CFP: Motion and Soul: The Soul as Principle of Motion in Ancient Philosophy (Princeton)

The workshop will feature a keynote address by M. M. McCabe (King’s College London) and a series of workshop sessions. Each workshop session will consist of a presentation of a pre-circulated paper, ranging from 15 to 30 pages, followed by comments from a discussant and a Q&A session.

We invite submissions on topics related to the soul as a principle of motion in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. Possible subjects include (but are not limited to!) the soul in Plato’s Phaedrus (proof of immortality, the myth of the winged chariot, recollection and eros, rhetoric and psychagogia), Laws (soul and self-motion, psychology and legislation, preludes and persuasion, theology and cosmology), Timaeus (cosmic soul and necessity, structure of the human soul, embodiment, eschatology), as well as in Aristotle’s De Anima, De motu animalium, Physics, Parva naturalia and other treatises. Submissions about the reception of these ideas are also welcome, such as in the Hellenistic, Roman, Arab, Byzantine, Medieval, and Renaissance traditions.

Please send fully anonymized abstracts to [email protected] by December 1st, 2025. Abstracts should be 500 words or fewer, excluding the bibliography. Please also send, in a separate file, a cover page with your name, home institution, contact information, and a brief bio describing your research. Please indicate in your email whether you would be willing to be a discussant. We will pair you with someone working on topics that interest you, as indicated by your brief bio.

Accommodation and meals will be provided for all presenters and discussants. We can cover travel costs up to $120, and possibly more. Please indicate in your email if you need further travel assistance, and we will do our best to accommodate you. A Zoom option will be provided for anyone for whom travel is not possible.

This event is made possible by the generous support of the University Center for Human Values, the Princeton Philosophy Department, the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, the Graduate School, IHUM, the Council of the Humanities, and the Program in Classical Philosophy.