CFP: International Conference: “Cornelius Castoriadis (1997-2027) : Thirty Years Later”

Call for papers

International Conference: “Cornelius Castoriadis (1997-2027) : Thirty Years Later”

Trie-sur-Baïse (Hautes-Pyrénées, 65, France)

October 27, 28 & 29, 2027

Presentation

In 2027, we will mark thirty years since the passing of Cornelius Castoriadis (1922-1997), a singular thinker whose multifaceted work continues to shape contemporary intellectual thought. Philosopher, economist, psychoanalyst, political theorist, and activist, he developed a powerful and original reflection on freedom, creation, the institution of society, and both individual and collective autonomy. From his younger days in Greece, through Socialisme ou Barbarie, to his passing, his intellectual journey crossed and challenged disciplinary and ideological boundaries. This international conference aims to reexamine, three decades after his death, both the intellectual legacy of the Greek philosopher and the relevance of his conceptual tools for thinking about today’s society. In the face of the challenges of our time, Castoriadis’ thought offers valuable resources to question the very foundations of our societies, political action, and philosophical inquiry.

Objectives

This conference is neither commemorative nor hagiographic. Its purpose is to revive the radical dimensions of Castoriadian thought by engaging it with contemporary challenges, exploring its internal tensions, questioning its assumptions, and envisioning its possible futures. Since elucidation was at the heart of Castoriadis’ project of autonomy, it will serve as the guiding force for our discussions, thirty years later. Fundamentally, this conference seeks to:

• Encourage renewed reading of Castoriadis across different fields of knowledge.

• Engage his thought in a dialogue with contemporary issues.

• Explore the practical uses of his work in social movements, education, clinical practices, and democratic experimentation.

• Map the intellectual lineages, as well as the productive critiques and reinterpretations of his thought, both in France and internationally.

Thematic Areas

1. Castoriadis and the Relevance of Politics Today

• New social movements

• Decolonial and Postcolonial studies

• Gender and its institution

2. Castoriadis in his Time

• The experience of intellectual journals and the collective dimension of thought

• Castoriadis and his contemporaries

• Engagement and refusals in scientific debates of his time

3. Castoriadis: Nature, Technology, Ecology

• Autonomy, complexity, and self-organisation

• The Project of autonomy and technological transformations (AI, NBIC, etc.)

• Political Ecology: a renewal of the project of autonomy

4. Castoriadis and Language

• Social creation through language

• The institution of meaning and Castoriadis’ critique of structuralism

• Diachrony and Synchrony : Temporalities of language, temporalities of the social

5. Castoriadis Facing the War

• Critique of instrumental rationality

• Castoriadis and Geopolitics

• History as a site and stake of creation

Submission Guidelines

Proposals for papers (title, abstract of 300 to 500 words, indicative bibliography, 5 keywords, short bio) should be sent by December 1, 2025, to the following addresses: Guillaume Plin ( [email protected]); Savvas Orfanos ([email protected]); Emile Le Pessot ([email protected]); Quentin Mur Rodriguez ([email protected]). Presentations can be made in French, English or Spanish. Selected contributions may be published in Les Nouveaux Cahiers Castoriadis, published by Classiques Garnier.

Scientific Organisation

Quentin Mur Rodriguez (Sociologist, University of Ottawa & University Toulouse Jean Jaurès), Emile Le Pessot (Historian, EHESS), Guillaume Plin (Philosopher, University Paris-Nanterre), Savvas Orfanos (Philosopher, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)

Scientific Committee

Stéphane Vibert, Nicolas Piqué, Philippe Caumières, Florence Giust-Desprairies, Olivier Fressard, Thibault Tranchant, Gilles Labelle, Alexandros Schismenos, Nicolas Poirier

Provisional Timeline

• Submissions deadline : December 1, 2025

• Notification of acceptance : April 1, 2026

• Final program release : November 1, 2026

• Conference dates : October 27-29, 2027