Institute for Ethics & Society

The Institute for Ethics & Society (IES) is a national research institute of the University of Notre Dame Australia. We are philosophers, theologians, historians and social scientists, drawing on deep intellectual traditions to grapple with the questions that define our age: how to live well, how to live together, how to meet a changing world.

Our work is organised through two centres and four research areas, and is supported by funders including the Australian Research Council, the European Research Council and the John Templeton Foundation, alongside industry and philanthropic partners.

Public engagement runs through everything we do: we host public lectures and orations, short courses, conferences, seminars and masterclasses, and we work in partnership with organisations across healthcare, education and Australia's faith communities.

Our people and research

IES brings together researchers from across philosophy, theology, history, and the social sciences, including research fellows, teaching academics, honorary and affiliated researchers, and graduate research students. The Institute is led by Co-Directors Professor David Bronstein and Associate Professor Nathan Lyons.

  • Our centres and research areas

    Centre for the History of Philosophy (CHOP) — Research, teaching and public engagement across the history of philosophy — ancient, medieval and modern, Western and beyond — with particular strength in the Abrahamic traditions.

    Centre for Technology and Human Futures (CTHF) — Humanities-grounded research on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, and what they mean for how we work, learn, and understand ourselves.

    Moral Philosophy and the Good Life — What constitutes a good human life: virtue and vice, moral responsibility, and the ethics of belief.

    Bioethics and Healthcare Ethics (BHE) — Ethics at the beginning and end of life, spiritual care, and ethics education in clinical settings.

    Religion, Culture and Society (RCS) — Religion, spirituality and non-religion in contemporary society, politics and culture.

    Global Catholic Studies — The history, cultures and ideas of Catholicism across continents and centuries.

  • Current research projects

    A selection of externally funded research currently underway at the Institute:

    • Logic in Reverse Redux: Illegitimate Argumentative Moves in the Arabic, Byzantine, Hebrew and Latin Medieval Traditions (RevLogRedux) — Tony Street (European Research Council)
    • Awe-some Spirituality: A Theological and Psychological Cross-Disciplinary Exploration of Awe — Victoria Lorrimar (John Templeton Foundation)
    • The Blame Game: Culpability, Co-Operation and Cultural Change — Adam Piovarchy (Australian Research Council)
    • A History of the Capuchins in Australia — Shaun Blanchard and Liam Temple, with Durham University's Centre for Catholic Studies (The Capuchin Franciscan Friars of Australia)
    • Biohacking as a Spiritual Quest — Victoria Lorrimar and Stephen Bullivant (John Templeton Foundation)
    • Zeal: An Intellectual History — Aden Cotterill (philanthropically supported)
    • The Quantum Worldviews Project — Stephen Bullivant, with the University of Oxford’s Ian Ramsey Centre (Templeton World Charity Foundation)

  • Graduate research

    The Institute supervises PhD, MPhil and MRes candidates across all of our research areas. Research degrees have no tuition cost for Australian citizens and permanent residents, and competitive candidates can apply for a tax-free stipend through Notre Dame's HDR scholarship program. Candidates join a full scholarly life of seminars, masterclasses, reading groups and international collaborations.

Partner with us

The Institute collaborates with organisations across healthcare, education, and Australia's faith communities. Our partnerships take several forms: co-designed research projects, co-hosted public events, research that informs practice, short courses and workshops, and industry-linked PhDs. Recent partners include St Vincent's Health Australia, The Great Synagogue Sydney, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, The Scots College and the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in Australia.

Start a partnership conversation – ies@nd.edu.au