University of Windsor Philosophy Graduate/Undergraduate Conference

Title: Aesthetics of Life & Dogmas of the Mind

Date: Friday March 7th - March 8th

Location: Windsor, Ontario (University of Windsor)

Deadline: January 24th 2025

Questions: email [email protected]

Conference General Description:

The University of Windsor Philosophy Graduate/Undergraduate Conference planning committee invites submissions of abstracts (from any field of philosophy) for our 2025 conference: Aesthetics of Life & Dogmas of the Mind. We are honored to announce that our keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Leonard Lawlor from Pennsylvania State University. Abstracts from all areas of philosophy are welcome and will be blindly peer-reviewed. High-quality papers that are accepted and presented will be considered for publication in the 2025 conference journal.

Abstracts should be no longer than 400 words, include the title of the paper, be anonymized, clearly state the thesis or question being investigated, and the general structure of the paper. The deadline for submissions will be January 24, 2025, with the conference taking place March 7th-8th. Accepted participants will have 20 minutes to present their paper, followed by a 10-minute question period. If you have any questions, please contact Omar Awa at [email protected].

Theme Description:

This year’s theme explores two connecting yet distinct philosophical areas: aesthetics and dogmatism. On the one hand, dogmatism concerns the adherence to rigid principles or doctrines, which may be viewed as liberating or constraining. We encourage discussions on its implications for knowledge, belief, and the limits of intellectual inquiry. Prompting questions such as: What are the consequences of dogmatic thinking in philosophy, politics, and science? Can dogmatism ever be a productive force, or does it inherently block progress and creativity?

On the other hand, aesthetics examines the nature of beauty, art, and poetry. This portion of the theme prompts questions such as: What defines aesthetic value? How do cultural and historical contexts shape, obscure, or dominate aesthetic judgments? What role does the aesthetic experience play in influencing human understanding and emotions?

This multifaceted theme encourages participants to analyze the foundations, implications, and challenges of dogmatism and aesthetics to promote a diverse set of discourse that may even connect the two by asking if art or the aesthetic life more broadly conceived, inherently resist dogmatism, or if it can serve as a medium for dogmatic propagation?

The Hundleby Awards:

This year, we are excited to introduce a special feature to the conference: The Hundleby Awards, created in honor of the late Dr. Hundleby. These awards will recognize the top three papers submitted, with the following prize pool:

1.       Grand Upcoming Scholar Award: $300.00

2.       Distinguished Upcoming Scholar Award: $150.00

3.       Honorary Upcoming Scholar Award: $100.00

Disclaimer: For those whose abstracts are accepted, full papers will need to be provided by February 21, 2025 to become eligible for awards.