Authorship is central to our grasp of philosophical contributions. People tend to associate an idea with its originator&mdash\;think of: &lsquo\;Platonist&rsquo\;\, &lsquo\;Humean&rsquo\;&mdash\;and especially for the modern period\, scholarship on seven big names dominates the field. However\, not all philosophical moves have been made by identified figures. Sometimes authors made deliberate efforts to remain hidden from view\, be it to allow for a more neutral assessment of their work\, or to distance themselves from controversial opinions. As yet\, only fragmented attention has been paid to the anonymous and pseudonymous face of modern philosophy. The current panel will begin to address this gap. Possible topics include\, but are not limited to\, specific anonymous texts\, authors&rsquo\; strategies in unnamed publishing\, and the conception of anonymity in philosophical debates. Its findings will have implications not only for emerging efforts to reshape the philosophical canon of the modern period\, but also for thinking about named authorship in research practices more generally.
\nWe invite abstracts for 20-minute talks/papers on any topic related to anonymity in modern philosophy. Send your anonymized abstract in PDF to Chris Meyns (cm836@cam.ac.uk) by October 5\, 2015. Decision by mid-October.
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
Event hashtag: #AnonModPhil