We are glad to announce the seventh edition of the biennial Philosophical Red Star Line Conference. Started in 2003, the Philosophical Red Star Line is a joint collaboration between the philosophy departments of the University of Antwerp and of the Fordham University of New York City. The spirit of the conference is to create a space for exchanges and cooperation open to all graduate students and Post-Docs interested in presenting their research work, coming from any university, and to fortify the connection between Fordham University and the University of Antwerp. This year, the conference will take place in Antwerp from the 17th/18th to the 19th of August.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Imagination,” construed in its broad sense. From Plato to Kant, imagination has always been a significant philosophical theme in the history of philosophy. Today philosophers study imagination within the context of a variety of philosophical perspectives, in a way which aims to overcome the traditional continental and analytical divide. The fact that imagining puts us in touch with non-actual objects and situations marks a significant difference with the kind of factual knowledge provided by ordinary sensory experience, reasoning and belief. Nevertheless, imagination also appears to play a central role in several different human practices, discussed both by analytical and continental philosophers, such as literature, aesthetics, ethics, political philosophy, epistemology and philosophy of science. A deeper insight in the powers and the nature of imagining should thus be developed across all these different dimensions, which this year’s edition of the PRSL aims to establish.
We therefore welcome submissions on imagination from a wide range of philosophical fields. Some possible topics to investigate are (but are not limited to):
imagination and perception
imagination and action
imagination and abstract thinking
imagination and aesthetic experience
imagination and fiction
imagination and emotions
imagination and narrativity
imagination and self-awareness
imagination and creativity
imagination and counterfactuals
imagination and scientific practice
imagination and technology
Philosophical psychology of imagination
Imagination in practical self-understanding
Imagination and the history of philosophy
Imagination in the works of a specific philosopher (Plato, Kant, Hume, Sartre, Ryle Strawson, Ricœur, etc.)
Keynote speakers:
Jennifer Gosetti-Ferencei (Fordham University)
Bence Nanay (University of Antwerp)
T.B.A.
Submissions should be send by 10th June 2017 to redstarline17@gmail.com. Abstracts have to be prepared for double blind review, so they should not contain any identifying information, and they may not exceed 300 words. Please add an extra document with all the contact information. Talks are intended to not exceed maximum 30 minutes of time, plus 15 minutes for discussion.
Any question could be addressed to: redstarline17@gmail.com