International Association for Greek philosophy

30th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PHILOSOPHY

THE ISLAND OF SAMOS - GREECE: 20-26 JULY 2018

In cooperation with other academic and cultural institutions and organisations

have decided to organise the:

30th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PHILOSOPHY

on the topic:

POLIS, COSMOPOLIS AND GLOBALISATION

The Conference is under the Auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic and will be held at the town of Pythagorion (the philosopher Pythagoras’s birth place) which is the Ancient City of Samos on the Greek island of Samos in the East Aegean, from 20th - 26th of July 2018.

In an age when there is a debate about the impact of globalisation, we think this topic would open up interesting researches, discussions and formulation of new ideas.

1. DESCRIPTION

1.1. Background

The Conference aims to bring together two main areas of research and investigation: the Hellenic philosophical heritage and modern philosophical trends grappling with the contemporary issue of globalisation. As such it hopes to use productively past conceptual tools for the present, and in so doing clarify existing lines of thought and advance new ones. It is well known that classical Hellenic philosophy addresses the dialectic between the universal and the particular as well as that of identity and difference. As conceptual frameworks, these two dialectics merit consideration, especially in the light of globalisation. Globalisation has recently emerged vis-a-vis high-speed technologies of transportation and communication and the gradual abolition of certain economic boundaries (i.e. customs’ free trade, free movement of capital, foreign outsourcing, concentration of industrial production in certain countries etc) among remote countries. These measures have had a strong and deep impact on reducing the industrial production of the West and consequently on the relations both within and among modern nations and states, as it has been more evident due to the recent economic crisis.

It is equally well known that the model of practical human affairs in ancient Hellenic thought was the polis and the nation. Our understanding of the polis was reconfigured in modernity by the challenges of the metropolis, and, more recently, it is being transformed by the idea of the cosmopolis, what Marshall McLuhan termed “the global village”. Even so, the notions of democratic governance, citizenship, the good life, the common good, the just society and the quest for happiness persist. It is these notions that the Conference is interested in revisiting. Taking as its point of departure the contours of ancient Greek philosophy and thought (the Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Epicureans, the Cynics, the Neo-Platonists, the Byzantine, Post-Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance and modern philosophers), or the ideas currently elaborated and defended in scholarly circles, the Conference seeks to identify the fundamental constitutive elements of the polis in antiquity in relation to those of the cosmopolis in the age of globalism.

1.2 Purpose of the Conference

Purpose of the Conference is not simply an historical investigation of the theme but the systematic philosophical treatment of social and political ideas in their various contemporary enactments (the polis, the nation-state, the union of nation-states, federalism in antiquity and in the present, the concept of global government) as well as the clarification of issues pertaining to the development of culture, i.e. the forms and the ways of life of ordinary people in their local and regional cultures. The Conference is open to all philosophers, including specialists in Greek philosophy, classics with a philosophical train of mind, historians of philosophy, political theorists and political philosophers, theorists of economy, ethics, communication, and ecology. It is also open to creative persons in the arts and sciences who can articulate lines of inquiry regarding the development of culture and cultural forms, the prospects for a global community or government, the constraints upon and responsibilities of nation-states, the flow and

movement of goods, capitals, and people, the rules and limits of the market (understood as an economic space), and the problem of values in the cosmopolis.

1.3 Aims of the Conference

The Conference encompasses a number of issues (historical, classical, political, economic, philosophical, critical and practical, communicational, ecological) that lend themselves to discussions of several topics. These include but are not limited to the following:

A. The kinds of political entities and the forms and ways of life of the citizens in antiquity and now. The rights and duties of state and individual in the era of globalisation: Contemporary challenges and the perspective of classical Hellenic philosophy.

B. Economy, politics and competition in a free society and the quest for good life.

C. The quest for a good society and personal happiness (eudaimonia) in antiquity and in the present.

D. The philosophy of the polis: The citizen, the polis and cultural ideals; autonomy, freedom, equality, justice and the governing of the state; justice and law within and between city states, interstate justice; the common good virtue and normative ethics; the economic theory of life in the polis.

E. The philosophy of the cosmopolis: The philosophical schools that arose during the cosmopolis produced variegated visions of ways of life stretching from Cynicism’s extreme naturalism to the Stoic vision of a united humanity. Amongst the many reactions to the new reality was the Epicurean {«λάθε βιώσας»-lathe biôsas (live unnoticed)}, the Stoic’s life according to Nature, the sceptical doctrine of living according to a logos tini that would respect traditions and local customs - and many others. These views gave expression to the antagonisms between the old and the new realities – between local institutions and the global Imperium, between past freedoms and imposed constraints under imperial rule, between the ancestral values of nations and cultures versus the shared values of the global whole. Hopefully the Conference can peer into these and other antagonisms so as to shed light on the emerging conflicts of our times. Issues that have been raised are not hard to find: Is globalisation a threat to traditional cultures? Are the homogenised values which are introduced by globalism, via consumerism, a gateway to a new Imperium or to a unity that will allow the individual to be actualized through the global whole? Does the emerging cosmopolis pose a danger to philosophical parrhesia, to free expression (παρρησία) for the public benefit? Is political correctness a boon to

diversity and cultural difference in the cosmopolis or is it a potential suppression to parrhesia’s critical role? And what of the political and ethical theories of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle? – are these important for understanding the challenges of globalisation or are they only applicable to the long-lost polis? Broadly speaking, we wish to provide a forum for discussing globalism as idea and reality by returning to one of the most challenging intellectual phases of recorded history, the phase between polis and cosmopolis, so that we may develop a deeper and sounder understanding of the transformations that the world is currently living through.

F. Scholars of Greek philosophy and paideia would find much to contribute on the matter from their reading of Hellenic ethical and political issues concerning the polis and the cosmopolis and contemporary philosophers would find much to contribute from their own work in contemporary ethical and political theory. So, all papers dealing with ethics, politics and economic theory of Greek culture and philosophy will be considered for inclusion in the Conference Programme.

2. PARTICIPATION

2.1 Categories of Participation

There are five categories of presentation:

Category A: Presentation of original academic Papers by Invited Speakers (30 min. duration).

Category B: Presentation of original academic Papers (20 min. duration).

Category C: Short presentation of papers (15 min. duration).

Category D: Presentation of papers by graduate and Postgraduate Students [10 min. duration (Students’ Session)].

Category E: Presentation by Posters (Poster Session).

2.2 Participation Rules

A. The Papers in Category a will address particular issues, evaluate research undertaken in connection with the subject they investigate in the last decade, and provide an

overview and synthesis of various philosophical approaches related to the topic of research.

B. Participants who wish to be considered for the Category a should express their interest promptly and state their preferences concerning the topic they wish to deal with, and send all the necessary information (a detailed Curriculum Vitae and a substantive Abstract of their Paper, 800-900 words) to the Organising Committee by 30th of January 2018 or earlier. Persons interested in being considered for designation as Invited Speakers should fill in and send out Form Νo 1A to the Organising Committee ([email protected])

C. The Organising Committee will cover the cost of board and accommodation for Invited Speakers during the days of the Conference. In addition, Invited Speakers may attend all Conference activities (i.e., Conference Gala Dinner or Conference Beach Party or Greek Evening, and Conference Excursion) without paying any fees (this of course does not apply to the persons accompanying them). However Invited Speakers should complete all the relevant forms and send them to the Secretary of IAGP. Invited Speakers are required to submit the final version of the paper, according to the standard Academic practice, rules and procedures, prior to Conference (i.e.by 30/6/2018). In case of lack of the submission of the final paper, their expenses would not be covered by the Organising Committee.

D. The Organising Committee reserves the right to provide up to 30 minutes of speaking time to the Conference Participants considered as Invited Speakers, although their expenses will not be covered by the Conference.

E. Students’ Session (category d) is for the graduate and postgraduate students of Philosophy and Social Sciences (including other disciplines, provided that they have philosophical interests), where they will present their papers.

F. The official languages at the Conference will be Greek, English, (French and German are also acceptable). However, due to the prohibitively high cost of simultaneous translation, only the Greek and English will be simultaneously interpreted and translated.

Accordingly, the Papers should be submitted in one of the official languages: Greek, English, French or German. Papers written in Greek should be accompanied by a proper translation into another language, preferably English. More extended texts of Papers

(15-20 pages or 6000-7000 words) from all categories (a, b, c d, and e) may be published.

Texts in their final version for presentation may be sent by e-mail as Word documents and in PDF format as well. Word documents must be written in a Unicode font format. Abstracts and Papers may also be sent by e-mail as attached documents in the above formats. Only papers of a philosophical nature will be accepted and included in the Programme of the Conference.

G. The Organising Committee and the Academic Committee of ICOGPC reserve the right to accept or reject papers that do not comply with the academic standards of the Conference. (NB: Conference participants are reminded that only texts written in acceptable English or Greek will be considered for publication. If you have any doubt about the quality of your text in this regard, and in particular if you are not a native speaker of the language in which your paper was given, please be sure that it has been scrutinized by a native speaker (of PhD educational level or higher) of that language before sending it in to be considered for publication).

Greek participants, who present Papers, are required to submit an acceptable English translation of the latest version of their Papers which will be read at the Conference. This should be submitted to the Conference Secretary before the opening of the Conference (by 15th July 2018).

All Papers presented at the Conference and finally selected for publication are copyrighted by ICGPC and cannot be republished without permission. The exclusive copyright of papers to be published belongs to ICOGPC, unless otherwise stated.

Applications for participation of whatever kind must be received by the 30th of March 2018 or earlier. Applications should be made on Participation Form No. 1 and for Invited Speakers Participation Form No. 1A. Participation Form No. 2 should also be sent no later than: the 30th of March 2018. Participation Form No. 2 should be accompanied by an Abstract of the Paper to be presented together with an English translation in the case of Greek scholars. The Abstract should be written in such a way as to give a clear indication of the ideas and line of argument that the finished paper will be pursuing.

All participants will be notified by e-mail regarding the category to which they have been assigned.

H. All participants (except Invited Speakers) should send the full texts of their Paper for presentation to the Conference Secretariat by 30th of June 2018.

Texts in their Final version [with the indication: FINAL TEXT TO BE REVIEWED FOR PUBLICATION] must be submitted no later than the 30th of September 2018.The next Conference step is the submission of the papers in their final version for review (Blind and Peer Review process).

I. There will also be reserved space and special panels for poster sessions. Material planned for Poster Sessions should be typed on not more than two pages (size: A5). The deadline for applications for poster sessions is 30th of June 2018. Applications submitted after this date, but before 15th of July 2018, may be accepted if there is still space available.

3. BOOK EXHIBITION

Apart from other events during the Conference (see the relevant Forms), there will be an EXHIBITION OF BOOKS (FORM No. 6) and especially books on philosophy (and of course books related to the Conference topic). Authors of books, particularly those connected with philosophy, are kindly requested to send copies of their books so these may be included in the exhibition.

4. REGISTRATION AND CONFERENCE FEES

4.1 Conference Fees

The Conference is open to all who wish to attend, provided that the interested participant:

(a) completes the necessary forms and contacts the organising committee (No. 1, No. 1A, No. 2 and No. 4) and (b) pays the Conference fee.

The Conference Fee must be paid by all participants. Persons accompanying participants must also complete the forms and pay the Conference fee. The Conference fee (see also Registration Form No.4) is as follows:

a. Participants: Before 30 March 2018: 100 euros

(after 30 March 2018: 125 euros)

b. Accompanying Persons: Before 30 March 2018: 80 euros

(after 30 March 2018 100 euros)

c. PhD Students: Before 30 March 2018: 80 euros

(after 30 March 2018: 100 euros)

d. Students: Before 30 March 2018: 70 euros

(after 30 March 2018: 90 euros)

Conference participants are advised that cancellations cause major logistical, scheduling and economic inconvenience for the organisation of a Conference of this scope, because outings, receptions and other activities are seriously disrupted by cancellations and schedule changes. We ask that only those who are certain of their attendance submit the

forms for participation. It should be noticed that there will be no refunds of any fees, nor are cancellations accepted.

4.2 Payment Methods

There are two methods of payment:

- Credit Card (including acceptable debit card), or

- Bank Transfer.

a. If you wish to pay by credit card, kindly fill out the “Card Authorisation FORM No 5”, scan it and email it to us together with your application form. It is highly recommended that you scan the completed authorisation form.

b. If you wish to pay by bank transfer, the Participation Fee for the Conference should be sent directly to our bank account: Please note that any bank charges may usually be far smaller if you use internet/phone banking. Our bank details are the following:

[Account holder: International Association of Greek Philosophy,

Address of the account holder: Simonidou 5, 17456 Alimos - Greece,

Bank: National Bank of Greece.

Address of the Bank: Solonos Street & Hippokratous Street, 10679 Athens-Greece, Account no: 15129601769,

Account in IBAN form: GR0901101510000015129601769,

SWIFT BIC: ETHNGRAA].

Reference for our records (the beneficiary): (your) Surname, Name, 30ICOP.

Please make sure to include your surname-name in the reference section of your remittance form, otherwise it will be very difficult to locate your bank transfer. The copy of your payment-remittance slip that indicates the name(s) of the participant(s) should be sent by e-mail attachment (preferably in PDF format) to the Secretariat of the Conference ([email protected])

5. SIDE EVENTS & EXCURSIONS

The Organising Committee of the Conference, in addition to academic programme, is planning to organise two exceptional excursions which will take place during the Conference:

(a) Visiting the archaeological sites and other parts of the Island of Samos (duration: one day) and

(b) Visiting by boat and having a Philosophy Session on the famous Island of Patmos (duration: one day).

We shall provide you with further updates regarding the above in due time.

6. CONTACT INFORMATION

Any mail correspondence related to the Conference should only be sent to following address:

Professor K. Boudouris

President of the Organising Committee

30th International Conference of Philosophy

Simonidou 5, 17456 Alimos (Athens)

GREECE Email: [email protected]

Tel: (+30) 210 9956955, (+30) 210 7277545, (+30) 210 7277502