Lots of interesting things happening in Durham in May, as this is one of two metaphysics-related workshops (the other being this one on Metaphysical Issues in Natural Kinds). E.J. Lowe is featured in both, but this one also includes a bunch of top people in applied ontology, such as Barry Smith from Buffalo. Deadline for abstracts is 19th April.

WORKSHOP: Information Systems and the Four-Category Ontology

20th-21st May 2013

Department of Philosophy, Durham University

http://www.dur.ac.uk/philosophy/events/informationsystemsandthefourcategoryontologyws/

Call for Abstracts – Deadline: Friday 19th April 2013

This two-day workshop will bring together metaphysicians, applied ontologists and information systems theorists to discuss the practical application of a four-category ontology to the design of information systems.

This workshop aims to put advocates of four-category ontologies into direct dialogue with applied ontologists and information systems designers, enabling each to update the other on developments within their disciplines and to share concerns and problems for collective discussion.

Specific foci of the workshop will be (i) the presentation of practical problems in the design of information systems and (ii) the discussion of contemporary developments in the four-category ontology whose practical applications are not yet appreciated.

Invited speakers:

Nicola Guarino, Laboratory for Applied Ontology, Trento

Ludger Jansen, University of Rostock

E. J. Lowe, Durham University

Luc Schnieder, Institute for Formal Ontology and Medical Information Science

Barry Smith, University at Buffalo

Abstracts:

We invite abstracts of 300-500 words for presentations of half an hour, followed by fifteen minutes for discussion, on topics related to the aims of the workshop. Please prepare these for blind review and submit to a.d.carruth [at] durham.ac.uk

We aim to help cover the costs of attending the event for all those whose papers are accepted.

Please direct any enquiries to:

Alex Carruth – a.d.carruth [at] durham.ac.uk

or

David Westland – d.w.westland [at] durham.ac.uk

Make note of this CFP for a special issue of Topoi on Time and Time Experience, edited by Giuliano Torrengo and Roberto Ciuni. Looks great!

Call For Papers

Topoi: An international Review of Philosophy, is planning to devote a special issue on Time and Time Experience. The editors will be Giuliano Torrengo (University of Milan) and Roberto Ciuni (Bochum University).

The deadline for the initial submission is 31 August 2013. Accepted papers will be published in 2014. Formatting instructions for submissions can be found at: http://www.springer.com/philosophy/journal/11245; click “Instructions for Authors” on the right. All submissions for this issue should be made through Topoi Editorial Manager (http://www.editorialmanager.com/topo/default.asp), selecting “S.I.: Time and time experience (Torrengo/Ciuni)” as Article Type.

Confirmed invited authors:

Peter Ludlow (Northwestern University, Chicago)
Robin Le Poidevin (University of Leeds)
Barry Dainton (University of Liverpool)
Christoph Hoerl (University of Warwick)

At least since the beginning of philosophising in Western culture, the concept of time has baffled the human mind. This is not surprising, since temporal aspects seem to dwell reality as well as the core of our thought and language. Thus, the reflection on time finds its “natural” location in many different spheres (and possibly at their overlaps) such as metaphysics, phenomenology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and the study of perception and cognition. Many recent and influential contributions in analytic philosophy have focused on the question whether the temporal aspects of our experience reflect aspects of reality, or they are rather mere projections of some sort. Many features of our experience fall under such a “issue of realism”: the sense of passage, the perception of change, memory, expectation of future events and planning for actions, decisions, and timely behaviour, to name a few.

In this context, it is crucial to keep clear the distinction between the role of metaphysical enterprise and psychological enterprise (both broadly construed). On the one hand, if we claim that a certain temporal feature of our experience is not a genuine feature of reality – clearly, a metaphysical claim – we also need a psychological justification of why we ordinarily think of it as a part of reality. On the other hand, explanations of our experience of temporal reality depends on what we take temporal reality to be like. It seems thus that the answer to the question ‘what is time?’ and the answer to the question ‘how does our temporal cognition work?’ get support from each other. If this is the case, certain methodological questions become also crucial; in particular: how should we construe the distinction between genuine representations of reality and metaphysically misleading representations of reality? Are hard sciences playing a central role here? Or should we look rather at ordinary phenomenology? More generally, what criteria should we set for appraising the different realist and anti-realist options? The general aim of the volume is to shed some light on such an interplay between the analysis of the reality of time and the analysis of our experience of time, by presenting new positions on the market.

I just learned about this interesting conference on the metaphysics of modality in Bratislava, Slovakia, featuring John Divers and Francesco Berto. I’m pleased to see that metaphysics is being pursued in Slovakia! Abstracts due on May 15.

Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava

is pleased to announce call for papers for the conference

MODAL METAPHYSICS:
Issues on the (Im)Possible

held in

September 19-20, 2013

Keynote speakers:

John Divers (University of Leeds)
Francesco Berto (University of Aberdeen)

We invite submissions for a 30 minute presentation followed by a 20 minute discussion. Topics of interest might include (but are not limited to):

the nature of possible and impossible worlds
logic of possible and impossible worlds
how possibilia and impossibilia represent?
can we do without them?

A detailed abstract of approximately 500 words should be prepared for blind review and include a cover page with the full name, title, institution and contact information. Files can be submitted in pdf or doc(x) and should be sent to modalmetaphysics@gmail.com

Deadline for submissions: May 15, 2013
Notification of acceptance: June 15, 2013

The authors selected for the conference will be invited to contribute to a special issue of the journal of analytic philosophy Organon F
(http://www.klemens.sav.sk/fiusav/organon/?q=en). If you wish to submit an abstract, or would like any further details, please, email us to the above address or visit the conference website: http://metaphysicalsociety.webnode.sk/

Program committee: Eugen Andreanský, Ji?í Raclavský, Igor Sedlár, Martin Schmidt
Organizing committee: Lukáš Bielik, Martin Vacek, Marián Zouhar

Bringing to front from September 2012.

Continuum Publishing is launching a new series called Critical Introductions to Contemporary Metaphysics, and I’m proud to be a member of the distinguished Editorial Board. We’re now accepting book proposals for the series. The first title in the series is on Fictionalism by Frederick Kroon and Jonathan McKeown-Green. Another volume, on Realism, is being discussed. Potential further topics include, but are not limited to Modality, Identity, Fundamentality, Causation, Universals, Properties, and Existence. At this time, we would especially welcome proposals related to Existence.

I trust that anyone even remotely familiar with contemporary metaphysics will be impressed by the Editorial Board of the series, which, I’m pleased to say, includes four of the contributors to my Contemporary Aristotelian Metaphysics volume (although I would’ve also liked to have seen some women on this list):

• Bill Brewer, Susan Stebbing Professor of Philosophy (King’s College London, UK)
• Albert Casullo, Professor of Philosophy (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA)
• Thomas M. Crisp, Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy (Biola University, USA)
• Kit Fine, Silver Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics (New York University, USA)
• E. J. Lowe, Professor of Philosophy (University of Durham, UK)
• Eric T. Olson, Professor of Philosophy (University of Sheffield, UK)
• Peter Simons, Professor of Philosophy (Trinity College Dublin)
• Tuomas Tahko, Postdoctoral Researcher (University of Helsinki, Finland)

Here is the series description:

Each critical introduction provides a comprehensive survey to important metaphysical subjects. Covering the methodological and practical contexts, these introductions identify and explore major approaches, theories and debates. A focus on the historical background, as well as changes to how the discipline is being studied, allows connections to be made between contemporary issues and the wider history of modern philosophy.

Designed for use on contemporary metaphysics courses, each introduction is defined by a clear writing style and equipped with features to facilitate and encourage further study.
For upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates and professionals wishing to stay informed of issues and arguments shaping twenty-first century metaphysics, Critical Introductions to Contemporary Metaphysics presents an invaluable series of up-to-date introductory research resources.

Each volume will be between 80,000 and 90,000 words and include:

• an introductory historical overview
• chapter summaries
• an end-of-chapter guide to additional readings and research resources
• an end-of-chapter set of discussion questions (which could be used in tutorials and/or as essay topics)
• a complete annotated bibliography a glossary

If you’re interested in submitting a proposal, feel free to get in touch with me.

This should be an interesting opportunity for early career researchers (only two spots available). I note that Vasilis Politis will be present — I found his Routledge Companion to Aristotle’s Metaphysics interesting reading. So, hopefully a paper on Aristotle and analytic philosophy will get through! I wasn’t planning on submitting myself, even though I have recently written something related to the topic.

Ancient philosophy and analytic philosophy

Conference organised by Catherine Rowett, Tom Sorell and Alberto Vanzo, to be held in St Anne’s College, Oxford, on 25-27 October 2013

For the past forty years, most research on ancient philosophy in the English-speaking world has been shaped by the methods and style of analytic philosophy. This has sharpened our understanding of key doctrines, highlighted their philosophical relevance, and made it possible for ancient views to bear on current debates. This alliance of analytic philosophy and ancient philosophy also raises pressing methodological questions. To what extent are we allowed to supplement the claims of ancient philosophers with premises and concepts that the authors involved would not recognize? How can our understanding of the arguments of ancient philosophers profit from the study of non-argumentative aspects of their texts, like the use of myths or the dialogic form? How should we deal with texts whose standards of argument that are markedly different from our own, or which seek to promote specific forms of life, rather than establishing a specific body of truths?

Invited speakers: Lesley Brown (Oxford), Walter Cavini (Bologna), Gail Fine (Cornell/Oxford), Terence Irwin (Oxford), Kathryn Morgan (UCLA), Vasilis Politis (Dublin), Christopher Rowe (Durham).

Two slots are available for presentations of 45 minutes from early-career scholars, followed by 30 minutes of discussion. We aim to cover some of the travel and accommodation costs.

Please submit full papers (max. 15,000 words) to Alberto Vanzo (alberto.vanzo@email.it) by Monday 3 June 2013.