CFP: Creative Imagination from Art to Science

Call for Abstracts

Workshop: Creative Imagination from Art to Science

University of Geneva, September 29–30, 2025

Organizers: Julia Langkau and Amy Kind

Over the last couple of decades, imagination has benefited from renewed attention in philosophy. Interestingly, however, much of this attention has concerned its epistemic value; the role of imagination in creativity remains comparatively underexplored (though see Stokes 2014; Kind 2023; and Kind and Langkau forthcoming). Further, while philosophers have attended closely to the role of imagination in engaging with works of art, literature, and music, they have had comparatively little to say about the role of imagination in creating works of art, literature, and music – and there has likewise been little attention the role of imagination in conscious creative processes such as inventing a new piece of technology or constructing a new scientific hypothesis. Yet exploring the role of imagination in creative processes is crucial to our understanding of human creativity, and this becomes especially pressing in light of recent challenges from AI. This workshop aims to explore the role of creative imagination across a wide range of activities: from art to science, and to other creative endeavors as well.

Confirmed speakers:

Michael Beaney, University of Aberdeen/Humboldt University Berlin

Alon Chasid, Bar-Ilan University

Milena Ivanova, University of Cambridge

Amy Kind, Claremont McKenna College

Julia Langkau, University of Geneva

Nele van de Mosselaer, Tilburg University

Suggested topics include (but are not limited to):

·      What is the nature of creative imagination? Is it a distinct kind of imagination, or is it simply a particular application or use of imagination in certain contexts, such as art or science?

·      What is the role of imagination in explaining creativity? Is imagination a source of creativity or does it merely display the results of creative thinking?

·      Is the role of imagination different in creative processes in the sciences vs. in the arts?

·      Do machines employ imagination in their creative processes? How does thinking about machine creativity shed light on the connection between imagination and creativity?

·      How does thinking about the role of imagination in creativity help us to better conceptualize the relationships between creative processes, creative products, and creative persons?

Submission Details:

·      Please submit anonymized extended abstracts of approximately 750 words to [email protected].

·      Use the subject line: "Submission for Creative Imagination Workshop".

·      Deadline for submissions: August 15th, 2025.

Funding will be available to cover travel and accommodation expenses up to a fixed amount for accepted participants.