CFP: HUMANA.MENTE: Meinong Strikes Again. Return to Impossible Objects 100 Years Later

HUMANA.MENTE Journal of Philosophical Studies
Issue 25 - October 2013

Meinong Strikes Again. Return to Impossible Objects 100 Years Later

edited by: Laura Mari (Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa), Michele Paolini Paoletti (University of Macerata)

Meinong’s philosophy was overshadowed in the first half of the 20th century by the prevalent Frege-Russell canon. Works by Parsons, Routley, Castañeda, Rapaport, and Zalta in the second half of the century however showed that Meinong’s ideas can be fruitful for philosophical investigation and introduced a real “Meinong-Renaissance”. Nowadays Meinong’s leading ideas, far from being buried, have received the increasing attention and are discussed again.In particular, the possibility of referring to truly predicate properties of objects that do not exist, which is likely the most distinctive feature of Meinong’s ontology, has led to revise the idea that reference and predication necessarily require existence. This has induced novel approaches in the fields of the logic of fiction and of intensionality as well as of their metaphysics. 

The aim of this issue of Humana.Mente is to present contributions that relate to Meinong’s main object-theoretical theses, with particular reference to the input they give to the contemporary debate on ontological matters. We intend to pursue three main goals: to discuss the major similarities and differences between Meinong’s philosophical system and the Neo-Meinongian ones; to focus on the classical figures of Neo-Meinongianism and on their works, as well as on the works of other philosophers who were or are near to some Meinongian theses; to explore some recent and original developments in ontology, logic and the theory of knowledge inspired by typical Meinongian themes and problems.

We invite to submit papers in the following areas of research:

• Meinongian and Neo-Meinongian ontology
• Fictional objects
• Meinongian and Neo-Meinongian theories of values
• Meinongian and Neo-Meinongian aesthetics
• Meinongian and Neo-Meinongian theories of knowledge
• Meinongian and Neo-Meinongian logics (e.g. paraconsistent logics)

Invited contributors:

• Francesco Berto (University of Aberdeen – University of Venice)
• Nino Cocchiarella (Indiana University)
• Gabriele Galluzzo (Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa)
• Dale Jacquette (University of Bern)
• Francesco Orilia (University of Macerata)
• William J. Rapaport (University of Buffalo)
• Venanzio Raspa (University of Urbino)
• Peter Simons (Trinity College Dublin)
• Alberto Voltolini (University of Turin)

Articles should be submitted in blind review format. Please omit any self-identifying information within the abstract and body of the paper.

Furthermore, we invite to submit reviews of recent books (published after 2009), and commentaries of articles and books that could be particularly interesting for the topics analysed in this issue.

Submissions should be sent via e-mail to [email protected] and [email protected]

Important dates

Extended Deadline for submissions: April 21 2013

Notification of acceptance: June 30 2013

Final version due: September 30 2013
Publication: October 2013