CFP: Practical Philosophy & Philosophical Practice

Applied philosophy involves using philosophical theories and principles to address specific questions of practical relevance. Traditionally, this has meant the application of principles of moral and political philosophy to issues relating to public policy and social organization. Yet, as contributions within applied philosophy of language, metaphysics and philosophy of science highlight, this model may involve an unhelpfully restrictive view both of the range of philosophical principles applicable to practical concerns, and of the nature of ‘practical relevance’. The traditional model is further complicated by the fact that, as both critics and proponents of applied philosophy have observed, the relation between practical context and philosophical principle is sufficiently dynamic as to problematize the ordinary use of the word ‘applied’, since the principles applied are often challenged and altered by empirical facts of a given context. For instance, recent work in applied epistemology and applied aesthetics has stressed the need for a theoretical approach that recognizes the interdependence of epistemic, aesthetic, and moral values in everyday life.

The aim of the 2019 PhilosoFest Graduate Conference is to bring together philosophers from across the disciplinary spectrum to explore the ways in which sustained philosophical engagement with a specific pragmatic context can both illuminate questions arising within that context, and interrogate and enrich existing philosophical concepts and methods. We welcome submissions that address specific problems within applied philosophy, discuss methodological and metaphilosophical questions raised by applied philosophy, or both. Papers may examine the socially-relevant, everyday, experiential, or interdisciplinary possibilities of any area of philosophy, including, but not limited to: ethics, political philosophy, epistemology, history of philosophy, aesthetics, philosophy of language, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of law, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science.

Papers will be 20 minutes, with 10 minutes for discussion.

Please email abstracts of 400-600 words, in PDF or Word format, to: [email protected]