CFP: Social Metaphysics Workshop 2022

The 3rd annual Social Metaphysics Workshop will be held from June 22nd to June 25th, 2022 at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina (in person). The topic of the workshop is social metaphysics, broadly conceived.

We are interested in questions that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• What are social objects and how do they differ from other ordinary objects? What is the nature of money, laws, nations, borders, corporations, property, etc?
• What is a social group? What is group agency/belief/intention? What are social structures and institutions?
• What are social kinds and how do they differ from natural kinds? What form of mind-dependence do social kinds exhibit? Are social kinds real? What is race, gender,  sexuality, disability, and mental illness? Are these natural or socially constructed categories? What does it mean for something to be socially constructed?
• What is ontological justice? How does social ontology bear on considerations of justice and morality? How do considerations of justice and morality bear on social ontology?
• How can notions such as essence, real definition, grounding, fundamentality, and truthmaking be applied to the social world?

The keynote speaker will be Brian Epstein. 

Workshop format: The workshop will be primarily pre-read. There will be eight sessions in total. Aside from the keynote, each session will have one speaker and two commentators. All workshop participants will be expected to read the papers in advance of the workshop. The workshop is only open to selected participants and Duke-affiliated students and faculty.

Submission guidelines: If you would like to present a paper at the workshop, please submit an extended abstract (750-1000 words) by January 16th, 2022. You may also apply to be a commentator, chair, or attendee. More information on the submission/application process is available here (https://socialmetaphysics.weebly.com/submit-or-volunteer.html). Please note that if you are selected to present a paper, you will need to have a complete draft ready by April 1st, 2022. We strongly encourage underrepresented minorities in philosophy to apply.

More information: More information on the submission/application process is available here: https://socialmetaphysics.weebly.com/submit-or-volunteer.html. The workshop is organized by Kevin Richardson (Duke University) and Asya Passinsky (Central European University). If you have additional questions, please email [email protected].