Ground, Essence & Modality (GEM)

Ground, Essence & Modality (GEM) at Helsinki, 8-10 June 2016

Invited Speakers
Fabrice Correia

Kit Fine

Kathrin Koslicki

Penelope Mackie

Jonathan Schaffer

Benjamin Schnieder

Alexander Skiles

Tuomas Tahko

Barbara Vetter

Nathan Wildman

Jessica Wilson 

Call For Papers
4 slots are open for submitted papers. Full papers of no more than 6,000 words (suitable for a max. 45min presentation; please include a brief abstract) may be submitted as a blinded PDF or Word document to [email protected] by 4pm GMT, January 5, 2016. Please include your name, affiliation, and contact information in the body of the e-mail. Notification of decisions is expected by mid-February. Selected papers may be considered for publication in a volume of conference proceedings.

Description

Ground, essence & modality seem to have something to do with each other. Can we provide unified foundations for ground and essence, or should we treat both as primitives? Can modality be grounded in essence, or should essence be expressed in terms of modality? Does grounding entail necessitation? Are the notions of ground and essence univocal? This conference focuses on the links – or lack thereof – between these three notions, as well as the foundations of ground, essence & modality more generally. Sceptical approaches are also discussed. Submissions are welcome on any aspect of the metaphysics, epistemology, and logic of these notions.

Finance

Accommodation in Helsinki will be provided for accepted speakers for the duration of the conference (and for the Humboldt Workshop, for those wishing to attend it). Unfortunately we cannot cover travel costs.

Kit Fine’s Humboldt Workshop

Immediately prior to the conference, June 6-7, Kit Fine will lead the second Humboldt workshop financed by the Anneliese Maier Research Award and coordinated by the Phlox research group. The workshop will be on the history of ground (especially Bolzano). Delegates of the conference are encouraged to attend the workshop as well. Further information on the workshop will follow in due course.

Local organizer in Helsinki: Tuomas Tahko
Collaborators: Fabrice Correia & Benjamin Schnieder

Website: http://ttahko.net/essential-knowledge/gem2016/

For general inquiries, contact tuomas.tahko at the domain helsinki.fi.

Research projects involved:
Grounding - Metaphysics, Science & Logic (Correia & Schnieder) (https://groundingproject.wordpress.com/)
Essential Knowledge and The Epistemology of Metaphysics (Tahko) (http://ttahko.net/essential-knowledge/)
Essences, Identities and Individuals (Correia) (http://eidos.philosophie.ch/)