Call for Abstracts (extended deadline): "...the point is to change it" 40th Anniversary of the RPA

The Radical Philosophy AssociationConference Program Committee invites submissions of 250-500 word abstracts for talks, papers, workshops, roundtable discussions, and other kinds of conference contributions for its 15th biennial conferenceto be held at the University of North Florida from November 17 to 19, 2022.

Conference Theme

The past several years have been characterized by an onslaught of crises and catastrophes: a global pandemic, a continual lethal battle against racism, dramatic weather patterns and forest fires, and the culmination of an imperial tug-of-war between NATO and Russia. We have a lot to critique, from neglectful and exclusionary healthcare policies to inequitable and gendered care burdens to systemic racism to industrial perpetrators of climate change and the entanglement of all this with the profit motive of capitalism and colonial logics. But along with our critiques, we are inspired to build anew as we divest from systems and structures that enforce injustice.

Fredric Jameson said, “It is easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism.” Imagining a new world requires a bold and courageous imagination, one that is capable of conceiving radical new realities. Do we truly believe that "another world is possible"? Can we speculate about the concrete details of that world (and/or look to the past for inspiration for the future)? As the title of this year's conference is a nod to Karl Marx's famous adage, "Philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point however is to change it," we hope to share ideas about this process of social transformation, so that theory can transform into practice and the future we hope to see. 

Keynote Speakers:

• Peter Frase, of Jacobin magazine editorial board and author of Four Futures: Life After Capitalism 
• Dr. Alfred Frankowski, author of The Post-Racial Limits of Memorialization: Toward a Political Sense of Mourning

Featured Book Panels:

• Dr. Tru Leverette, author of With Fists Raised: Radical Art, Contemporary Activism, and the Iconoclasm of the Black Arts Movement
• Dr. George Forlas, author of Anti-Colonial Solidarity: Race, Reconciliation, and MENA Liberation
• Dr. Travis Holloway, author of How to Live at the End of the World: Theory, Art, and Politics for the Anthropocene

Submissions

In the spirit of collaboration, and in recognition that radical philosophy is often done outside traditional philosophical settings, we invite submissions not only from philosophers inside and outside the academy, but also from those who engage in theoretical work in other disciplines - such as the social sciences, ethnic studies, women's and gender studies, literary and cultural studies, and the arts. We especially welcome contributions from those often excluded from or marginalized in philosophy, including BIPOC, LGBT+ persons, persons with disabilities, and poor and working-class people.

In keeping with the spirit of radical thinking embodied by the RPA, we encourage submissions  that employ formats and media that challenge the standard conference presentation. For instance, we urge presenters to use formats that allow for greater interaction between  participants and audience (e.g. presenting an outline, rather than reading a paper) and that  emphasize collective inquiry (e.g. organizing a workshop). Please note that participants will be  selected for at most one presentation (talk, workshop, etc.) during the conference;  submissions should be presented with this in mind. (This limit does not include chairing  sessions.)

NOTE: Please do NOT submit complete papers.  

Please submit paper, workshop, or other proposals related to the conference theme or  general themes of the RPA as an email attachment (pdf, docx, doc, or txt) to [email protected].

DEADLINE: July 15, 2022

Please provide all the information requested:  

1. INDIVIDUAL TALK/PAPER/WORKSHOP/OTHER PRESENTATION  

·       Name  

·       Address and email address  

·       Affiliation or independent scholar, activist, educator, etc.  

·       Title of proposal  

·       Nature of proposal (talk, workshop, other)  

·       Abstract of 250-500 words only  

·       Equipment needs, if any  

A. PAPERS BY GRADUATE STUDENTS

If you want to be considered for the Iris Marion Young Award for the best paper submitted by a graduate student, please indicate this on your submission 

B. PAPERS BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

We are planning to have a special session with undergraduate students who would like to present work related to RPA issues. Please clearly indicate whether you are an undergraduate student.  

2. GROUP SESSION  

Note: Due to the length of sessions, we will consider only panels of no more than three people.  

·       Name of the panel contact person and each panel member  

·       Addresses and email addresses of all panel members  

·       Affiliation or independent scholar, activist, educator, etc., for each member  

·       Title of panel proposal  

·       Titles of individual papers, if relevant  

·       Nature of panel proposal (talks, workshop, other)  

·       Abstract of 250-500 words only, if relevant  

·       Equipment needs, if any 

3. CHAIRING A SESSION  

If you would be willing to serve as a session chair, please indicate this on your submission form. Session chairs are responsible for introducing and timing presentations and ensuring that each presenter gets their fair share of the available time.  

4. PANDEMIC NOTICE 

This conference is planned to take place in-person. If you would like to be considered for a potential hybrid option, please note this in your submission.

CONTACT

For further information, contact the conference Program Committee:  

Tiffany Montoya, Program Committee Chair: [email protected]      

Jess Dillard-Wright, Program Committee: [email protected]       

Pedro Lebron Ortiz, Program Committee: [email protected]        

Brandon Absher, Program Committee and RPA Co-Coordinator: [email protected] 

Sarah Vitale, Program Committee and RPA Co-Coordinator: [email protected]

Sarah LaChance Adams, Program Committee & Onsite Conference Organizer: [email protected]    

Conference Webpage: http://www.radicalphilosophyassociation.org/15th-biennial-conference.html