CFP: Thinking with Nancy

Keynote Speaker: Jean-Luc Nancy (University of Strasbourg)

Organisers: Marie Chabbert and Nikolaas Deketelaere

Confirmed Participants:

Ian James (University of Cambridge)

Aukje van Rooden (University of Amsterdam)

Gert-Jan van der Heiden (Radboud University)

Peter Gratton (Memorial University of Newfoundland)

Benjamin Hutchens (Rutgers University)

John McKeane (University of Reading)

The work of the French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy spans across dozens of books and hundreds of articles, addressing virtually every possible topic of philosophical interest as well as the major figures of the modern intellectual tradition. This interdisciplinary conference aims to provide a platform to take stock of this ever-growing body of work, reflecting on its significance in terms of how it allows us to bring into view or address certain contemporary challenges, whether these are intellectual, cultural, political or religious. We hope to facilitate a fruitful exchange of current research as well as providing an opportunity for both established and aspiring scholars of Nancy’s thought to meet one another. To this end, we invite contributions from post-graduate students and early career researchers that engage with Nancy in this way. Possible topics might include, but are not limited to: 

·            Nancy and the crisis of philosophy: What is the status of philosophy? What is its genre? How does philosophy relate to other modes of reflection (theology, science, or literature and the arts)? What should be the role of the intellectual today? 

·            Nancy and intellectual history: How does Nancy draw on the giants of the history of thought? Are there any authors or movements he ignores unduly? What makes his readings distinctive? How does he relate to the various movements of contemporary philosophy (e.g. speculative realism or phenomenology’s theological turn)? 

·            Nancy on the contemporary world, our present culture and socio-political condition: What is ‘the West’ today? What has happened to reason? And what about (our) humanity? What does it mean to think the death of God? How are we to think a fragmentary, though globalised world? How do we understand his thinking of community today? 

·            Nancy on theology, religion and spirituality: Why deconstruct Christianity? What is the value of this approach for contemporary theology? How may it be applied to Christian doctrine? How does Nancy relate to various theologians (Bultmann, Kierkegaard, de Lubac, Caputo, Milbank, etc.)? What does it mean to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith?

·            Nancy on the arts, the body and affectivity:  How has Nancy engaged with the arts over the course of his career (perhaps most notably film and dance)? How does this tie into his thinking of the body and touch? 

·            Engagement with Nancy: How and why has Nancy been read over the years? What has his influence been (Agamben, Derrida, Marion, Denis, etc.)? What does he give us to think today?

Proposals for presentations in either French or English should be sent to the organisers ([email protected]) by1stNovember 2018. Interested scholars are welcome to first consult the organisers about their proposal before making a formal submission. Proposals should include a title, abstract, your name, affiliation and contact information. Abstracts should not exceed 500 words.

The best papers presented at the conference will be published. 

Conference fee: TBD

Conference language: French and English

Submission deadline: 1st November 2018

Notification of acceptance: 7th November 2018