CFP: Philosophical Threads in the Work of Marcia Muelder Eaton

Call for Papers: Philosophical Threads in the Work of Marcia Muelder Eaton

Marcia Muelder Eaton (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, emerita) is former President of the American Society of Aesthetics; her work in philosophical aesthetics is of lasting significance. Her early work in the philosophy of language informs her later accounts of meaning, interpretation, and communication in art. Her contributions to debates about the ethical dimensions of aesthetic experience have shaped discussions on the role moral concerns should inform our responses to artworks, while her work in environmental aesthetics has expanded the scope of aesthetic inquiry beyond fine art to include everyday and natural environments. This conference offers a new opportunity to further the understanding of Marcia Muelder Eaton’s philosophical contributions, while advancing contemporary debates in aesthetics, ethics, and environmental thought. The conference will be held at her almamater, Knox College, in Galesburg, IL, from July 23–25, 2027. The conference is generously supported by Knox College and the American Society for Aesthetics.

There will be two keynote speakers for the conference: Noël Carroll (CUNY Graduate Center) and Carolyn Korsmeyer (SUNY at Buffalo, emerita). In addition, environmental photographer Regina Flanagan, whose work has been deeply influenced by Eaton’s theories, will make a presentation. We also have three confirmed invited speakers: A. W. Eaton (University of Illinois, Chicago), Roy T. Cook (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities), and Antony Aumann (Northern Michigan University), as well as the organizers, James Harold (Mount Holyoke College) and Brandon Polite (Knox College).

Papers in any area of philosophical aesthetics to which Eaton contributed are welcome, including but not limited to: definitions of art, the relationship between ethics and aesthetics, environmental aesthetics, beauty, the nature of aesthetic properties, fictionality, and philosophy of literature. We especially encourage submissions that specifically comment on or engage with Eaton’s scholarship. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are especially welcome to apply. The deadline for abstracts (500–750 words) is February 1, 2027. Final papers should be under 4000 words, suitable for a 30 minute presentation. Submissions should be prepared for anonymous review and submitted to [email protected].

Two spots on the program will be reserved for graduate students or early career scholars, for whom travel and lodging costs will be subsidized. If you belong to one of these groups, please identify yourself as such in your submission email. Decisions will be made by March 31, 2027.