InterPhil: CFP: Myths in the Ancient and Modern World
__ Call for Papers Theme: Myths in the Ancient and Modern World Type: II. International Symposium & Exhibition on Mythology Institution: Ardahan University Location: Ardahan (Turkey) Date: 3.–5.6.2020 Deadline: 1.3.2020 __ Although, for modern societies, the term “myth” stands for a tale, an untrue story, a legend, a superstition etc., for archaic societies who existed prior to written culture, myths were narrations of “the ultimate origin of reality” and, in that respect, they were not tales but true stories based on Reality. Therefore, a great philosopher like Plato appealed to muthos as a pedagogical means for telling his views through the Dialogues. On the other hand, along with the transition from mythopoetic thought to cosmological arguments, an irreversible diffraction occurred in the history of ideas, and philosophy parted ways with mythos for a certain while. Centuries later, however, many theorists in both clinical psychology and contemporary philosophy made use of the myth as a symbolic means of expression and pioneered a “mythic-turn” in the social sciences. This fact indicates that mythology remains an essential area of interest for humanities like philosophy and psychology. This is also the case for the disciplines of sociology and socio-cultural anthropology, whose practices developed within the framework of rituals, myths, customs and traditions, indicating that myth and mythology have pervaded into daily life, that they have turned into a reference guide, sometimes due to their guiding spirit and sometimes by being a tool for social control. Throughout historical and cultural processes, human beings have attributed divine meanings to the factors influencing them. By attributing such meanings to natural forces that were superior to them, humans also adopted the habit of symbolization. Furthermore, depending on the geographic and cultural context they were in, humans developed solutions for inexplicable events and/or situations such as illnesses. To specify, humans sought for genuine solutions by means of the daily practices they structured around the myths and legends, which were transmitted to them through cultural heritage. Legends and symbols are not discoveries that archaic people carried out on their own; rather, they are the products of a cultural whole that is well limited, kneaded and transmitted by some societies. In this way, some of these creations spread to lands far away from their own root-soils, becoming absorbed by the local people of those lands who would not recognize these elements otherwise. As the interaction between literature and mythology is at stake, a similar picture confronts us in this domain. Myths of several cultures have been shaping modern literary texts, and the characters in these myths have been creating modern stereotypes. The world where the mythological characters of ancient Greece and Rome belong may seem exaggerated for the modern reader. However, when the historical journey of literature is considered, it is understood that myths, initially, provided an inspiration for tragedies. Just like the fates of tragic heroes, the fates of mythical characters are full of circumstances that point towards a “moral.” From this perspective, it is undeniable that mythology is an essential reference for modern literature. Within the literary world, almost all writers apply myths, mythical characters and related archetypes that then become woven within the collective unconscious as a means for their literary narrative element for various purposes. Thus, it is difficult to understand Ulyssesby James Joyce, who is one of the most prominent writers of English literature, or Oedipa Maas by the American author Thomas Pynchon without the knowledge of classical mythology. As is obvious, mythology plays a crucial and central role in shaping and constructing literary genres, fiction and the relation of characters. Without the knowledge of mythology and iconography, art history could not be comprehended, nor could art criticism be carried out. Today, mythology is the primary source to which one appeals in order to interpret the works of art ranging from the hunting scenes on the walls of Lascaux to the masterpieces of the Renaissance and the products of eminent artists of various genres from primitivism to cubism. Certainly, the dance of mythology with other sciences cannot be limited to the abovementioned disciplines and areas. Myths and mythological systems have a peculiar role for each discipline associated with the humanities and social sciences. Based on this fact, as young academicians, we have decided to organize a worldwide symposium and, by doing so, we desire to bring together academicians and students from all areas of study including philosophy, sociology, anthropology, literature, psychology, art history and the fine arts provided that their papers are in
InterPhil: PUB: Language and Worldviews
__ Call for Publications Theme: Language and Worldviews Subtitle: Ideas on Language Throughout the Ages Publication: Topoi. An International Review of Philosophy Date: Special Issue Deadline: 15.4.2020 __ Description Language is a favourite topic of intellectual thought. Over the ages, language has been understood as a medium capacitating knowledge or belief; a mental faculty facilitating cognizing and reasoning; a behavioural capacity enabling communication and social interaction; a sociocultural means to identify and differentiate between groups and individuals; or an instrumental tool that permits objective scientific analysis. With this issue we aim to better delineate the intellectual genealogy of how language has been perceived and studied differentially within philosophical, religious, linguistic, and socio-anthropological schools of thought. In line with the spirit of Topoi, we want to open up a respectful dialogue on how views on language relate and differ from one another. Our issue can already count on contributions on the following topics: - Language in ancient philosophies (logos theories) - Language in Judeo-Christian traditions (the search for an Adamic language) - Language in the Renaissance and Enlightenment (the search for the original Mother tongue) - Language in analytical traditions (the reference problem, indeterminacy of translation) - Language use in the evolutionary sciences (discourse analysis) In addition to these topics, we are calling for papers on the following themes: - Language in non-Western Philosophies and World Religions - Origins and rationale of Logic as an area of research - Language and the Universalia debates - Origins, divergence, and rationale of Cognitive, Bio-, Socio- and Anthropological Linguistics - Signs and codes as defined in (Bio)Semiotics and their relation to concepts of information, communication and language - Any other topic deemed to shed light on the relationship between language and worldviews By comparing these traditions, our goal is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how ideas on language are formed, how they underlie worldview formation or the Zeitgeist of an era, and how they change over time. Such research is important because it enables a better understanding of the reach and limits of existing schools of thought and it contributes to knowledge on the overall role that language plays in human symbolic evolution. Instructions for Authors - Pre-enquiries by April 15th, 2020: Potential contributors are encouraged to send pre-inquiries and extended abstracts of 2 pages containing the contact details and full affiliations of all authors to the guest-editors by April 15th at nlgont...@fc.ul.pt; mtfacoe...@gmail.com; dpco...@ub.edu. - Paper submissions by December 1st, 2020: Authors are asked to prepare their manuscript according to the journal’s standard guidelines available at https://www.springer.com/journal/11245/updates/17215504, and to upload their manuscripts by December 1st, 2020 on Topoi’s Online Manuscript Submission System (Editorial Manager), accessible at http://www.editorialmanager.com/topo/. When uploading your paper, be sure to select the “S.I.: Language and worldviews (Gontier/Facoetti/Couto)” in the drop down menu of “Article Type”. All papers will undergo standard review procedures and when accepted they will be made available as online firsts until final publication which is estimated to occur in 2022. Guest Editors Nathalie Gontier Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon nlgont...@fc.ul.pt Marta Facoetti Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon mtfacoe...@gmail.com Diana Couto Barcelona Institute of Analytic Philosophy, University of Barcelona & Institute of Philosophy, University of Porto dpco...@ub.edu Journal website: https://www.springer.com/journal/11245/updates/17624274 __ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __
InterPhil: CFP: Art and Otherness
__ Call for Papers Theme: Art and Otherness Type: Graduate Workshop and Symposium Institution: Bergen Network for Women in Philosophy, University of Bergen Location: Bergen (Norway) Date: 29.4.–1.5.2020 Deadline: 1.3.2020 __ The Bergen Network for Women in Philosophy (BNWP; https://www.uib.no/en/bnwp) at the University of Bergen, Norway (UiB) will host its second graduate student workshop and symposium from April 29th - May 1st, 2020. We will discuss the relationship between art and otherness, broadly construed. Please see below for sample questions. Our keynote speakers are Danièle Moyal-Sharrock (University of Hertfordshire) and Sharon Rider (Uppsala University). The event will comprise three kinds of sessions: Workshops will involve close discussion of a pre-circulated paper in small groups. Symposium presentations will be given by keynote speakers and interested workshop participants. Finally, there will be the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion. This panel will be held in cooperation with the Master’s in Fine Arts graduate exhibition at the local art museum, Kunsthall (http://www.kunsthall.no/), where interested workshop participants, fine arts students, and professors from the fine arts and art history departments will converse and take audience questions on the topic of ‘otherness.’ Symposium presentations and the panel will be open to the whole department and the general public. We welcome submissions from women (inclusively defined) who are currently enrolled in a graduate program (masters or doctorate) or have completed a graduate degree within the past year. Submissions must be in English. There is no registration fee. Some meals will be provided. To submit a paper, please fill out this form by March 1st: https://forms.gle/5fTfmFxeby8ZSx4aA Successful applicants will be required to send a full paper by April 19th, 2020. Discussion will include, but is not limited to, the following: - How does art disclose what is other – that is, strange; new; foreign – in the familiar? How does it delimit what ‘otherness’ is? - How does art reveal the ways in which we, its audience, are other to what the piece depicts or to whom created it? How does it make experiences of being ‘othered’ – racism; sexism; expatriation; etc. – vital to its audience? How do art, and issues in the philosophy of art more broadly, deal with the topic of ‘otherness’ in politics, colonialism studies, and technology? - What does the creation of – and engagement with – art suggest about the relationship between self and other? How do artistic forms, movements, or mediums themselves become ‘other’ as practices of art and art-making technologies change? We particularly welcome submissions in aesthetics and philosophy of art, phenomenology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of anthropology, philosophy of language, and political philosophy. Scientific organisers: Jasmin Trächtler, Carlota Salvador Megias, Špela Vidmar Feel free to contact us if you have any questions: bnkf.i...@uib.no __ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __
