Scientific, Neuroscientific and Philosophical Approaches to Learning from Art

We invite scholars working in aesthetics, philosophy of art and other philosophical areas, as well as psychologists, cognitive and social scientists, and film, literature and media scholars, to explore contemporary philosophical issues related to the problem of learning from art and the issues of aesthetic cognitivism most widely construed. Topics include, but are not limited to: what is the impact of contemporary empirical research on aesthetic cognitivism? What remains of Plato’s criticism of art, given contemporary empirical research? How should we conceive of art’s relation to human epistemic and moral endeavors? Is cognitive/moral transformation possible through aesthetic experiences? What cognitive benefits are available in various art forms, ranging from literary fiction and film to poetry and theater? What are the limits of aesthetic cognitivism? Does philosophy need empirical research to tackle these questions? How can philosophers cooperate with other scientific domains in order to answer questions about art’s potential to convey knowledge? What are some of the methodological or conceptual challenges of such cooperation?

In addition to these issues, we are also interested in revisiting some of the classical philosophical theories regarding the cognitive benefits of art, ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Kant and Collingwood.

We invite submissions for 30 minute presentations, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A: please send your title and a short abstract (max 350 words) by July 1st, 2024 to Iris Vidmar Jovanović ([email protected]). Notification of acceptance will be sent out by July 20th. There is no conference fee.