ISME2026

Narratives, Education, and Flourishing Life

July 8-10, 2025

The 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for MacIntyrean Enquiry

Organized in collaboration with the Moray House School of Education and Sport

University of Edinburgh, U.K.

Conference Secretary
Gale MacLeod

Keynote Speakers
Rafe McGregor (Edge Hill University)
Shari Sabeti (University of Edinburgh)

Conference Email
isme2026@macintyreanenquiry.org

Call for Papers

In After Virtue Alasdair MacIntyre argues that stories play an essential role in our ethical formation because “I can only answer the question ‘What am I to do’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’” For children the characters in narratives provide models for action, both good and bad, while for adults the quest for the good (flourishing) life involves the quest for a certain kind of narrative unity. How are we to adjudicate these claims, and if we grant the crucial role of narratives in the quest for a flourishing life what are the implications for how educational institutions should understand their task?

We invite papers from all relevant disciplines on the diverse connections between narrative, education, and flourishing life. Possible topics include, but are by no means limited to:

• How persuasive is MacIntyre’s case for attributing such an important role to narratives in ethical formation and human flourishing and reasons? Is he right to think children and adults need narratives to lead flourishing lives? Might the search for a unifying life-narrative sometimes be an impediment to human flourishing?

• What is the relationship between the role of narrative in education and ethical life and other, perhaps more distinctively aesthetic, values in narratives? What ethical and educational value might be found in stories about morally ambiguous or immoral characters?

• Might different narrative forms like literature, film, and theatre open up different educational possibilities and, if so, what might these be? What narratives and narrative forms might it be good for children and adults to engage with in light of the moral and political challenges represented by climate change, systematic injustice, and AI?

• Might other perspectives on education, ethical formation and ethical life offer a better foundation for flourishing?

• How do we go about answering the question “Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?”

While papers on the conference theme of narratives, education and flourishing life are particularly encouraged, we also welcome proposals for papers that engage with or draw inspiration from other aspects of MacIntyre’s work.

In addition to proposals for individual papers, we are also accepting proposals for 3-4 person panels on various topics related to the conference theme. Individual paper and panel proposals can be submitted to isme2026@macintyreanenquiry.org.

Submissions Deadline
February 15, 2026