CFP: Feminist Utopias: Transforming the Present of Philosophy

Feminist Utopias: Transforming the Present of Philosophy

Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Symposium in Reykjavik and Skálholt, Iceland

30th of March to 2nd of April, 2017

Co-hosted by

Feminist Philosophy Transforming Philosophy at The University of Iceland and

NSU Study Circle Feminist Philosophy: Time, History and the Transformation of Thought

Keynote speakers:

Nancy Bauer Tufts University

Kristie Dotson Michigan State University

Alison Jaggar University of Colorado, Boulder

Ruth Hagengruber University of Paderborn

Willow Verkerk Kingston University

Feminist Utopias: Transforming the Present of Philosophy

Some of the most ground-breaking inventions in contemporary philosophy have come from feminist philosophy. More gender-conscious conceptions of humans have modified and enriched traditional philosophical ideas about epistemic, ethical and political subjects, and our understanding of the past of philosophy has been improved by recent scholarship on women in the history of philosophy. However, the transformative potential of feminist philosophy for renewing the discipline in terms of canon, concepts, histories, institutional cultures, content, and plurality of styles has not yet been actualized. The feminist utopias envisioned by feminist philosophers across traditional philosophical divides and cultures possess the potential for invigorating philosophy and bringing it back to basic questions of philosophy born out of wonder or frustration. Such utopias are not idealistic but represent our striving for a more realistic grasp of who we are and how we experience the world. The inherent tension between the particular and the universal, the private and the public, so strongly debated within feminist philosophy is a resource for disclosing new philosophical futures. 

Over the course of four days we will explore these themes together. The first day will be spent at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík where we will listen to keynote speakers in an open conference. In the evening we leave for Skálholt which is a beautiful historic place in the south of Iceland, about an hour's drive from Reykjavík. In Skálholt we will have a three-day workshop with paper presentations and discussion sessions.

The symposium provides a space for theoretical experimentation and cross-fertilization of methodologies and ideas. It aims to develop insights that could be used for further research within philosophy, literature, history of ideas and related areas. We welcome proposals for presentations at the workshop in Skálholt.

Format of the presentation

Each presentation will have 30 minutes for presentation and discussion.

To submit a proposal please send via email to the coordinators: [email protected] or [email protected]

1. A written proposal (350 words) with a title and descriptive subtitle. 
2. A short bio (200 words)

If you would like to attend the symposium without presenting, please email a short bio.

The deadline to submit proposals is November 15, 2016. The preliminary program will be announced on December 15, 2017 on www.nordic.university.