Philosophy and the Interdisciplinary Study of Addiction

Workshop: Philosophy and the Interdisciplinary Study of Addiction

Date: February 8th-9th

Location: Byrne House, University of Exeter

Speakers: Serge Ahmed (Bordeaux, Neuroscience)

                   Christine English (UCL, Psychoanalysis)

                   Hannah Farrimond (Exeter, Sociology)

                   Matt Field (Sheffield, Psychology)

                   Rudi Fortson QC (Law)

                   Lee Hogarth (Exeter, Psychology)

                   Richard Holton (Cambridge, Philosophy)

                   Joel Krueger, Tom Roberts & Shane Glackin (Exeter, Philosophy)

                   Celia Morgan (Exeter, Psychopharmacology)

                   Christian Müller (Erlangen, Psychiatry)

                   Lubomira Radoilska (Kent, Philosophy)

                   Trevor Robbins (Cambridge, Neuroscience)

                   Gabriel Segal (KCL, Philosophy)

                   Chandra Sripada (Michigan, Philosophy/Psychiatry)

Substance abuse has been recognised and discussed since antiquity, and has also attracted much recent scientific enquiry. Yet its treatment and prevention have made frustratingly slow progress; an unprecedented wave of addiction currently grips the USA, seeming set to spread to other developed nations.

Addiction research spans neurological, pharmacological, social, clinical, legal, and political dimensions, which have seldom been integrated into a properly comprehensive, integrated programme of inquiry. But philosophy – which both intersects in important ways with these disciplines, and provides a further disciplinary perspective – offers a potential framework for such an integrated study.

This workshop, kindly funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust, will engage researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders in an interdisciplinary analysis of the problem, and explore possibilities for sharing disciplinary knowledge and expertise in the search for better understanding, treatment, and prevention of addiction.

The workshop is free of charge and open to all, but to ensure adequate space and catering please notify the organiser if you wish to attend. We are hopeful, but cannot yet guarantee, that it will be possible to cover travel costs for graduate students.

For all enquiries, please contact:

Dr. Shane Glackin

Dept. of Sociology, Philosophy, and Anthropology,

University of Exeter

[email protected]