On Friday 26th March 2010, the first day of the Seeking Wisdom? conference, the Law stream joined the Social Sciences stream for the following four introductory talks:

1. Social Scientific and Christian Understandings of Human Beings in Society (9.30 - 11am) 
DONALD HAY offered a comparison of anthropology and evolutionary psychology, rational choice theory and social theory.

COFFEE BREAK

2. Social Ethics and the Bases for Social Policy: (11.30am - 1pm)
SABINA ALKIRE on the application of natural law approaches.

LUNCH

3. Social Ethics in the Social Sciences - Theological and Secular Approaches: (2.15 - 4pm)
DONALD HAY discussed Biblical social ethics, Catholic social teaching, and the ethical presuppositions of social sciences.

TEA BREAK

4. Christian Theological Traditions and Political Life: (4.30pm - 6pm)
NIGEL BIGGAR developed a Christian theological understanding of political authority by tracing the witness of both Old and New Testaments to the calling of political authorities in God's purposes.

6.30pm BUFFET DINNER

For the second day of the conference the Social Science held the following four sessions:

5. Epistemology and Methods of Investigation in the Social Sciences: (9.30 - 11am)
DONALD HAY considered how 'scientific' the social sciences are (or should be) and whether methods of investigation developed in the social sciences are capable of discovering 'truth'.

COFFEE BREAK

6. When a Christian does Cognitive Science of Religion: (11.30am - 1pm)
JUSTIN L. BARRETT provided an integrative introduction to the area of cognitive science of religion (CSR) and discussed how a Christian worldview might impact studies in this area.

LUNCH

7. Theology in the Public Square - the example of Just War doctrine: (2 - 3.30pm)
NIGEL BIGGAR looked at the origins and development of Just War doctrine, the ways in which Christian belief has shaped it and what it has become in secular hands.

TEA BREAK

8. A Christian Alternative Story for our Economic Lives? (4 - 5.30pm)
ANDREW DILNOT offered an alternative explanation to the standard assumptions of economic analysis - that human behaviour is always determined by selfish motivations.