Ethics Initiative

The Notre Dame Ethics Initiative is part of a University-wide strategic effort that aims to establish Notre Dame as a premier global destination for the study of ethics.

A key component of this Initiative involves supporting the Department of Philosophy in its plans to grow as a top department for the study of moral theory, including the history of moral thought and emerging topics in applied ethics. In 2023, the Department collaborated with the Ethics Initiative to develop an ambitious and aggressive three-year plan aimed at achieving excellence in the field of normative ethics.

The plan includes large-scale cluster hiring, creating a postdoctoral fellowship program, developing an innovative program for graduate cross-training in applied ethics, and implementing programs to deepen and broaden undergraduate engagement in ethics.

Key elements of this plan include:

  • Recruitment, support, and department profile for pre-tenure faculty in ethics

  • Recruitment, support, and department profile for senior faculty in ethics

  • Recruitment, training pathway, support, and placement for doctoral students

  • Recruitment, training pathway, support, and placement for postdoctoral scholars

  • Organized undergraduate academic programming (specialized minors, funded research programs, large signature courses)

  • Collaborations with other departments/units on campus

  • Establishment of a high-profile annual conference in normative ethics

We are excited to share updates and successes with you as the plan progresses. 

The work of ethics is deeply connected to Notre Dame and its mission. Religious universities, by virtue of their nature and mission, attach existential importance to the deep study of moral philosophy. Encompassing all the major questions in ethics, moral philosophy clarifies visions of the common good. It is central in guiding everyday conduct. It is a mainstay of family life, and it is crucial for citizenship.

As moral philosophy, ethics can and should be taught in ways that develop both intellectual and practical capacities of students. It has important connections with nearly every other major field of inquiry. Notre Dame is the world's premier religious institution of higher education, and achieving excellence in moral philosophy is part of the University’s calling.