Call for papers by Alex Underwood
For as long as philosophical questions have been asked, the nature and task of philosophy itself ... more For as long as philosophical questions have been asked, the nature and task of philosophy itself has posed a problem to which various and often conflicting solutions have arisen. Today it seems that the idea and practice of philosophy is as controversial as ever – for philosophers and non-philosophers alike, though the questions have been rephrased. What is the place of philosophy in an increasingly specialised academia? How does society perceive philosophy and how can philosophy itself impact society? Has philosophy progressed, or simply adapted to the political and social world in which it is found? Is a single foundation possible, or must we always ‘begin again’, seeking new philosophical tools in pursuit of the problems we encounter?
This year, the Warwick Conference of Continental Philosophy (WCPC) wants to reflect on these issues, and thus invites papers of Continental or European philosophy focusing upon the purpose and scope of philosophical discourse and practice.
This is the call for papers for the upcoming Warwick Continental Philosophy Conference, to be hel... more This is the call for papers for the upcoming Warwick Continental Philosophy Conference, to be held in June 2019 at the University of Warwick.
On the 50th anniversary of the events of May '68 and the 100th of the October revolution, it seem... more On the 50th anniversary of the events of May '68 and the 100th of the October revolution, it seems pertinent to critically examine the movements which have gained increasing traction in the upheaval of the last decade. Political and economic structures shift like tectonic plates, slowly and at first unnoticed: what was once impossible has become commonplace. The ever-increasing development of technology and commerce has opened questions new and old as to the role of human beings in an increasingly automated and globalised world, and of how our characters develop and change in relation to the machines to which we are now inextricably connected. Political questions themselves have changed, and with them the solutions theoretical works inspire. What does it mean to be a subject, and to be subject to power? To belong to, or to be independent of, a continent, a nation, a class, race, gender or sexuality? During an ongoing refugee crisis, rising nationalism and within an increasingly globalised world, how have the metaphysical and political boundaries shifted, and how does this alter the question of what is to be done? This year, Plí invites papers devoted to questions of politics and identity in the broadest sense, aiming to bring strands of contemporary theory into direct conflict or connection.
Philosophy has tended to be regarded of as dealing with pure, ephemeral thought. Its world of ide... more Philosophy has tended to be regarded of as dealing with pure, ephemeral thought. Its world of ideas is one into which words intrude only out of an often ‘tiresome’ secondary need: the need to be recorded, catalogued, communicated. Yet properly considered, philosophical ideas are inextricably bound up with their formative materiality: the words, tropes, forms, and figurations which not only enable their communication, but inform and structure their formulation. From Heraclitus’ use of oracular poetics to Adorno’s strategically difficult, resistant style of dialectics, certain thinkers have not only emphasised this inseparability but made central use of it in their philosophies. They have embraced and deployed ‘style’, made use of literary and rhetorical form or particular modes of semantic construction, and played with words, tropes, and phrases in the development of philosophies which ‘think themselves’ through such devices.
For our twenty-ninth volume, Plí invites papers which explore the place of style and form in philosophy. Submissions should seek to interrogate the relation between what we think and the way we think it – whether that be through examinations of a thinker’s specific style or use of forms, or through broader considerations of the significance of language and literary form in the structuring and formulation of philosophy.
NB: the deadline for the call for papers has been extended until 25/1. We particularly welcome ne... more NB: the deadline for the call for papers has been extended until 25/1. We particularly welcome new proposals on the themes of " tropes " and " attunement ". Confirmed keynote speakers: Derek Attridge (York); Claudia Brodsky (Princeton); Maximilian de Gaynesford (Reading); Anthony Ossa-Richardson (Southampton); Constantine Sandis (Hertfordshire); Catherine Wearing (Wellesley College). Following the success of the 2014 conference " 21 st-Century Theories of Literature: Essence, Fiction and Value " , which drew over eighty participants from across the globe and several of whose papers are about to be published as essays in Andrea Selleri and Philip Gaydon (eds.), Literary Studies and the Philosophy of Literature: New Interdisciplinary Directions (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016 – forthcoming), this conference seeks to broaden the avenues of conversation between aesthetics and literary studies that were opened on that occasion by prompting scholars from both fields to engage with each other in an actively interdisciplinary study of topics shared by literature and philosophy. This time, too, there will be three overarching themes: (1) Ethics; (2) Tropes; (3) Attunement. The main questions to be explored are, respectively: (1) whether and how literature and ethics can provide reciprocal illumination, and how each field's established lines of enquiry can help the other; (2) how literary studies and the philosophy of literature negotiate non-literal meaning, and the linguistic models which the respective practices imply; (3) how the theories and practices of the two fields can be brought to bear on one another. For each of these themes there will be parallel sessions with papers by scholars at all stages of their careers, and a double keynote session that will feature established scholars from each field. Abstracts of 400-500 words for 20-minute presentations should be sent to the organisers at [email protected] by 25/1/2017. We would particularly appreciate an engagement with both philosophical and literary-critical literature, but this is not a requirement as long as your argument is broad enough to be of interest to a large interdisciplinary audience. We welcome case studies and historical analyses, as long as there is an explicit theoretical dimension to the discussion. Possible themes may include but are not limited to: Ethics • Illustrations of ethical themes in fiction • Illumination of ethical themes through fiction • Doing, deeds and actions and consequences in fiction • Narrative and the formation of character • Fiction as experimentation with situation and response • Narration and judgement • Fiction and habitus • Implied attitudes in literature • The ethics of reading Tropes • Literary vs figurative meaning • Tropes as conveyors of philosophical meaning • Tropes and genre
Book Reviews by Alex Underwood
A review of Miguel de Beistegui's 'The Government of Desire: A Genealogy of the Liberal Subject'
Papers by Alex Underwood
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Call for papers by Alex Underwood
This year, the Warwick Conference of Continental Philosophy (WCPC) wants to reflect on these issues, and thus invites papers of Continental or European philosophy focusing upon the purpose and scope of philosophical discourse and practice.
For our twenty-ninth volume, Plí invites papers which explore the place of style and form in philosophy. Submissions should seek to interrogate the relation between what we think and the way we think it – whether that be through examinations of a thinker’s specific style or use of forms, or through broader considerations of the significance of language and literary form in the structuring and formulation of philosophy.
Book Reviews by Alex Underwood
Papers by Alex Underwood
This year, the Warwick Conference of Continental Philosophy (WCPC) wants to reflect on these issues, and thus invites papers of Continental or European philosophy focusing upon the purpose and scope of philosophical discourse and practice.
For our twenty-ninth volume, Plí invites papers which explore the place of style and form in philosophy. Submissions should seek to interrogate the relation between what we think and the way we think it – whether that be through examinations of a thinker’s specific style or use of forms, or through broader considerations of the significance of language and literary form in the structuring and formulation of philosophy.