Embodiment from Then to Now: Perspectives on Sex and Gender

CFP: Embodiment from Then to Now: Perspectives on Sex and Gender

2023 Boston College Philosophy Graduate Student Conference

Keynote Speakers:

Christina Van Dyke, Barnard College at Columbia University, Calvin College (Professor Emerita)
Amy Hollywood, Harvard Divinity School

Contemporary philosophy and science have moved away from a mechanistic conception of the body and instead toward a more embodied way of thinking the self; bodies are no longer something we have but something we are. Embodiment, therefore, opens up a distinct perspective on questions of sex and gender that we hope to explore by facilitating a pluralistic and interdisciplinary conversation that aims to bring together research across the humanities. Historically, traditional cosmologies tended to cement sexual difference as a foundational principle, while modernity has de-sexualized the cosmos; given these complex movements, making sense of the significance of the sexed body remains an enduring puzzle. 

This conference intends to bring into conversation historical and contemporary perspectives on embodiment and sexual difference, particularly as it relates to the way in which these different approaches can inform a phenomenological view of sex and gender today. We are looking for papers that view the history of western philosophy through the lens of embodiment and as well as papers which address insights from the history of philosophy to contemporary phenomenological research. This includes, but is not limited to, papers on ancient and medieval perspectives on the body and reproduction, medieval and early modern women’s philosophy, phenomenological engagements with the history of philosophy, and research programs informed by relevant related disciplines (psychoanalysis, classics, gender studies, etc.). We are particularly interested in papers on marginalized figures in the history of philosophy as it relates to this topic.

The conference will be held in Chestnut Hill, MA on March 24 and 25, 2023. The conference is expected to be held in person and will follow university guidelines in regards to masking and other public health measures.