The death of Alasdair Chalmers MacIntyre (12 January 1929 – 21 May 2025) provides all who are indebted to his work with an opportunity to consider how he has made them rethink those areas of philosophy to which he made outstanding contributions.

The Centre for Theology, Law, and Culture at Pusey House is partnering with the Canterbury Institute and the Aquinas Institute at Blackfriars Hall to organise a conference to consider how we ought to commemorate the work that MacIntyre began, whether that be by developing and deepening it, by refining and correcting what he overlooked or dismissed, or by sharply disagreeing with the positions he held. It will consider how his work provokes us to redefine our positions in light of the arguments he made.

As he wrote in his last book: ‘In philosophy it is only rarely that anyone or any argument has the last word. Debate almost always continues, and this is notably so with the topics and issues with which I am concerned in this book’ – MacIntyre, Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity (2016).

There will be keynote lectures in the Pusey House Chapel at 4pm on both days of the conference.

They will be open to the public and do not require registration to attend.

Keynote lectures:

• Thursday 11 June, Professor Tracey Rowland (Notre Dame, Australia), ‘MacIntyrean Insights for the Leonine Era’.

Abstract: Over a century has passed since Leo XII’s promulgation of Rerum Novarum in 1891. We are now at the beginning of a new Leonine era. It may therefore be an appropriate time to pause and consider what we can learn from the works of MacIntyre about the Church’s relationship with the culture of modernity and in particular the mistakes that were made by ecclesial leaders over the past century when managing this relationship. In his first address to the members of the Vatican Diplomatic Corps in January 2026 Pope Leo made some very MacIntyrean-style observations about the political use or misuse of language. MacIntyre had much to teach the Church about this very issue, but not only this issue. MacIntyre also had significant advice to offer about the bogus neutrality of the social sciences; the bogus epistemic authority of experts; the work of bureaucracies in stifling appeals to first principles; the own goals scored by the Church’s adoption of the rhetoric of liberal natural rights; and the manner in which “plain persons” and “masters of intellectual traditions” arrive at the truth. Each of these elements of MacIntyre’s thought has something to offer in a much over-due audit of the Church’s engagement with the culture of modernity

• Friday 12 June, Professor Jason Blakely (Pepperdine), ‘Last of the Utopians: Alasdair MacIntyre as Radical Humanist’.

Abstract: TBA

The rest of the conference will take place in Campion Hall and Christ Church and registration is required to attend the other sessions. To register your interest in attending, please email: andreas.masvie@chch.ox.ac.uk

Evensong at 5:30pm after each of the keynote lectures will have a guest preacher. The preacher on Thursday, 11 June will be The Rev'd Dr Nicholas Austin SJ (Master of Campion Hall), and on Friday, 12 June, The Rev’d Dr Richard Conrad OP (Blackfriars Hall) will preach.