Women and Epistemic Emotions in the Early Modern Period

This workshop highlights the subject of women and epistemic emotions – emotions which either aid us in knowing or are themselves instances of knowledge – in the early modern period. Paradigm examples of epistemic emotions include doubt and curiosity, though other emotions such as love or fear may also play important epistemic roles. Thus, an epistemic emotion is one that plays a causal role in driving our efforts to know something, or in the critical reflection and revision of what it is that we know.

Though the ongoing recovery and reintegration project is robustly underway, early modern women and epistemic emotions have been largely overlooked. This workshop is an effort to create and disseminate new knowledge and interpretive tools. As such, we intend to publish revised versions of the papers presented at this workshop in an edited volume.

The workshop features two keynote speakers – Martina Reuter (Jyväskylä) and Lisa Shapiro (McGill) – and invited papers from Marcy Lascano (KU), Anik Waldow (Sydney), Getty Lustila (Northeastern), Aminah Hasan-Birdwell (Emory), Allauren Samantha Forbes (McMaster), Elena Gordon (McGill-Jyväskylä), and Manuel Vasquez Villavicencio (McMaster).

We have held four speaking slots open and so are inviting submissions of anonymized abstracts between 500-750 words. We are especially interested in receiving abstracts from early-career or emerging scholars (e.g., advanced PhD students, CLAs/Adjuncts, Assistant Professors) and contributions which highlight women philosophers’ “non-traditional” philosophical texts – e.g., letters, plays, and novels. Please also include a coversheet with name, position, paper title, and affiliation. Submissions should be sent as pdf files to Allauren at [email protected]. Receipt of submission will be confirmed by email; notification of acceptance will go out by 6 April 2024.

We will be able to offer some financial support to these four speakers: we will cover their 3-night hotel stay and will be able to offer a small stipend toward their travel expenses. We will also be providing a mentoring luncheon which pairs early-career and established scholar speakers. As such, drafts of the full paper to be included in the edited volume emerging from this conference will be due to the organizers for distribution to the mentors by 25 September 2024. We will also host a conference dinner for all speakers on 26 October 2024.

While our venues are accessible and we can accommodate dietary needs, please contact Allauren at [email protected] with any specific questions on these matters.