Main aim: Taking normativity seriously.
"NormaCtivity” is an international research network which aims to promote research on normativity (both human and non-human) in a new and broader perspective, connecting scholars interested in studying normative phenomena from different fields.
The basic intent is to extend the study of normativity beyond those areas that have traditionally dealt with it (i.e., in the twentieth century, almost exclusively ethics and law). In fact, we believe that a new approach to the study of normativity can open up further research directions and receive important insights from many other scientific disciplines (ethology, medicine, psychology, cognitive sciences, biology, etc.).
At the basis of this project is the curiosity aroused by questions such as: What is normativity? Is it necessarily linked to language? What types of entities can perform a normative function? Is normativity necessarily connected to some kind of consciousness? What are the sources of normativity? What kind of ‘entity’ is a norm? What does it mean to say that norms ‘exist’? In what does the ‘reality’ of norms consist? Are norms necessarily propositional (i.e. have a propositional content)? What is ‘Ought’? Are there different types of Ought? Does regulation have to be normative? Are there forms of non-normative regulation?
Our idea is that the Normactivity website may serve both as a “network” to bring together scholars from different disciplines and countries interested in such kind of questions, and also as a “platform” for collaborative activities (e.g. discussion of papers in progress) and common projects (e.g. research projects) to explore them.
The basic intent is to extend the study of normativity beyond those areas that have traditionally dealt with it (i.e., in the twentieth century, almost exclusively ethics and law). In fact, we believe that a new approach to the study of normativity can open up further research directions and receive important insights from many other scientific disciplines (ethology, medicine, psychology, cognitive sciences, biology, etc.).
At the basis of this project is the curiosity aroused by questions such as: What is normativity? Is it necessarily linked to language? What types of entities can perform a normative function? Is normativity necessarily connected to some kind of consciousness? What are the sources of normativity? What kind of ‘entity’ is a norm? What does it mean to say that norms ‘exist’? In what does the ‘reality’ of norms consist? Are norms necessarily propositional (i.e. have a propositional content)? What is ‘Ought’? Are there different types of Ought? Does regulation have to be normative? Are there forms of non-normative regulation?
Our idea is that the Normactivity website may serve both as a “network” to bring together scholars from different disciplines and countries interested in such kind of questions, and also as a “platform” for collaborative activities (e.g. discussion of papers in progress) and common projects (e.g. research projects) to explore them.
Research AreasThe areas in which the issue of normativity is particularly important today are at least the following (for each of them there are fellows who have joined the project - see Section “Network” of this site - and who have made publications available - see Section “Publications” of this site): 1. Anthropology and Sociology 2. Biology 3. Cognitive Science 4. Economics 5. Ethology 6. Geography, Planning and Design 7. Law 8. Medicine 9. Philosophy 10. Psychology |
Research LinesSome of the lines of research that we believe it would be interesting to deepen are the following (this is only a first indicative list):
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Executive Team
GIUSEPPE LORINI
Professor of Philosophy of law Department of Law University of Cagliari, Cagliari (Italy) Co-founder |
STEFANO MORONI
Professor of Planning Department of Architecture and Urban Studies Polytechnic University of Milan, Milan (Italy) Co-founder |
OLIMPIA GIULIANA LODDO
Tenure track researcher Department of Law University of Cagliari, Cagliari (Italy) Co-founder and scientific coordinator of the research unit on inter-semiotic normativity |
ANITA DE FRANCO
Post-doctoral researcher Department of Architecture and Urban Studies Polytechnic University of Milan, Milan (Italy) Co-founder and scientific coordinator of the research unit on normative artifacts |
LAURA DANON
Associate Professor of Philosophy School of Philosophy and Humanities, National University of Córdoba (Argentina) Scentific coordinator of the research unit on animal normativity |
ANDREA LOI
PhD candidate in Philosophy, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan (Italy) Assistant editor |