CFP: Diachronic Emergence

CALL FOR PAPERS
We invite submissions of abstracts of maximum 1000 words, suitable for one-hour presentation (including +/- 20 minutes Q&A). Abstracts should be fully anonymized and sent via email to Mrs. Ursula Heister ([email protected]), with, in the body of the email, the author’s name, affiliation and contact information. We especially encourage submissions from women researchers and junior scholars.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
April 1st, 2018

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE
May 1st, 2018

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Travel and/or accommodation expenses of untenured selected speakers will be covered up to 250€.

REGISTRATION
Free

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Andreas Hüttemann (University of Cologne)
Olivier Sartenaer (University of Cologne)
Martin Voggenauer (University of Cologne)

SPONSOR
University of Cologne
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

CONTACT
Olivier Sartenaer: [email protected]

CONFERENCE RATIONALE
The main motivation for the present conference is that most theories of emergence, though potentially fruitful in their own way, are not comprehensive, in that they share a common bias that make them blind to some conceptual space available to emergence and, accordingly, to some clear-cut empirical cases of such an emergence. The hypothesized bias is twofold: it consists in considering whatever emerges to be both systematically simultaneous with, as well as belonging to a higher level with respect to, what it emerges from. In other words, it is about postulating that the emergence relation essentially is both synchronic and hierarchical. The main objective of this conference is to explore alternative perspectives on emergence that one can devise as soon as one is ready to put aside such a synchronic and/or hierarchical bias, to the effect that emergence is considered in a diachronic and/or a non-holistic fashion (on the model of, e.g., Humphreys’ (2016) “transformational emergence”).

All philosophical approaches to diachronic and/or non-holistic emergence are welcome, ranging from the history of philosophy, contemporary metaphysics or epistemology, or the philosophy of particular sciences, where ascriptions of diachronic and/or non-holistic emergence can be made.

SELECTIVE RECENT BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Anjum, R. L., & Mumford, S. (2017). Emergence and Demergence. In M. P. Paoletti & F. Orilia (Eds.), Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives on Downward Causation (pp. 92-109). New York: Routledge.
- Ganeri, J. (2011). Emergentisms, Ancient and Modern. Mind, 120, 671-703.
- Guay, A., & Sartenaer, O. (2016). A New Look at Emergence. Or When After is Different. European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 6(2), 297-322.
- Humphreys, P. W. (1997). How Properties Emerge. Philosophy of Science, 64(1), 1-17.
- Humphreys, P. W. (2016). Emergence. A Philosophical Account. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Rueger, A. (2000). Physical Emergence, Diachronic and Synchronic. Synthese, 124(3), 297-322.
- Santos, G. C. (2015). Ontological Emergence: How is That Possible? Towards a New Relational Ontology. Foundations of Science, 20(4), 429-446.
- Sartenaer, O. (forthcoming). Flat Emergence. Pacific Philosophical Quarterly.
- Stephan, A. (1999). Varieties of Emergentism. Evolution and Cognition, 5(1), 49-59.