CFP: The City and Philosophy

Submission deadline: May 25, 2012

Conference date(s):
October 11, 2012 - October 13, 2012

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Conference Venue:

Department of Philosophy, Uludag University
Bursa, Turkey

Topic areas

Details

Philosophical thinking, which arises from the heart of the city, expresses a different aspect regarding life, goings-on, existent and the world. The city provides basis for not only philosophy but for everything that is humane. There exists a quite broad literature on the notion of City and what city itself is. However, there is a need to think again about the relation of the City and philosophy.

But why did such a need become a current issue? Why is such a congress needed to be organized, while the relation between philosophy and city has been dealt with numerous times before? It is already known that philosophical thinking belongs to city life. For the philosophical thinking to maturate, culture has to reach its maturity level at most. The most important bearer of culture is language. Language reaches a certain level of maturity by being kneaded with art –especially poetry-, religion and politics; the highest level that this maturity reveals itself is philosophical thinking. Philosophy is the most mature level that language, speech and writing can reach. Language is the sole component that bears philosophy, philosophical thinking. The language of philosophy actualizes this maturation with culture and also with the city, which is the main place that culture shapes. The city is the place where philosophical thinking finds a living and expression space for itself. Philosophy reveals itself in the city both by flourishing in its relation with art, religion and politics and by being a thinking activity on all these areas. Philosophy is the promising child of the city. The city, which is the best place that culture expresses itself, provided a basis for philosophy to be born and shaped as well. Therefore, we are organizing such a congress to think about the City and to present the relation between the City and philosophy correlatively.

When it comes to the City and philosophy relation, these questions have to reckoned with: In the cities in today’s world, is it possible for thinking and compendious thinking to be manifested? Can city life continue to provide basis for philosophical thinking? What contributions can philosophical aspect make to the arrangement of cities’ architecture or city planning? What kind of a city planning can be mentioned in the face of environmental problems? What place do cities have in the relation of localness and nationality? Can there be an exemplary city planning? What position should cities have in government-citizen relation? What are the new perspectives regarding the city? How can political life in the city be dealt with? Can we talk about city politics? How will the relation between the City and art be? Can we talk about an aesthetical organization of the city? What can be said about the relation between the inhabitants of the city? What should we make of the history of the city? What can be said about the connection between religious life and city life? What is the importance of the city when it comes to law?

In order to try to reckon with all these questions and to present new and different aspects about the relation of the City and philosophy, we saw fit to organize a congress entitled as “The City and Philosophy”.

Titles/Subjects and of Congress

  • City and Politics
  • City and Ethics 
  • City and Art
  • Architecture and Philosophy
  • Design of City and Philosophy
  • City and Law
  • City and Liberty
  • City and Social Change
  • City and Democracy
  • City and Utopia
  • City and Citizenships
  • City and Individualism
  • City and Human Rights
  • City and Crisis
  • City and Existentialism
  • City and Identity
  • The Problems of Environment and Philosophy
  • Nature and Philosophy

Important Dates

  • Deadline for Abstracts: 25 May 2012
  • Announcement of the Accepted Abstracts: 25 June 2012
  • Deadline for the Full-Texts of Papers: 20 August 2012
  • Announcement of the Congress Program: 3 September 2012
  • Congress Date: 11-12-13 October 2010

Contact: [email protected]

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