Rationality, Theism, and Atheism

International conference on “Rationality, Theism and Atheism” (RTA 2021)

Iranian Institute of Philosophy (IRIP)

Date: March 1-2, 2021 

Discussion about atheism is increasing in the public sphere as well as among academics. Although there are lots of non-epistemic factors engaged in transiting between theism and atheism – factors that are subject matters of scientific fields – discussing the epistemic aspect of this transition is a matter of controversy among philosophers. The keyword in this discussion is rationality, especially from an epistemic viewpoint. Rationality is the playground of philosophers and a good departure for them exploring each side and looking for the criteria that are in coordination with what is still left of what is known as human. This conference will focus on the topic of atheism and theism from this perspective and will examine the rationality of claims raised by each side. Additionally, since one of the main controversies in the debate between theists and atheists is around proofs for and against the existence of God, our conference will try to investigate the basis of these arguments and discover the consistency and coherency of them. 

The issues of the conference are but not limited to:

1. Conceptual Challenges Regarding Proofs for God’s Existence or Non-Existence

2. Epistemological Concerns of Theistic or Atheistic Arguments

3. Epistemic or Metaphysical Possibility or Impossibility of God’s Existence

4. Epistemology of Religious Belief or Disbelief

5. Human Cognitive Abilities to Prove or Disprove God’s Existence

6. Religious Disagreement: Epistemological Viewpoints

7. Assessment of Religious Skepticism

Academic Board:

-       Richard Swinburne: Oxford University, England

-       Alvin Plantinga: University of Notre Dame, USA

-       Charles Taliaferro: St. Olaf College, USA

-       Gholamreza Zakyani; Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran

-    Muhammad Legenhausen: The Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute, Qom, Iran

-       Mohammad Saeedimehr: Tarbiat Modares University, Iran

-       Mohsen Javadi: University of Qom, Iran

-       Reza Akbari: Imam Sadiq University, Iran

-       Seyyed Mahmoud Yosefsani: IRIP, Iran

-       Rasoul Rasoulipour: Kharazmi University, Iran

-       Abbas Yazdani: University of Tehran, Iran

-       Mahdi Akhavan: Allameh Tabataba’i University, Iran

-       Seyyed Ali Taleghani: Center of Akhund Khorasani of IPC, Iran

-       Ebrahim Azadegan: Sharif University of Technology, Iran

-       Jalal Peykani: Payam-e Nor University, Iran

-       Meysam Tavakoli Bina: IRIP, Iran

-       Abdollah Mohammadi: IRIP, Iran

-       Gholamhossein Javadpour: IRIP, Iran

Scientific Secretary: Gholamhossein Javadpour

Scientific Assistant: Mohammad Mahdi Fallah

Executive Secretaries: Saeid Makhani, Hossein Rostami Jalilain

Email: [email protected] - [email protected]

Telephone and WhatsApp: ++989126048893

Abstract Submission Deadline: November 20, 2020

Paper Submission Deadline: January 19, 2021

Conference Date: March 1-2, 2021  

Submission: The proposal should be sent online from the official website of the conference, http://rta.irip.ac.ir/

Notes

-       We welcome submissions on topics related but not limited to the aforementioned questions.

-       The authors should first send the title and abstract of their papers and send their completer paper only after receiving the acceptance letter of the scientific committee.

-        Any person can send one paper individually and one joint paper.

-       Authors can investigate the issues of the conferee from any philosophical approach (analytic, continental, Islamic, etc.), any Islamic or Western philosopher, or ever any scripture. 

-       We hope to host a physical meeting. If Covid-19 related circumstances do not allow for this, we will provide a hybrid or entirely virtual alternative.

-       All accepted contributions will be published in a peer-reviewed book and the presenters will receive an official certification from IIP.