ISUS Conferences
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ISUS 2026, at the University of Macau
The 18th Conference of the International Society for Utilitarian Studies will take place on 23–25 July 2026 at the Faculty of Law of the University of Macau. The Conference is generously supported by the University of Macau’s International Conference Fund.
This conference will celebrate a significant scholarly milestone: the publication of Essays on Logic, Ethics, and Universal Grammar in the new, authoritative edition of The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham. The volume, edited by Professor Philip Schofield, will be published by UCL Press in December 2025 (https://uclpress.co.uk/book/essays-on-logic-ethics-and-universal-grammar/), and promises to reinvigorate engagement with Bentham’s contributions to the philosophy of logic and language, which have been undervalued in large part due to the shortcomings of earlier editions.
We welcome paper and panel proposals which address issues raised by Bentham’s writings on logic and language, as well as papers and panel proposals related to the study of utilitarianism more generally.
Plenary speakers:
- Roger Crisp (University of Oxford)
- Qiang Li (Peking University)
- Judith Resnik (Yale Law School, confirmation pending)
- Philip Schofield (University College London)
- Peter Singer (Princeton University)
Please submit your abstract of around 300 words in English to isus2026@um.edu.mo by 30 November 2025.
Panels will have a duration of ninety minutes and usually consist of three papers.
We aim to make decisions on the acceptance of papers by mid-December 2025, and will shortly thereafter open registration for a period for accepted speakers only, before then fully opening registration.
Important Dates:
- Abstract submission deadline: 30 November 2025
- Notification of acceptance: Mid-December 2025
- Registration for accepted participants: January 2026
Further details regarding the conference, including registration fees, travel, and accommodation options, will be announced in December 2025.
Visa Information: Nationals of 87 countries can enter Macau visa-free. For a complete list and requirements, please refer to the Macau government website: https://www.gov.mo/en/services/ps-1474/ps-1474b/.
Traveling to Macau: Macau is well-connected. It is approximately a one-hour ferry or bus ride from Hong Kong. There are also direct flights available from many major cities in East and South Asia.
For the conference website, please visit: https://fll.um.edu.mo/isus-home/. For any inquiries, please contact us at: isus2026@um.edu.mo.
Previous ISUS Conferences
18–20 June 2024—Bentham House, Faculty of Laws, University College London.
5–7 July 2023—LUISS Guido Carli, Italy.
24–6 July 2018—Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
6–8 July 2016—Lille Catholic University, France.
20–2 August 2014—Yokohama National University, Japan.
8–11 August 2012—Stern School of Business, New York University, USA.
23–5 June 2011—Università di Pisa, Italy.
11–14 September 2008—University of California, Berkeley, USA.
5–7 April 2006—University College London, UK (John Stuart Mill Bicentennial Conference).
2005—Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
2004—Wake Forest, USA.
2003—Lisbon, Portugal (Utilitarianism, Human Rights and Globalization).
2002—Tokyo, Japan (Colloquium on the Economic Thought of Jeremy Bentham).