CFP: New Thinking about Scientific Realism

5-9 August 2014 Cape Town, South Africa

1st Call for Papers (deadline 15 Dec 2013)

The Philosophy Departments at the University of Pretoria and the University of Johannesburg invite scholars working on scientific realism to submit abstracts for a conference on new thinking about scientific realism.

Our confirmed keynote speaker is Anjan Chakravartty from the University of Notre Dame.

The aim of the conference is to reconsider and re-evaluate the status quo of debates about scientific realism and to investigate, articulate and open up the possibilities for realising promises of new directions of thought about scientific realism.

Format of the conference:

We are planning a keynote address (Anjan Chakravartty); 6 contributed sessions with 8 invited speakers in total and around 10 contributed papers in each different session; and a ‘science talk/debate’ (delivered by leading international scientists) which will take the form of a panel discussion between the scientists and some of the invited speakers.

In addition we plan a conference dinner and a wine tasting event (details to follow in the 2nd CFP).

Contributed Sessions:

Session 1: General Scientific Realism – Invited Speaker: Michael Devitt (City University of New York)

Session 2: Truth, Progress, Success and Scientific Realism – Invited Speaker: Ilkka Niiniluoto (University of Helsinki)

Session 3: Selective Realisms – Invited Speakers: Steven French (University of Leeds) & Michela Massimi (University of Edinburgh)

Session 4: The Semantic View and Scientific Realism – Invited Speaker: Roman Frigg (London School of Economics)

Session 5: Scientific Realism and the Social Sciences – Invited Speaker: Uskali Mäki (University of Helsinki)

Session 6: Anti-Realism – Invited Speakers: Kyle Stanford (University of California, Irvine) & Mauricio Suárez – Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Abstracts:

Abstracts must be submitted to the conference email address: new.scientific.realism@gmail.com

Abstracts must be 750-1000 words. Please indicate clearly in which session you see your paper as falling. Please prepare abstracts for blind review.

Important Dates:

Due date for abstracts: 15 December 2013

Announcement of accepted papers: 15 February 2014

Registration Period: 15 February 2014 – 31 July 2014 (Discount for early registration will be announced in the 2nd CFP)

Venue:

The venue for the conference is the Villa Via Hotel in Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape (about 45 minutes from Cape Town): http://www.villa-via.com/.

Participants can book accommodation in the hotel, or in one of the guest houses close to the hotel in Gordon’s Bay. More detail with regards to accommodation will be given in the 2nd CFP and on the conference website.

Conference Fee: 1500 ZAR (approximately 125 EUR, 164 USD, 107 GBP according to current exchange rates)

Information on possible financial aid to postgraduates and other delegates will be given in later CFP’s.

 Conference Website: www.newscientificrealism.co.za(to be activated in the next few days)

We look forward to hosting the conference. Please feel free to contact us for any clarification at new.scientific.realism@gmail.com.

Organising Committee:

Chair: Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (University of Pretoria)

Alex Broadbent (University of Johannesburg)

HPP (Hennie) Lötter (University of Johannesburg)

CFP: COLLOQUIUM ON HAPPINESS, PSSA 2014

UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE, BLOEMFONTEIN, 20-22 JANUARY 2014

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for a colloquium on happiness that will form part of the annual conference of Philosophical Society of Southern Africa (PSSA) in 2014. The colloquium will be run as a special parallel session throughout the conference. Participants are invited to submit papers related to the overall theme from within any philosophical sub-discipline, e.g. philosophy of economics, moral philosophy, aesthetics, political philosophy, neurophilosophy or philosophy of literature. Papers on the following topics are particularly welcome:
o   Classical vs modern theories of happiness
o   The role of reason in happiness
o   Is happiness a moral concept?
o   Measuring happiness
o   Happiness and pleasure
o   Public happiness
o   Happiness and utility
o   Justice, happiness and welfare
o   Representations of happiness in literature and art
o   Arguments against happiness

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should reach the organiser, Judy-Ann Cilliers (jacilliers@sun.ac.za), as soon as possible but definitely no later than 30 October 2013. Note that the number of presentation slots is limited and that early submission is advisable.

Papers presented at the colloquium may be submitted for publication in a special issue of the South African Journal of Philosophy (SAJP) that will be devoted to happiness. To be considered for inclusion, full papers must reach the guest editors, Vasti Roodt (vroodt@sun.ac.za) and Isabelle Wienand (isabelle.wienand@unifr.ch), by 1 April 2014. Author guidelines for the SAJP can be downloaded at http://www.sajp.za.net/sajp-author-guidlines.html

There is no additional registration fee for attending this colloquium. It forms part of the PSSA 2014 conference and will be held at the same venue. See full CFP for PSSA 2014 at https://philsafrica.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/cfp-pssa-conference-january-2014/

Participants are reminded to reserve rooms as soon as possible, since availability is limited. For more information on accommodation, see full CFP for PSSA 2014.

Organised by Vasti Roodt (Department of Philosophy, University of Stellenbosch) and
Isabelle Wienand (Department of Philosophy, University of Fribourg)

The Spring Colloquium, September 2013

The annual Spring Colloquium will this year be held at Everglades in the Midlands KwaZulu-Natal, and is hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  It will take place from the 28^th to the 29^th of September 2013. Presentations will begin the morning of the 28^th and the colloquium will end by lunch on Sunday the 29^th (final programme will be circulated soon after 12^th August 2013).

Submissions

Papers in all areas of philosophy welcome.

Please email abstracts of no more than 300 words for consideration to: ukznphil@gmail.com

Abstracts should reach us no later than the 31^st of July 2013.

Notification of acceptance will be sent out no later than 12^th August 2013 (though early notification is possible for those who require it for securing funding and who send in abstracts early).

Papers not accepted for presentation can be officially tabled on request (again, early notification can be sent out if required for funding purposes).

Accommodation

We have secured a discounted accommodation price of R600 pppn sharing (this includes meals and general conference costs) for the nights of the 27^th and the 28^th for those who book by the 1^st July 2013. Those who book after the 1^st July 2013 will have to pay a higher fee. Early booking is therefore highly recommended.

For bookings, participants are asked to contact the hotel directly (speak to Carl) – Reference: Philosophy Spring Colloquium.

Email.  Everglades.res@sai.co.za

Tel. (033) 234-9042

For more information about the venue: http://www.everglades.co.za/

More Info

If you have any questions about the Spring Colloquium, please email us at: ukznphil@gmail.com

Spring Colloquium 2013 Organisers

Dr Heidi Matisonn

Dr Jacek Brzozowski