The Aims of Metaphysics Conference

As the years have passed, within the study of metaphysics, the plurality of methodologies, assumptions and technicisms has extended to the degree that the dialogue between different approaches is tremendously hard. It’s so much like this that we don’t really know if these different approaches are trying to do the same thing—we don’t know if we are trying to answer the same questions anymore. The goal of the conference is to force this dialogue and try to set a platform to touch base, find common aims and develop an agenda that increases inter-approaches communication. 

With this objective in mind, we also view the conference as a fresh opportunity to initiate communication about metaphysics and philosophy, particularly analytic philosophy, with individuals in other disciplines and the general public. By elucidating the subject matter and methodologies of metaphysics, the foundational branch of philosophy, our aim is to achieve not only a metaphilosophical goal of self-clarification but also to foster better understanding among those beyond the discipline.

The AIMS of Metaphysics will have 3 keynote speakers: representing traditional metaphysics (Naomi Thompson), social metaphysics (Esa Diaz-Leon) and science-informed metaphysics (Tuomas Tahko). We will also have between 4 and 6 selected abstracts from our Call for Abstracts, and a final panel of discussion with the keynotes.

The conference will take place at the University of Bristol on 22 and 23 November 2024. For registration, please write to [email protected]. The venue has limited capacity, so we will allocate non-speaker attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. 

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CALL FOR ABSTRACTS:

We will consider abstracts covering (but not limited to) the following topics: Metaontology; Meta-metaphysics; Substantivity in Metaphysics; Metaphysical debates; Methodologies in Metaphysics; Desiderata in Metaphysics; The Future of Metaphysical Investigations.

Please send an extended abstract (up to 1000 words inclusive of footnotes and references) to [email protected] before September 8th 2024.

Submissions must be accompanied by the author(s)' name(s), email address(es), and institutional affiliation(s) in the body of the email. If you wish to receive a subsidy for your travel costs, please also mention this. 

We encourage submissions from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from historically marginalized groups, with special regard to graduate students and junior researchers — although we will consider submissions from scholars at any stage of their careers.

We will notify successful applicants by the end of September. We will offer travel bursaries of £100 to successful applicants for rail travelling.