Presents and Futures of Islamic Philosophy

General Description: In a world in which the humanities are increasingly marginalized, what is the importance of the study of Islamic philosophy? How might traditional texts speak to present crises and concerns? How do contemporary, new ventures within the field engage in the present moment?  How does Islamic philosophy serve not only as an object of study, but also as a living tradition and repertoire of wisdom in our contemporary age? Furthermore, how do we, as scholars of the 21st century, wield the ways in which we have been shaped by our own circumstances to grant us insights into this medieval tradition, and how might we navigate the many prejudices that color our readings? 

Recognizing and asserting the dynamism of Islamic philosophy, in both historical and lived forms, this conference seeks to explore its capacity to serve as a resource for thinking through and responding to modern concerns, to shape moral imagination, and to encourage innovative, embodied, or humanitarian scholarly methods. In so doing, we seek to consider and cultivate the future directions of a rapidly diversifying field.

The conference is organized in conjunction with the “Islamic Philosophy in Conversation” working group, led by Dr. Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed (UC Berkeley) and Dr. Elizabeth Sartell (Lewis University). While all paper submissions will be given equal consideration, the conference aligns itself with the goals of the working group. We therefore encourage submissions from a diverse group of applicants, especially emerging scholars of Islamic philosophy who identify as female, non-binary, or as belonging to a historically-marginalized group.

Conference Structure: The conference will include two traditional panels (15-20 minutes per presenter) as well as longer sessions workshopping the papers of two emerging scholars. Additionally, we will engage in a discussion of a primary text in translation, as well as a keynote lecture, both led by Dr. Zahra Ayubi.

Please note that we plan to publish the proceedings of this conference as a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. All participants should be open to submitting their papers as part of this issue. Participants should therefore present work that is in-progress rather than already published.