CFP: Philosophy and Representation

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Tyler Burge, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles)

Nick Riggle, PhD (University of San Diego)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Please visit the "Call for Papers" page on the conference website (http://studentphilconference.sdsu.edu/call_for_papers.html) to submit your abstracts and papers.

As the title of the conference indicates, we are looking for those who have previously, or are currently, focused on research surrounding the philosophies of art and representation within their respective disciplines. There are a vast number of topics and theories that are included in such inquiries. Additionally, there are a great deal of implications and concerns that surface upon diving into these (multi-)disciplinary spheres. These theories and implications have caused turbulence as well as influence across centuries and geographies, and so too in our contemporary movements. Some of the fundamental questions we seek to address include, but are not limited to:

• What is ‘art’? What is the nature of art? Can we learn from art? How does one experience and appreciate art? How do we encounter art? 
• What does it mean to have an ‘aesthetic experience’? What is ‘aesthetic’, and how do we locate it? How is art (re)presented to the public? What are the implications or stakes involved in (re)presentation? 
• What does it mean to represent (i.e., to have a representation/perception)? How does representation contribute to our understanding of ourselves? 
• Are representation and perception species and/or subject specific? Do very young human children and animals represent the world quite similarly? Can advanced computers/artificial intelligence eventually form representations? What does it mean to be conscious of the world? 

We are looking for contributions that explore these avenues as they relate to the philosophies of today. Some of the fundamental concepts (and examples of relevant thinkers) we seek to address include, but are not limited to:

• Aesthetic Experience (John Dewey’s Art as Experience)
• The Nature of Art (Plato’s Republic, Martin Heidegger’s Poetry, Language, and Thought)
• Mimesis (Erich Auerbach’s Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature)
• Art and Perception (Martha Nussbaum’s Love’s Knowledge)
• Perception (Jonathon Cohen’s Perceptual Constancy, Alva Noe’s Action in Perception)
• Representation (Hilary Putnam’s Representation and Reality, Tyler Burge’s Origins of Objectivity)
• Consciousness (Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, Daniel Dennett’s Consciousness Explained)
• Mental States (Stephen Kosslyn’s The Case for Mental Imagery) 

Each panelist will have approximately 20 minutes to present his or her paper and 10 minutes for discussion (Q&A). While we will try to keep designated undergraduate and graduate panels, due to certain constraints placed on a one-day conference, theme will be prioritized over student rank for each panel.

Again, please visit the "Call for Papers" page on the conference website (http://studentphilconference.sdsu.edu/call_for_papers.html) to submit your abstracts and papers.