Philosophy Utrecht Graduate Conference 2026 - Miscellaneous Categories in Philosophy

While conducting research, philosophers often have the tendency to perpetuate the un-diversification of the canon by focusing on Western traditions, while often categorising other traditions as miscellaneous. This type of philosophical indexing has (un)consciously made a value statement about which categories in philosophy matter more than others. The overclassification and othering within philosophical indexing actively contributes to solidifying the status-quo. For example, should feminist logic be categorised under miscellaneous logic instead of being simply put under the broader category of logic?

The aim of this conference is to highlight niche, overlooked, and perhaps undervalued topics that don’t fit neatly into the Western canon or into the most popular topics in contemporary analytical philosophy as well as question how we categorise philosophy more generally.