Infinite Regress Arguments and Non-Contradiction in Plato and Aristotle

Infinite Regress Arguments attempt to refute a position by showing that the position leads to an absurd infinite sequence. This argument strategy is used in collaborative reasoning in everyday life, in science and in philosophy. Infinite regress arguments are especially prominent in Plato and Aristotle. For example, if a Form is as Platonists think, there turn out to be an infinite number of Forms. However, it is unclear how and why infinite regress arguments are successful. Some infinities are totally unproblematic: there are an infinite number of natural numbers, for example. So why are infinite regress arguments effective? One under-developed hypothesis is that Infinite Regress Arguments tacitly rely on a principle of non-contradiction to generate the infinite sequence.

We will hold a two-day workshop on 1st-2nd March, at the University of Nottingham, UK. We welcome abstracts for papers that address infinite regress argument and/or the principle of non-contradiction in Plato and Aristotle. The working language will be English. Some funding is available for speakers’ travel. We especially encourage graduate students and early career scholars to submit abstracts.

Abstracts should be no more than 300 words for papers of 45-60 minutes presentation time.

Please submit abstracts, prepared for blind review, to [email protected]. The deadline for submission is 31st December 2018. *Note the short deadline*. Please use the subject-line ‘Regress Workshop’.

Confirmed Speakers:

Luca Pitteloud (Federal University of ABC in Sao Paulo)

Matthew Duncombe (University of Nottingham)

Tamer Nawar (University of Groningen)

Evan Keeling (University of São Paulo)

Mattia Petrolo (Federal University of ABC, São Paulo)