CFP: Polanyi Studies: Past, Present, and Future

In June 2016, the Polanyi Society will sponsor a conference to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Michael Polanyi’s The Tacit Dimension and to assess the legacy of Polanyi’s philosophical work.  The conference will also be an opportunity for those in the early stages of their study of Polanyi to interact with experienced Polanyi scholars about the many themes in his writings.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Matthew Crawford, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia and author of The World Beyond Your Head (2015) and Shop Class as Soul Craft (2009).

The conference will meet 8-11 June 2016 (Wed-Sat) at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, WI (west of Milwaukee, just off of I-94).  The nearest international airport is General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee (about 45 minutes away); O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago is about two hours away.

There will be a one-day workshop on Wed, 8 June, for those interested in an introduction to Polanyi’s thought.  Senior Polanyi scholars will facilitate various sessions on Polanyi’s life and the principal ideas in his major works.  Graduate students and those new to Polanyi studies are especially encouraged to participate in this workshop.

The Society invites proposals for papers that examine Polanyi’s contributions to the areas of epistemology (including tacit knowing), moral philosophy, intellectual history, aesthetics, religious and theological studies, embodiment, semiotics, economics, and socio-political orders.  Scholars in the early stages of their study of Polanyi are especially encouraged to submit proposals.  Initial proposals should be no more than 250 words, and can be sent to Andrew Grosso at .  The deadline for submission of proposals is Thursday, 31 December 2015; proposals submitted after this date will be considered only if the schedule can easily accommodate additional presentations.

Early-bird registration is $225 and opens Friday, 8 January 2016.  Early-bird registration will be available until Tuesday, 15 March 2016; thereafter, registration will be $275.  Registration fees include access to all conference sessions (including the workshop on Wed) and all meals.

Registration does not include lodgings.  A limited number of guest accommodations will be available on the campus of Nashotah House, and a block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn (3.3 miles from Nashotah House), Holiday Inn Express (4.7 miles from Nashotah House), and Country Pride Inn of Delafield (4.5 miles from Nashotah House); there are other hotels in the vicinity as well. 

A limited amount of financial aid is available for those unable to meet the cost of registration, accommodations, and travel; for more information about financial assistance, please contact Phil Mullins at .

Additional information regarding the schedule for the conference, lodging, and other details will be available on the website for the Polanyi Society (polanyisociety.org) and will also be published in future issues of Tradition & Discovery.  For more information, contact Andrew Grosso ([email protected]).