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de Nicola Center Hosts Flash Panel on Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical on Human Dignity in the Age of AI

On May 26, 2026, the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture hosted a flash panel of Notre Dame experts discussing the highly-anticipated first encyclical from Pope Leo XIV, "Magnifica Humanitas: On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." Paolo Carozza (Notre Dame Law School), Paul Scherz (Department of Theology), and Rev. John Paul Kimes (Notre Dame Law School) explored the content and implications of the Holy Father’s reflection on the rise of artificial intelligence, which he has called "another industrial revolution . . . that pose[s] new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor."

Watch the recording of the panel discussion on our YouTube channel.

Notre Dame Presents 2026 Evangelium Vitae Medal to Wm. David Solomon, Founding Director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture presented the 2026 Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal—the nation’s most important award for heroes of the pro-life movement—to the family of the late Wm. David Solomon, associate professor of philosophy emeritus and founding director of the Center, at a Mass and dinner attended by more than 400 guests on May 1, 2026, at the University of Notre Dame.

A member of the philosophy faculty at Notre Dame for almost 50 years, Solomon taught and researched in the areas of virtue ethics, ethical theory, and medical ethics, shaping the minds of countless students and inspiring colleagues across the disciplines. In 1999, Solomon founded the Center for Ethics and Culture, where he served as director until 2012. He retired from teaching in 2016 and passed away in 2025.

Learn more about David Solomon and the Evangelium Vitae Medal presentation here.

26th Annual Notre Dame Fall Conference: "But Where Can She Be Found? Wisdom From Age to Age"

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture’s 26th annual Fall Conference (October 1–3, 2026) will discuss the topic of wisdom, drawing on traditions across the disciplines—including philosophy, theology, ethics, law, history, and the natural and social sciences, as well as the creative domains of literature, music, film, theater, and the visual arts—and engage a wide range of questions and themes. Keynote speakers will be announced in summer, and registration will be available in August.

Learn more about the theme of this year's conference.

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All of our work at the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture is aimed at one goal: to share the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition through teaching, research, and dialogue, at the highest level and across a range of disciplines. In so doing, we enrich Notre Dame’s distinctive intellectual ecology—and we bring the university’s voice into the academic and public conversations concerning the most vital and complex matters of ethics, literature, art, music, social sciences, philosophy, theology, history, political theory, applied and theoretical science, public policy, and law. For more information on how to support the work of the de Nicola Center, visit our support page.

Ethics and Culture Cast

Our podcast features lively conversations with fellows, scholars, and friends of the de Nicola Center. Episodes released every other Thursday during the academic year. Suggestions and feedback welcome at cecpodcast@nd.edu.

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