Themes from Travis: Language, Perception and the Early Analytic Legacy

The aim of this conference is to explore the consequences of Charles Travis's position for the possibility of systematic theoretical investigation into human psychology and linguistic understanding. In particular, our intention is to open up a forum for debate and discussion of the current status of Travis's work in relation to those issues upon which his ideas have exerted the most influence, such as the semantics-pragmatics interface, perceptual disjunctivism, and (more generally) theories of representational content, each of which have come to dominate current research in analytic philosophy. The conference will bring together a group of distinguished philosophers who have engaged directly with Travis's work over the years.

This will be the first conference aimed explicitly at investigating Travis's unique contribution to contemporary philosophy, and we believe that it will provide an essential opportunity for postgraduates and established academics alike to share views and to take part in direct discussion with Charles Travis and other leading figures in the field.

Provisional Programme

Fri 29/06/12

Mark Kalderon (UCL) - "Experiential Pluralism and the Power of Perception"
John Collins (UEA) - "Perceiving Language: Issues between Travis and Chomsky"
Michael Martin (UCL) - TBA

Sat 30/06/12

Guy Longworth (Warwick) - "Something about John L. Austin"
Francois Recanati (Institute Jean Nicod) - "Semantic Reference and Speaker's Reference"
Charles Travis (KCL) - "Thread By Thread"

Including: Young Researchers Session (Alex Davies, Michael O'Sullivan)

Sun 01/07/12

Marie McGinn (UEA) - "Travis versus McDowell and Wright on Wittgenstein and Rule Following"
Peter Sullivan (Stirling) - TBA
Joan Weiner (Indiana) - "Frege, Benacerraf and the Beast of Reality"

Including: Round-Table Session with Mark Kaplan, Anna Bergqvist, Oskari Kuusela, Nat Hansen and others.

Registration fees: £65 for academics and £35 for postgraduates. We may be able to offer some student bursaries.

Analysis Trust bursaries are available for graduate students, to help with the costs of registration fees and accommodation. If you are interested in receiving one, please apply when registering. The number of bursaries is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment.

Registration form can be found at the conference website:
http://www.uea.ac.uk/phi/eventsnews/events/charles-travis

For further details about the conference please visit the conference website or contact the organisers at: [email protected]

This conference is made possible by the generous support from Mind Association, The Aristotelian Society and UEA School of Philosophy.

Conference organisers:

Alun Davies
Tamara Dobler
Ben Walker