Basic Concepts and Categories of Jewish Thought: Sources and Contexts

Saint-Petersburg State University
The Department of Jewish Culture

International Conference

"Basic Concepts and Categories of Jewish Thought: Sources and Contexts"

May 29-31, 2019

Call for Papers

Following the success of conferences on Jewish thought in 2017 and 2018 the Department of Jewish Culture of Saint-Petersburg State University, in collaboration with the International Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will host a three-day conference «Basic Concepts and Categories of Jewish Thought: Sources and Contexts».

The aim of the conference is to examinean essential issue of Jewish thought, meaningful throughout the entire history of Jewish philosophy - basic concepts and categories of Jewish thought, formation of the intellectual vocabulary and terminology of Jewish thought. The topic of the conference provides an overview of the broadest spectrum of Jewish philosophical teachings, both in chronological and spatial terms, in internal and external connections. 

In the 2019 conference we intend to address the question of the basic concepts and categories of Jewish thought and formation of the intellectual vocabulary of Jewish thought throughout its history. In our vision research on the intellectual vocabulary and categories of the Jewish thought is worth to be regarded as a core issue as it forms premise for the historical study of Jewish thought. Still until today there have been only few attempts to systematize the philosophical vocabularies of certain periods of Jewish thought.

Our conference is open to discussions on any trends and periods of the Jewish thought. We welcome contributions dealing with mysticism or rationalism, Halakha and Midrash, original philosophical works or the tradition of commentary. We intend also to treat the cultural and inter-cultural context of the Jewish thought. We plan to give special attention to comparisons of various frameworks of categories in the history of the Jewish thought and to explorations of their influence on conceptual frameworks of other intellectual traditions.

Conference sessions will be divided chronologically and thematically, and will include discussions on basic concepts, categories and formation of the intellectual vocabulary of the Jewish thought in early period (Biblical and Post-Biblical era), and in later periods (medieval Jewish philosophy, Kabbalah, Hasidism, early modern and contemporary Jewish Philosophy).

The conference will address the following topics:

1. Basic concepts, categories and the intellectual vocabulary of the Jewish thought in Biblical and Post-Biblical era.

2. Basic concepts, categories and the intellectual vocabulary of the Talmud and Midrash.

3. Basic concepts, categories and the intellectual vocabulary of the Medieval Jewish philosophy and mystical thought.

4. Basic concepts, categories and the intellectual vocabulary of the early modern and contemporary Jewish Philosophy.

5. Concepts, categories and the intellectual vocabulary of the Jewish thought in contrast with other intellectual traditions.

5. Concepts, categories and the intellectual vocabulary in individual works and schools of the Jewish thought, especially in Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas and other contemporary Jewish philosophers.

The journal Judaica Petropolitana (judaica-petropolitana.philosophy.spbu.ru) may publish participants' papers extended to a standard article length.

Working languages: English, Hebrew, Russian.

The deadline for application is March 31, 2019.

Timeline and place: Saint-Petersburg, Mendeleevskaya line 5, Institute of Philosophy, May 29-31, 2019.

Please complete your paper proposal with the following information:

1. Full name

2. E-mail

3. Country

4. Telephone

5. Current institution and/or academic affiliation

6. Academic degree / year of study)

7. Title of the paper

8. Language of the paper

9. Technical equipment for your paper (in case you need it)

10. Abstract of the paper (up to 300-400 words)

For further information and paper proposals please contact to Ilya Dvorkin [[email protected]], Igor Kaufman [[email protected]] (please mail to both of them)

Contact Info:

Dr. Prof. Igor Tantlevskiy, Chair of the Department of Jewish Culture, Chair of the Conference Organizing Commitee

Ilya Dvorkin, Co-Chair of the Conference Organizing Commitee

Dr. Igor Kaufman