The Imagination: Powers and Possibilities

Call for Proposals:

The Imagination: Powers and Possibilities

22–23 March 2024

Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA)

Department of Philosophy

While often relegated to the realm of fantasy or escapism, the imagination nonetheless stands at the heart of human experience—giving rise to artistic expression, therapeutic catharsis, the projection of power and scientific possibilities, and even opening avenues to the divine. The imagination carries within it a characteristically human quality, along with the very possibility for the transgression (or transcendence) of that humanity toward the sublime.

This conference invites proposals on topics related to the nature, necessity, and ethical usage/unethical manipulation of the imaginative faculties, including (but not limited to): literary and aesthetic endeavors, religious and sacramental experience, politics and propaganda, or in the task of scientific inquiry itself. Submissions from graduate students across a diverse range of disciplines are welcomed and encouraged.

The conference will take place from 22–23 March 2024 on the Chestnut Hill campus of Boston College. Speakers should anticipate 20 minutes to present, with time for questions to follow.

Applicants should prepare anonymized abstracts for blind review between 350–500 words, submitted via email as a Word or PDF document, to [email protected]. In the body of the email, please include the following identifying information:

o   Name

o   Email Address

o   Institutional Affiliation & Program

o   Paper Title

Submissions are due by 11:59pm (EST) on 31 December 2023. Submissions will be reviewed anonymously by the conference committee, with notifications to applicants regarding decisions by 25 January 2024.

For further questions, please contact conference organizer William Woody, S.J. ([email protected]).