The podcast Philosophy Bites has just released a new episode featuring Joshua Knobe (Yale University), speaking about experimental philosophy. To listen to it, please click here.
CFP: What makes us moral? Amsterdam, June 23-24, 2011
Morality is a necessary condition for peaceful and fruitful co-existence. The conditions for moral behaviour in a rapidly changing, globalising world are not sustained automatically but demand our continuous attention. They are a matter of shared responsibility, with private as well as public aspects, concerning families as well as governments, individuals as well as organizations. To meet the present challenges of sustaining the conditions for morality, we need research combining the efforts of empirical scientists and philosophers.
Such research is being done in biology, psychology and sociology, as well as in educational science. The differentiation of academic research, creates difficulties in estimating the value of particular research within the wider context; and also for developing a more integral view. For these reasons the section Practical Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy, VU University, Amsterdam has taken the initiative to organize an interdisciplinary conference on the theme ‘What makes us moral?’ At this international conference contributions from noted researchers studying the empirical roots of morality will be brought into dialogue with philosophical contributions on the theme.
Theme of the conference: The question ‘What makes us moral?’ can be approached in different ways. In a purely causal sense it refers to internal factors, such as the capacities for moral reflection and action, and external factors, such as the quality of the social and the cultural environment, that can be understood to be conditions for morality. It can also be understood more philosophically, referring to the characteristics which constitute morality. That makes it possible to translate the question ‘What makes us moral?’ in the following
sub-questions:
- Which capacities does one need to be moral?
(Like: reflective abilities, empathy, sympathy, imagination.)
- What causes people to really act morally?
(Like: strength of will, self-control, compassion, moral identity.)
- Which are the most relevant factors in moral education and development?
(Like: moral exemplars, socialisation into moral practices.)
- Which is the role of structural or situational characteristics in encouraging or discouraging moral action?
(Like: trust, informal social sanctions (blaming and shaming), fairness in the allocation of burdens and benefits of cooperation)
These are all questions that matter to empirical scientists as well as to philosophers.
Organisers: Drs. Akshaya de Groot, Prof. Anton van Harskamp, Prof. Bert Musschenga, Dr. Angela Roothaan.
Date and venue: The conference will take place on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 June, 2011 in Amsterdam at VU University. The language will be English. It is intended for philosophers, psychologists, educationalists, sociologists and other empirical scientists with an interest in the theme. There is a maximum of 80 participants.
Keynote speakers: Carel van Schaik, primatologist, Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich;Darcia Narvaez, Professor of Moral Psychology, University of Notre Dame; Adam Seligman, Professor of Religion, Boston University.
Call for papers: You are invited to submit an abstract (500 words) before November 1, 2010.
You will be informed about acceptance of your proposal before December 15, 2010. The complete paper (maximum of 8000 words) has to be send to the organisers before June 10, 2011. At the conference you get 20 minutes for the presentation, followed by 15 minutes discussion. Abstract and papers should be send to email account wmum@bezinnen.nl
Publication: We aim to publish a selection of the papers in a book on the topic of the conference.
Conference fee: The conference fee for Ph.D. students and for those unemployed is € 75; for others € 100.
Registration: Registration will be open from January 1, 2011. Please consult the conference website integerleven.nl (active from September 1, 2010) for registration possibilities.
Contact: Prof. Bert Musschenga, aw.musschenga@ph.vu.nl; ++ 31 20 598 5672 (programme); Mrs. N. Eikelboom, nienke@bezinnen.nl; ++ 31 20 598 5670 (organisational matters).
Disputatio: International Journal of Philosophy
Call for papers
Disputatio (ISSN 0873-626X) is an international journal of philosophy based in Portugal (University of Lisbon) and published both on print and the Internet (open access) twice a year. Our response time is on average three months.
We accept papers on any area of analytic philosophy, broadly construed, written in either English or Portuguese.
We practice double blind refereeing, and follow the “Guidelines for the Handling of Manuscripts by the Editors of Philosophy Journals” of the APA. Manuscripts should be prepared for anonymous refereeing and sent to desiderio@ifac.ufop.br.
Disputatio is presently classified in category B of the ERIH ranking of the European Science Foundation. More information online.
Past issues can be found by clicking here.
PRIZE: `Paternoster young philosopher of religion 2010′
Paternoster Press and the Philosophy of Religion Section of the Tyndale Fellowship invite essays for a Philosophy Prize from scholars under 32 years of age. The winner will be named ‘Paternoster Young Philosopher of Religion 2010’ and will receive a prize worth £300.
TITLE: ‘Must knowledge of God be based on reasons?’
Essays should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length and should be submitted, electronically, to the Secretary of the group (djhill@liverpool.ac.uk) not later than Friday September 17th, 2010.
For further details of the Prize, of evaluation criteria and of the group visit: www.tyndalephilosophy.org.uk.
The Cartesian “Myth of the Ego” and the Analytic/Continental Divide
The Faculty of Philosophy of the Radboud University is pleased to host the conference: “The Cartesian “Myth of the Ego” and the Analytic/Continental Divide”, September 3-4, 2010
Keynote speakers: Lynne Rudder Baker, Katalin Farkas, Shaun Gallagher, Tom Sorell, Dan Zahavi
The philosophical scene has been dominated for many years by the analytic/continental divide. This protracted history of antagonism has tended to obscure the fact that at least on one point the two traditions seem to be remarkably close. Despite all the differences in style and choice of topics, both traditions have been strongly shaped by a profound discussion with “Cartesianism”, in particular with a doctrine we label the “Myth of the pure Ego.” This label can be summarized in two claims:
1. the metaphysical and epistemological claim that our self or ego is an immaterial substance, to which we have privileged access through introspection.
2. the methodological claim that this self forms the self-evident starting point of a philosophical system.
This colloquium aims at a critical evaluation of the hidden anti-Cartesian consensus between analytic and continental philosophy. In this context, the colloquium will ask both historiographical and philosophical questions, such as:
• To what extent did Descartes actually defend the “myth of the pure ego”, and what philosophical purposes does this construction serve?
• Is the rift between analytical and continental philosophy as deep as many have portrayed it?
• Which elements of the Cartesian tradition now still seem worth defending?
• Which ones should definitively be rejected, be it on the basis of insights gathered in analytic or on the basis of continental philosophy?
• Can philosophy really do without a “pure self”?
Venue: Senaatszaal Aula (3-9), Huize Heyendaal (4-9), Radboud University Nijmegen (The Netherlands)
Registration: Registration fee, including coffee and lunch: €25 (per day); reduced fee for students (€10). Please contact fleurjongepier@gmail.com with the necessary information (applicable fee and dates). Further details will be provided by e-mail to complete registration. The confirmation will also include the keynotes’ abstracts (abstracts can also be requested prior to registration by the same address). Please note that places are limited.
For conference program click here.
Organizing Committee: Cees Leijenhorst, Marc Slors, Fleur Jongepier.
Philosophy Bites: Susan Wolf on “Meaning in Life”
The podcast Philosophy Bites has just released a new episode featuring Susan Wolf (UNC Chapel Hill), speaking about “what makes a life meaningful.” Here is a brief description of the episode:
What makes a life meaningful? Is the choice of where we find meaning completely arbitrary? These questions are different from the question ‘What is the meaning of life?’ Susan Wolf discusses meaning in life in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
To listen to the episode, please click here.
Postdoc in Practical Philosophy in Lund
Lund University announces a one-year position as a postdoctoral researcher in practical philosophy (with a possibility of prolongation with another six months) at the Department of Philosophy, practical philosophy unit, starting January 1, 2011.
Registration number: 1666
Further information about the position can be obtained from the Department Chairman Christian Balkenius (+46 46 2223251, Christian.Balkenius@lucs.lu.se) and/or Professor Wlodek Rabinowicz (+46 46 2227595, Wlodek.Rabinowicz@fil.lu.se).
Information about salary and employment conditions: Lena Kandefelt (+46 46 2227224, Lena.Kandefelt@kansliht.lu.se).
The department consists of three units: Practical Philosophy, Theoretical Philosophy and Cognitive Science. The units are to a large extent autonomous when it comes to research and teaching profiles. A common ambition for the department’s researchers is to contribute to the international development of their fields, by publishing articles in peer-reviewed international journals of high quality, by publishing books with international publishers, and by co-operating with researchers at other departments in Sweden and abroad.
Research profile in Practical Philosophy: Main areas in which the unit conducts research are value theory, including formal axiology, reasons and normativity, practical rationality, decision theory, quality of life, concepts of desert, rights, and equality, social ontology, group action and shared responsibility, neo-Kantian ethics and virtue ethics.
See this page , pp. 137ff, for a recent external research evaluation of the department, and this one, for the department’s self-evaluation.
The employment is a full time research position. The successful applicant is also expected to plan and give a one-week intensive course for doctoral students on a subject of the researcher’s own choice.
The research is supposed to be conducted at the department in Lund, and the successful applicant is expected to take part in and contribute to the research environment in the practical philosophy unit by participating in seminars and other research related activities.
The selection process will focus on scientific merits, as demonstrated in the applicant’s earlier research related to practical philosophy and the applicant’s research plan.
Eligibility
A person is eligible for this employment if s/he has a PhD exam in philosophy, which at the end of the application period is not more than three years old, and if s/he has not had a postdoc position previously. Exceptions for earlier exams can be made in special circumstances, such as a documented parental leave or illness in the post-examination period.
Application
The application must include:
- a complete and signed Curriculum Vitae and verified copy of the PhD exam.
- a list of publications (including their ISBN and ISSN numbers).
- a research project proposal no longer than three pages (not counting the reference list).
The applicants should be prepared to provide upon request copies of their work. The application, including attachments and with the reference number clearly indicated, is to be sent in two copies to the following address:
Vice Chancellor, Lund University, Box 117, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. It must reach the addressee by 15 September 2010 at the latest. In accordance with the university’s gender equality plan we particularly welcome female applicants for this employment.
Call for Registration: Second Annual Dutch Conference on Practical Philosophy
The Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Groningen is pleased to host the Second Annual Dutch Conference on Practical Philosophy.
The Annual Dutch Conference on Practical Philosophy brings together ethicists and political philosophers as well as philosophers and researchers working in related fields to present and discuss work in practical philosophy. A central meeting place for members and Ph. D. students of the Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy (Onderzoekschool Ethiek), it warmly welcomes non-members and researchers in practical philosophy from outside The Netherlands too.
Conference dates: 8 and 9 October, 2010
Venue: Het Kasteel, Groningen, The Netherlands
Keynote speakers: Onora O’Neill (Cambridge), Michael Smith (Princeton)
Registration: EUR 275 (members), EUR 350 (non-members), EUR 200 (Ph.D. students)
You can now register online. You can also book a hotel via this site. As we will start around 1pm on the first conference day, and end the second day around 6 pm, most participants will probably want to make a reservation for only one night.
There will be two kinds of parallel sessions. Half of the sessions will be organized by the coordinators of the various seminars (werkgroepen) of the Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy, and will focus on specific themes in practical philosophy. The other sessions will be devoted to papers received in response to this call for papers, and address any topic within practical philosophy (broadly conceived). We expect to finalize the programme by the end of August.
Organizing Committee: Boudewijn de Bruin, Martin van Hees, Frank Hindriks
Philosophical Explorations Essay Prize 2011
The journal Philosophical Explorations has inaugurated an annual essay prize for philosophers in the early stages of their career. Papers are invited on all aspects of the philosophy of mind and action. They should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and should not be submitted to any other journal until the outcome of the competition is known.
The Prize
* Publication of the winning essay in Philosophical Explorations as the opening article of the June 2011 issue (volume 14, issue 2).
* The winning essay will be promoted on the website of the journal.
* Cash prize of £250.
Jury
All submitted papers that qualify (see conditions) will be evaluated by the journal’s editorial board. The top 5 papers will be nominated for the Prize and will be judged by a jury consisting of three members of the journal’s advisory board. The jury will evaluate the papers on the originality of the paper, the quality of the argumentation, conceptual clarity, and overall readability.
The decision of the jury will be final. There is only one prize per year and the jury reserves the right to award no prize at all if submitted material is not of an appropriate standard.
Conditions
* Philosophers who have earned their doctorate no more than five years prior to submission are invited to submit (The winner will be required to document that this is the case).
* Papers should be on the topic of the journal, i.e. the philosophy of mind and action broadly understood (see general rules regarding submissions for Philosophical Explorations in the journal or on our website.
* Word limit: 3000-9000 words, including notes and references.
* Closing date for submissions: August 30, 2010.
* Papers must be submitted by e-mail to prize@philexpl.nl. Please indicate clearly in the subject line that you wish to have the paper considered for the Essay Prize. Make sure that the essay is modified for blind review, and that it has an abstract. A separate sheet with information about the university where you earned your doctorate, the date it was (or will be) awarded, and current mailing address is required.
* For more information about the prize, please contact the assistant editor of the journal, Melissa van Amerongen.
For further information about Philosophical Explorations please visit the journals homepage.
Philosophy TV launched
Philosophy TV has been launched. Philosophy TV is website for philosophers that showcases philosophers in dialog. First episode, featuring Tamar Gendler and Eric Schwitzgebel on implicit associations and belief is available now on the website:
http://philostv.com.
Also, take a list at our coming soon section to see who will be featured on the site in September.