdf Location: The University of Notre Dame Australia, NDS23/102 (Wilcox Mofflin Building) 46-52 Mountain Street Ultimo, NSW, 2007 Or online via Teams Enquiries and RSVP: John Lippitt ([email protected]) Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website. --------- SydPhil mailing list To unsubscribe, change your membership options, find answers to common problems, or visit our online archives, please go to the list information page: https://mailman.sydney.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/sydphil
