CFP: Philosophical Topics Issue: Non-Human Consciousness

CFP – Philosophical Topics. Understanding non-human consciousness: methods, prospects, and challenges.

Volume Editor: Dr Henry Shevlin (University of Cambridge)
Deadline: December 31st, 2019.

Submissions are invited for an issue of Philosophical Topics on non-human consciousness. This volume aims to bring together leading perspectives in the philosophy of consciousness to explore questions related to non-human consciousness of both artificial and biological varieties. Key questions to be explored include the following. 

  • How can established scientific and philosophical approaches to human consciousness be brought to bear on assessments of consciousness in animals and artificial systems?

• What are the major methodological disagreements concerning how attributions of consciousness to non-humans should be made? Are there fundamental methodological or epistemological limits to our ability to make such attributions?

• What insights or worries about non-human consciousness arise from current AI research?

• Can evolutionary biology provide us with insights into the distribution and function of consciousness in nature?

• Are special challenges or insights for our understanding of consciousness presented by particular exotic biological or artificial systems?

Our intention is to accept a small number of manuscripts via this CfP to be chosen via blind review. These will accompany invited submissions from Peter Carruthers, Jonathan Birch, Lisa Miracchi, Tim Bayne, Eric Schwitzgebel, Liz Irvine, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Marta Halina, and Murray Shanahan. Perspectives that draw on other disciplines besides philosophy (such as biology and computer science) are very welcome. However, we would encourage interested parties to examine recent issues of the journal (available at https://www.jstor.org/journal/philtopics) for guidance on style and methods.

For more information, please contact the guest editor Henry Shevlin ([email protected]).

Submissions should not have been previously published or be under consideration elsewhere.  Please anonymise documents, removing identifying information, and submit as a PDF to [email protected] with “Non-human consciousness” as the subject line.

Submissions will be accepted until December 31st, 2019.