CFP: Individuating Simondon: 100 Years and Beyond

For decades, Gilbert Simondon was a mere footnote in the influential works of Gilles Deleuze, Jean Baudrillard, or Herbert Marcuse. Despite belonging to the same generation as leading French philosophers such as Deleuze, Foucault, or Derrida, Simondon remained relatively obscure, lacking the fame and recognition enjoyed by his peers. He began to gain recognition as a philosopher of technology following the publication of his first and most renowned work, Du mode d’existence des objets techniques (1958), which served as his secondary doctoral dissertation. However, given the limited interest in the topic at the time, his work remained a distant reference, accessible only within French-speaking circles. Compounded by the challenges surrounding the publication of his primary doctoral dissertation, L’individuation à la lumière des notions de forme et information (published in two separate parts with over thirty years between them), and the divergence of Simondon’s intellectual interests from the mainstream philosophies of his era, his contributions were confined to a niche field of research. Today, the continued publication of his previously unpublished works, coupled with extensive translations into various philosophical languages, has provided scholars with a broader understanding of his philosophical project. This has allowed for a greater appreciation of its radical unity, consistency, breadth, and depth.

In celebration of the centenary of Gilbert Simondon’s birth, the international conference Individuating Simondon: 100 Years and Beyond aims to provide a renewed examination of Simondon’s published works during his lifetime, as well as his posthumously published courses and materials. Our goal is to evaluate his legacy and potential, thereby expanding the scope and influence of his philosophical contributions. We are particularly interested in submissions that delve into Simondon’s philosophy, with a special focus on the transductive possibilities it offers for interdisciplinary work. Therefore, we welcome papers that explore, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Simondon’s influence and legacy on contemporary thinkers
• Technoaesthetics
• Politics and the Transindividual
• Individuation, ontology, and theory of knowledge
• Simondon’s ethics
• Culture, nature, and technics from a Simondonian perspective
• Imagination, creativity, and innovation
• Technicity and historicity
• Cybernetics and Humanism
• Simondon’s philosophy of information and the digital
• Reach and meaning of his genetic encyclopedism
• Simondon’s realism of relations
• Simondon and his contemporaries
• Connections between Simondon and Merleau-Ponty’s unfinished philosophical project
• Simondonian key concepts and their applicability to other disciplines

We invite proposals for scholarly contributions addressing the conference themes outlined above. Interested speakers should submit a 400-word abstract and a brief biographical note (max. 150 words) to [email protected] by May 31st. Selected submissions will be confirmed by mid-June. The working language of the conference will be English, but presentations in Spanish, French, and Portuguese are also welcome. However, accepted abstracts in languages other than English must be accompanied by an English version of the paper, to be submitted a few days before the conference for projection during the presentation. The event is planned as a two-day, in-person event. However, if the number of quality submissions exceeds expectations, a third day may be added. Register and attendance are free for all participants.