World Religions: Enter, the Metaphysics

The Department of Philosophy is all set to organize an International Seminar on “World Religions: Enter, the Metaphysics – Metaphysical Approach to World Religions through Symbols” from 25-27 February, 2015 at the Conference Hall of Goa University. The Seminar is aimed at exploring the possibility of synthesizing major world religions on metaphysical grounds through the leading symbols of different religions. The number of participants including paper presenters would not exceed 50. The organizers of the seminar cordially welcome your participation/ presentation of papers in the forthcoming event.

Concept Note

No one can seriously doubt the desperate need to synthesize world religions at the present times of ‘clash of civilizations’. This is because the Religions are at the root of this clash. Religion that is supposed to unite the humanity is seen to divide it. How can this happen, if religion is the highest ‘spiritual’ repository that is supposed waft the individual to highest bliss of liberation? How do we understand the plurality of religions itself? It is suggested that since no one can accept ‘many Ultimates’ as preached by different religions—for, religions have grown from the continuous human search for the ‘Ultimate’, each time culminating in what is called ‘revelation’, repeatedly— Therefore, it is the same ‘Ultimate’ each time over seen differently by different preachers/prophets.

How can two revelations be true, if they are contradictory to each other? Are they really contradictory at all? If one wishes to retain the truth of both then the only alternative seems to be to conceive their continuity, without any disjunction between them. We hypothesize that this continuity can be stated—if at all—only through a metaphysical understanding of them, and not by any other method, such as for example cultural narration, or sociological explanations, etc

Themes for Paper Presentations:

* Metaphysical explanations of religious symbols from any major world Religion such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

* Epistemology and logic of the religious symbols from the said religions.

* Modus of connection between religious metaphysical symbols and social/cultural symbols.

* Locus of ‘soul’ in the religious symbols.

* Nature of ‘soul’ or ‘consciousness’ in different religious metaphysics.

* Nature of ‘God’ through religious symbols.

* Tantra and Metaphysics.

* Place of Mantra and Yantra in religious metaphysics.

* Study of relation between the extant works (such as John Hick’s etc.) on Religion/Theology with the proposed metaphysics of religions through symbols.

* Metaphysical study of Tântric texts, including Kabbalah, etc.

* Mathematics of Lattice packing in 24 D.

*Minkowski Diagram and Advaitic Nirguṇa Brahman.

*Hamiltonian Path from 1D line to Tesseract.

*Curvature of Space—Is it Riemannian or Euclidean?

*Countable and Uncountable Infinities.

* Any other related theme for example, Projective Geometry; Fano Plane, etc.

Paper-presenters and Audience

The Seminar is generally open to Faculty, PhD/PDF Research Scholars and Masters’ students.

About 10 National and International Senior and Retired Professors of repute are expected to participate and present papers. This is a rare opportunity to budding scholars to interact with them and exchange ideas under one roof.

Venue

Conference Hall, Goa University.

Registration Fee

Paper presenters:

Foreign Delegates (Faculty):US $100

Foreign Delegates (Students): US $50

Indian Delegates (Faculty): Rs.1500

Indian Delegates (Students): Rs. 750

Participants without paper:$ 120/Rs. 2500 [For students $60/Rs.1000]

DD should be drawn in favor of Registrar, Goa University on State Bank of India, Goa University Branch.

Registration fee includes Seminar kit, and snacks and lunch on all the days of the seminar. Registration fee is not refundable.

Travel and Accommodation is the responsibility of the delegates/participants (However, subject to availability of funds the organizers may reimburse TA in part or full, for the paper presenters). Organisers offer help to find accommodation at the vicinity of the University, provided a request is made in the registration form by Dec. 30, 2014.

Key Dates

Deadline for Abstract: Nov. 20, 2014

Intimation of selection of abstracts: Nov. 30, 2014.

Last date for the receipt of full paper (appx. 5000 words) along with registration fee: Dec. 30, 2014. [Full paper should be submitted in soft copy in word/pdf format]. Certificate for paper presentation / participation will be awarded. Selected papers will be published in the seminar proceedings with ISSN/ISBN numbers.

Last date for registration for participants without paper: Dec. 30, 2014. Spot registration for participation is subject to availability of seats.Abstract/full paper should be emailed to: [email protected]

Queries may also be sent to the same email or may be made with any member of the Organizing
Committee.

Organizing Committee:

Chairman: Prof. U. A. Vinay Kumar,  +919423312320; (Chamber) +91832-6519303; (O) +91832-6519268

Convenor: Dr. Walter Menezes [+918879027233]