Poetry & Philosophy: Old Quarrels, New Concord

Poetry and Philosophy: Old Quarrels, New Concord

From Socrates' critique of Homer and Aristophanes' critique of Socrates, to Heidegger's thinker as poet, the question of the relationship between poetry and philosophy has provoked—and sometimes, plagued—great thinkers throughout the history of western civilization.  The Graduate Students of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America now welcome papers on this question of poetry and philosophy for their annual Spring Graduate Student Conference.  

Acceptable approaches to this question include not only philosophical treatments of poetic themes (e.g., Plato on mimesis; Aristotle on tragedy; Nietzsche on the wisdom of the poets)  but also poetic treatments of philosophical issues (e.g., Aeschylus on justice; Shakespeare on the self; Keats on truth and beauty).  We will take considerations of poetry broadly construed to include logocentric works of art such as novels, plays, and films.  We also welcome considerations of the following themes from the history of philosophy:

Philosophic and Poetic Speech

Philosophic and Poetic Imagination

The Role of Poetry and Philosophy in Education

The Political Place of Poetry and Philosophy

Poetry as a Way of Knowing

Please submit abstracts of 200-400 words for blind review including a cover page with your name, institution, and email address to [email protected] by 15 December 2015. If your paper is selected you will be notified by 5 January 2015.