Modal Epistemology and Metaphysics

Under the auspices of Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, we are delighted to announce International Conference ‘Modal Epistemology and Metaphysics’, which will be held in Belgrade, 18-20 September 2014.   

The venue: Faculty of Philosophy (1st floor, Room 108), Čika Ljubina 18-20, 11000 Belgrade.  

Organizers:  

• Prof.Dr. Miloš Arsenijević (Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade)  
• Prof.Dr. Duško Prelević (Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade)     

Program Committee: Prof.Dr. Miloš Arsenijević (University of Belgrade), Prof.Dr. Bob Hale (University of Sheffield), Prof.Dr. Bjørn Jespersen (University of Barcelona), Prof.Dr. Christian Nimtz (University of Bielefeld), Prof.Dr. Duško Prelević (University of Belgrade), Prof.Dr. Anand Vaidya (San Jose State University)    

Speakers: 

Miloš Arsenijević (University of Belgrade) 
Bob Hale (University of Sheffield) 
Joachim Horvath (University of Cologne) 
Andrej Jandrić (University of Belgrade) 
Bjørn Jespersen (University of Barcelona) 
Christian Nimtz (University of Bielefeld) 
Duško Prelević (University of Belgrade)  
Sonia Roca-Royes (University of Stirling) 
Scott Shalkowski (University of Leeds) 
Asger Steffensen (University of Aarhus) 
Tuomas Tahko (University of Helsinki) 
Anand Vaidya (San Jose State University) 
Timothy Williamson (University of Oxford)      

MODAL EPISTEMOLOGY AND METAPHYSICS 

The Conference Abstract 

Modal epistemology explores the possibilities and boundaries of our modal knowledge, primarily the knowledge of metaphysical possibility and of metaphysical necessity. Until recently, the dominant method of dealing with this topic consisted in investigating to what extent conceivability, or something of that sort (imagination, intuition, objectual understanding, etc.), can be a guide for assessing metaphysical modality. However, nowadays what might be called abductivist turn has shifted the focus from conceivability to the sort of the evidential base regarding metaphysical modalities as such. As an illustration, it is enough to mention the debate between modal rationalists, who think that there is an a priori access to metaphysical modality, and modal empiricists, who think that at least some modal truths, which modal rationalists cannot explain, might be known a posteriori. In that respect, modal epistemology and modal metaphysics have become much more interwoven.    

In view of the last fact, the aim of the conference is, on the one hand, to deepen our understanding of the nature of metaphysical modality in order to find out what is the evidential base that any good theory of modal epistemology should explain, and, on the other hand, to establish how flexible are competing theories of modal epistemology in explaining the nature of modal knowledge.      

Conference schedule and the abstracts of speakers will be available soon. Entrance is free. For further information (the venue, travel information), please contact Mr. Duško Prelević ([email protected]) or Mr. Miloš Arsenijević ([email protected]).