The ANU Law & Philosophy Forum is delighted to announce its final meeting in 2022: Nick McBride (Cambridge University) will present his paper on The Nature of Evil on Tuesday 1 November from 6-7pm AEDT via Zoom

This paper criticises existing definitions of evil and offers a (relatively) novel definition of evil that better fits the way we think about what is and is not evil, and also accounts for the repulsiveness of evil. After reflecting on how we can classify evildoers, and the characteristic targets of evil, it concludes by setting out the ways in which evil places limits on (a) what respect for the rule of law demands; (b) the validity of laws; and (c) how much law can do to eradicate evil. The argument about the nature of evil set out in this paper is intended to comprise the first half of a book which Nick McBride hopes to work on, entitled Deliver Us From Evil: Essays on the Limits of Law.

A copy of the paper is accessible here.

We look forward to hosting Nick McBride at the Forum, and hope you will be able to attend.

The ANU Law & Philosophy Forum is an interdisciplinary group focused on issues spanning law and philosophy.Its core purpose is to promote research, discussion, and exchanges on various topics in law and philosophy, covering aspects of both private law and public law, and issues within both legal and political philosophy. The Forum hosts guest speakers, holds workshops, and discusses recent scholarship of note in the field. Meetings are open to faculty members and research students from the College of Law and the School of Philosophy, and friends and colleagues of both