CFP: The 2016 Cambridge Graduate Conference in Ancient Philosophy - ‘Archai and Geneseis: Theorising Origins in Ancient Philosophy’

The 2016 Cambridge Graduate Conference in Ancient Philosophy

We invite proposals for papers to be given at an interdisciplinary conference on the theme ‘Archai and Geneseis: Theorising Origins in Ancient Philosophy’, to take place in the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge, on 18-19 March 2016.

One of the wellsprings of philosophy is the contemplation of ‘what is first’ – that is, the reflection upon the original state from which things arose and on the forces that initiate and govern their coming-to-be. The notion of ‘origins’ was a central theme in ancient philosophy from the Presocratics to the Hellenistic schools. Our purpose is to examine how philosophers interpreted or made significant use of the concepts of genesis and coming-to-be in a wide variety of contexts, including, but not restricted to:

• the beginning of the cosmos;
• the origin of life;
• the creation of mankind;
• the origins of language, knowledge, and human society;
• the emergence of philosophy, of philosophical communities, and of particular trends within ancient philosophy.

We are interested in exploring the various ways in which origins are thematised in ancient philosophy. This question is open to a large number of approaches and can be addressed within several branches of ancient philosophy, such as ethics, epistemology, physics and metaphysics. Moreover, it can also be related to other humanistic disciplines, such as ancient history and literature – for which reason we hope to welcome students and academics throughout the humanities and thus create an interdisciplinary dialogue across various fields in the study of classical antiquity and beyond.

Submission Guidelines

We invite proposals from graduate students and early career researchers (within three years of completion of their degree) for papers of approximately 3,000-3,500 words. Please submit abstracts as email attachments to [email protected]. Abstracts should be submitted as .pdf files and should not exceed 500 words. Please write ‘Conference Abstract Submission’ in the subject line of your email and include in the body of your email your name, departmental affiliation, email address, and the title of your paper (as well as the year in which the PhD was awarded in the case of early career researchers). Abstracts should be prepared for blind review, so please ensure that your abstract is free from any identifying personal details.

Deadlines

The submission deadline is Friday 5 February 2016. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 12th February and will be asked to submit the final draft of their papers by Friday 4th March.

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