CFP: New Thinking about Scientific Realism

Submission deadline: January 31, 2014

Conference date(s):
August 5, 2014 - August 9, 2014

Go to the conference's page

Conference Venue:

University of Pretoria
Cape Town, South Africa

Topic areas

Details

The aim of the conference is to reconsider and re-evaluate the status quo of debates about scientific realism and to investigate, articulate and open up the possibilities for realising promises of new directions of thought about scientific realism.

Format of the conference:

We are planning a keynote address (Anjan Chakravartty); 6 contributed sessions with 8 invited speakers in total and around 10 contributed papers in each different session; and a ‘science talk/debate’ (delivered by leading international scientists) which will take the form of a panel discussion between the scientists and some of the invited speakers.

In addition we plan a conference dinner and a wine tasting event.

Contributed Sessions:

Session 1: General Scientific Realism - Invited Speaker: Michael Devitt (City University of New York)

Session 2: Truth, Progress, Success and Scientific Realism - Invited Speaker: Ilkka Niiniluoto (University of Helsinki)

Session 3: Selective Realisms - Invited Speakers: Steven French (University of Leeds) & Michela Massimi (University of Edinburgh)

Session 4: The Semantic View and Scientific Realism – Invited Speaker: Roman Frigg (London School of Economics)

Session 5: Scientific Realism and the Social Sciences - Invited Speaker: Uskali Mäki (University of Helsinki)

Session 6: Anti-Realism - Invited Speakers: Kyle Stanford (University of California, Irvine) & Mauricio Suárez – Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Abstracts & Important Dates (Note that there has been a change in dates)

Abstracts of 750-1000 words must be submitted to the conference email address: [email protected]. Please indicate clearly in which session you see your paper as falling. Please prepare abstracts for blind review.

Due date for abstracts:      31 January 2014

Announcement of accepted papers:              3 March 2014

Venue:

The venue for the conference is the Villa Via Hotel in Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape (about 45 minutes from Cape Town): http://www.villa-via.com/ .

Participants can book accommodation in the hotel, or in one of the guest houses close to the hotel in Gordon’s Bay. More detail with regards to accommodation is available on the conference website.

First Round Bookings:       15 March 2014 to 15 June 2014

·        R6,860.00 - Conference Package: This includes registration, 5 nights single accommodation in Villa Via Hotel  including dinner, bed, and breakfast plus 2 soft drinks (1 per meal), the conference dinner, and transfer to and from the airport (provided there are two or more passengers).

·        R5,260.00 - Conference Package: This includes registration, 5 nights sharing accommodation in Villa Via Hotel including dinner, bed, and breakfast plus 2 soft drinks (1 per meal), the conference dinner, and transfer to and from the airport (provided there are two or more passengers).

 

Second Round Bookings:16 June 2014 – 31 July 2014

·        R7,000.00 - Conference Package: This includes registration, 5 nights single accommodation in Villa Via Hotel including dinner, bed, and breakfast plus 2 soft drinks (1 per meal), the conference dinner, transfer to and from the airport (provided there are two or more passengers).

·        R5,400.00 - Conference Package: This includes registration, 5 nights sharing accommodation in Villa Via Hotel including dinner, bed, and breakfast plus 2 soft drinks (1 per meal), the conference dinner, transfer to and from the airport (provided there are two or more passengers).

NOTE that participants finding alternative accommodation (thus not in the Villa Via Hotel) must pay a conference fee:

Registration before 15 June 2014:    1500 ZAR (approximately 101 EUR, 140 USD, 85 GBP according to current exchange rates)

Registration between 16 June and 31 July:     1700 ZAR.

Information on possible financial aid to postgraduates and other delegates will be given on the website as soon as possible.

Conference Fee: 1500 ZAR (approximately 125 EUR, 164 USD, 107 GBP according to current exchange rates).

Publication of Conference Proceedings

We are planning an exciting publication based on conference papers. There will be more detail on this on the website when our plans have been confirmed.

We look forward to hosting the conference. Please feel free to contact us for any clarification at [email protected] .

Organising Committee:

Chair: Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (University of Pretoria)

Alex Broadbent (University of Johannesburg)

HPP (Hennie) Lötter (University of Johannesburg)

Conference Website: 

Supporting material

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