Kenneth Keulman, Professor/Chair of the Department of Religious Studies and Provost Distinguished Professor, spoke on "Human Rights and Humanitarian Intervention" in a session on Human Rights at the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy, Athens, Greece, August 4-10, 2013.

The World Congresses of Philosophy are organized every five years by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies in collaboration with one of its member societies.

The purpose of the Congress is to:

• Inquire into the world’s philosophical traditions and compare them in terms of their diverse contributions and possible mutual cross-fertilization.
• Reflect on the tasks and functions of philosophy in the contemporary world, taking account of the contributions, expectations, and gaps in philosophical awareness associated with other disciplines, with political, religious, social, economic, technological activities and with diverse cultures and traditions.
• To emphasize the importance of philosophical reflection for public discourse on global issues affecting humanity.

The main theme of the 2013 Congress, ‘Philosophy as Inquiry and Way of Life,’ emphasized both theory and practice, recalled the declaration of Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Keulman is a professor at Loyola University, where he teaches courses in ethics and international relations. He is the author of The Balance of Consciousness: Eric Voegelin’s Political Theory, editor and coauthor of Critical Moments in Religious History, and coauthor of Horizons of Value Conceptions. He has contributed chapters in edited volumes on subjects such as nuclear weapons policy, security and defense policy in the European Union, violence and coexistence, and civic education. Keulman has contributed to journals such as The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Harvard International Review, French Politics and Society, and Harvard Law and Medicine Bulletin, and is also review editor of Human Rights Review.