CFP: Philosophical Method(s)?

The philosophical method, rather than its subject-matter, is what distinguishes philosophy from other fields of research. Starting with Sophists and Socrates, philosophers have developed a number of such methods. This brings many vexing issues, given the number of such methods, their diversity, the fact that they are often mutually excluding, not always clearly distinguishable from non-philosophical methods, etc. In addition, particular philosophical methods come with specific epistemological, as well as metaphysical, logical, and linguistic, commitments or implications, often problematic in its own right.

The goal of this conference, organized by the Institute of Philosophy in Zagreb, the leading Croatian research institution in philosophy, is to critically examine, from contemporary and historical perspective, the various aspects of the philosophical method(s), and the wide range of closely related issues, such as the metaphilosophical concerns regarding the nature of philosophy, its progress, and its place within (or outside) the scientific framework; the metaphysical issues concerning the truth, objectivity, and relativism; the epistemological issues concerning the intuitions, experience, understanding, and disagreement; and other relates issues. We encourage participation from a wide range of experts in philosophy across divergent philosophical traditions, but also from other related disciplines engaged in a disciplinary dialogue with philosophy. 

Keynote speakers

Gerhard Heinzmann (University of Lorraine, Nancy)

Martin Kusch (Institut für Philosophie, Wien)

Christoph Horn (Institut für Philosophie Bonn)

Abstracts submission

Short abstracts (200-300 words) should be submitted by 30 June 2019 to [email protected]

The languages of the conference are English and German. We aim to communicate our decision by 31 July.

Basic information

The conference will take place at the Institute of Philosophy (street address: Ulica grada Vukovara 54), very close to the Zagreb central square, and easily reachable from various parts of the town either by foot, buses or trams.

Attendance is free for all, but travel costs, lodging and meals are not covered. There is a large number of hotels, hostels and private apartments in Zagreb affordable at moderate prices, as well as plenty of restaurants, pizzerias, snack-bars and bakeries in the immediate vicinity of the Institute, as well as throughout the entire city of Zagreb. 

Please, feel free to contact us by sending e-mail to 

[email protected]

for any further information you might need.