We are pleased to announce the upcoming conference &lsquo\;Thinking about God: Historical Perspectives&rsquo\;. We invite scholars\, early career researchers\, and graduate students working in philosophy\, theology\, and related disciplines to the University of Edinburgh to explore the views of historical philosophers on the relationship between God and the human mind. The conference will take place on the 16-17th April 2026\, in room G.32\, 7 George Square. \;
\nGod is no ordinary entity. Historically\, many philosophers have taken God to be infinite\, transcendent\, eternal\, and simple. Such conceptions appear to demand an account of how it is possible to think of such a being. In apophatic traditions\, philosophers like Plotinus argued that we cannot think about God in positive terms at all. Others\, such as Aquinas\, argued that the human mind can at best infer certain things about God. Others still\, such as Descartes\, held that the divine essence could be understood positively by pure intellection. The aim of this conference\, then\, is to discuss the views of various historical thinkers on the question of how\, if at all\, it is possible to think about God. \;
\nThe conference program is as follows:
\nApril 16
\n9:15 Welcome Remarks
\nSession 1
\n9:30-10:15 &lsquo\;Thinking About God in Islamic Theology: A Case for Moderate Apophaticism&rsquo\;\, Mesfer Alhayyani (Kuwait University)
\n10:15-11:00 (Online) &lsquo\;Knowing God and the Limits of Human Cognition in Ibn Sīnā&rsquo\;\, Husayn Ibrahim (LMU Mü\;nchen)
\n11:00-11:15 Break
\nSession 2
\n11:15-12:00 'Philoponus on God's Power and Will to Create in Analogy to the Soul'\, Alfonso Herreros Besa (LMU Mü\;nchen)
\n12:00-12:45 &lsquo\;Spinoza on God&rsquo\;s Two Kinds of Necessary but Non-essential Properties&rsquo\;\, Antonio Salgado Borge (University of Nottingham)
\n12:45-14:15 Lunch Break
\nSession 3
\n14:15-15:00 &lsquo\;Spinoza on Virtue and the Knowledge of God&rsquo\;\, Kenneth Novis (University of Oxford)
\n15:00-15:45 (Online) &lsquo\;Mirrors of God: Leibniz&rsquo\;s Understanding of the Divine&rsquo\;\, Charles Joshua Horn (University of Wisconsin\, Stevens Point)
\n15:45-16:15 Break
\nKeynote
\n16:15-17:15 (Online) TBC Fatima Amijee (University of British Columbia)
\nApril 17
\nSession 1 \;
\n9:30-10:15 &lsquo\;Thinking of God in Relational Terms in the Middle Ages: The Account of Gerald Odonis (ca. 1285/90&ndash\;1349)&rsquo\;\, Kamil Majcherek (Cambridge University/KU Leuven)
\n10:15-11:00 &lsquo\;Albert the Great and the Four Stages of Ethical Ascent: From Moral Virtue to Divine Intellect&rsquo\;\, Tracy Wietecha (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science)
\n11:00-11:15 Break
\nSession 2
\n11:15-12:00 &lsquo\;The Lovable Idea of God for an Embodied Mind: A Phenomenology of Belief and Affectivity from a Cartesian Perspective&rsquo\;\, Chloé\; Mathys (Université\; de Genè\;ve/ENS-Lyon)
\n12:00-12:45 &lsquo\;Thinking about Divine Subjectivity: Aquinas and Zagzebski&rsquo\;\, Heather Perfect (University of York)
\n12:45-14:15 Lunch Break
\nSession 3
\n14:15-15:00 &lsquo\;Human Cognition and Divine Longings: Plato on God\, Knowledge\, and Epistemic Transcendence&rsquo\;\, Cristiana Sessini (University of Oxford)
\n15:00-15:45 &lsquo\;How Can We Speak of the Ineffable? Expressing the One in Plotinus&rsquo\; Philosophy&rsquo\;\, Raminta Ignatavičiūtė (Vilnius University)
\n15:45-16:15 Break
\nKeynote &\; Thomistic Institute Lecture
\n16:15-17:15 &lsquo\;Raising the Mind to God: Thomas Aquinas&rsquo\;s Triplex Via (Causality\, Negation\, and Eminence)&rsquo\;\, Daniel De Haan (University of Oxford)
\nThe conference is hybrid and can be attended online via Zoom. For the Zoom link\, or other inquiries\, please email Boxiang Yu (s2445351@ed.ac.uk) or Karim Shoaib (s1915203@ed.ac.uk).
\nThis conference is supported by Edinburgh University&rsquo\;s School of Philosophy\, Psychology\, and Language Sciences\, the British Society for the History of Philosophy\, the Scottish Philosophical Association\, and the Thomistic Institute.
\nOrganizers: Boxiang Yu\, Karim Shoaib\, Emma Cohen-Edmonds \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Karim Shoaib;CN=Boxiang Yu;CN=Emma Cohen-Edmonds: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260406T053531Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260417T170000 SUMMARY:Humean Virtue Ethics: New Directions UID:20260406T152107Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-4s97k TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Edinburgh\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:The workshop aims to bring together scholars who have been developing a Humean approach to virtue ethics. This is a topic that has started to attract more and more attention over the past few years. The idea behind this movement is that Hume&rsquo\;s moral philosophy offers philosophical material to develop a form of non-teleological\, sentimentalist virtue ethics that can rival the mainstream neo-Aristotelian approaches. This event is generously co-sponsored by The Leverhulme Trust and \;The Scots Philosophical Association.
ORGANIZER;CN=Enrico Galvagni;CN=Michael B. Gill: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260406T053531Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260514T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260515T170000 SUMMARY:Scottish Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy XIV UID:20260406T152108Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-4s97k TZID:Europe/Paris LOCATION:Edinburgh\, United Kingdom ORGANIZER;CN=Mogens Laerke;CN=Enrico Galvagni;CN="Jennifer Smalligan Marušić";CN=Michael B. Gill: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260406T053531Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260610T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260612T170000 SUMMARY:Fiction and Lies: the ASIFF/SIRFF Fourth International Congress UID:20260406T152109Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-f5d4878dd-4s97k TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Edinburgh\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
-Professor Eileen John (Philosophy\, University of Warwick)
--Professor Pierre Bayard (Literature\, Université\; Paris 8 - Saint-Denis)
From Plato&rsquo\;s indictment of the tragic poets as misrepresenting the truth\, to Sir Philip Sidney&rsquo\;s famous claim in the Defence of Poesy that &lsquo\;the Poet\, he nothing affirms\, and therefore never lieth&rsquo\;\, to current debates about fictionality and factuality\, the relationship between \;fiction \;and \;lies \;has been a focus of scholarly attention. Both \;fiction-makers and liars make things up and misrepresent the truth. But it is traditionally assumed that with \;fiction\, the invention is non-deceptive. As Margaret Macdonald (1954\, 170) put the point\, &lsquo\;The conviction induced by a story is the result of a mutual conspiracy\, freely entered into\, between author and audience. A storyteller does not \;lie\, nor is a normal auditor deceived&rsquo\;. Macdonald proposed that instead\, \;fiction-makers engage in a non-deceptive pretence of assertion\; but other approaches also distinguish between fictionality and deception\, from philosophers who associate \;fiction \;with an invitation to make-believe rather than to believe to narratologists who treat fictionality as a rhetorical mode of communication that overtly signals fabrication. If \;lies \;are assertions aimed at deception\, perhaps \;fictions \;are incapable of \;lying.
Yet a sharp distinction between fictionality and deception confronts numerous challenges. Scholars across disciplines have considered the many ways in which \;fictions \;can affect our beliefs\, for good or ill. Even if \;fictions \;cannot \;lie \;in some technical sense\, they can certainly mislead\, insinuate\, obfuscate and so on. Works of \;fiction \;may be instances of propaganda which misrepresent the facts\; think of Oliver Stone&rsquo\;s film JFK (1991) or Michael Crichton&rsquo\;s \;novel \;State of Fear (2004). And the distinctions between the \;fictional \;and factual are under increasing pressure in the current culture of disinformation and &lsquo\;fake news&rsquo\; &ndash\; a category not so easy to distinguish from &lsquo\;fictional \;news&rsquo\;.
This three-day international conference aims to explore the relationship between \;fiction \;and \;lies \;from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives\, including philosophy\, literary history and theory\, narratology\, film and media studies\, psychology and cognitive science. \;
We are excited to announce that the Second Biennial Conference of the \;Society for the Study of Measurement will be held at the University of Edinburgh \;June 22-25 2026. The main conference will take place June 23-25\, with a pre-conference day of workshops held on June 22. \;
\nWe are delighted to announce that Professor Jana Uher (Greenwich) will be our keynote speaker and that Professor Luca Mari (Università\; Carlo Cattaneo - LIUC) will be giving the society&rsquo\;s inaugural presidential address.
\nOrganiser and Host for the Conference: Jo Wolff (University of Edinburgh)
\nQueries: measurement2026@gmail.com
\nOn behalf of the Council of the Society for the Study of Measurement: Luca Mari (President)\, Eran Tal (Secretary)\, and Council Members Leah McClimans\, Nadine de Courtenay\, Miguel Ohnesorge\, David Torres Irribarra\, and Mark Wilson. \;
\nTopics
\nPlease see below for a non-exhaustive list of suggested topics\; we particularly welcome contributions that make contact with this year&rsquo\;s conference theme: Ground Truth and Validity. While the notion of measurement validity is comparatively familiar\, ground truth may need more of an introduction. The concept of ground truth has origins in remote sensing\, where it is used to contrast the outcomes of a near or ground level measurement with outcomes of a remotely sensed measurement. From these origins\, the concept has now moved to a wider use\, particularly in machine learning contexts\, where it denotes data assumed to be true\, which can then be used to calibrate and validate machine learning data. The time seems ripe for a more careful investigation from a measurement perspective of the concept of ground truth&mdash\;both in its original understanding and in its more metaphorical use.
\nMeasurement and Simulation
\nMeasurement and Data Science
\nModels in Measurement
\nModels of Measurement
\nHistory\, Philosophy and Sociology of Measurement
\nMeasurement Applications and their conceptual foundations in any area of science
\nSupported by the British Society of Aesthetics and the Scots Philosophical Association
\nKEYNOTE SPEAKERS
\n--Professor Eileen John (Philosophy\, University of Warwick)
--Professor Pierre Bayard (Literature\, Université\; Paris 8 - Saint-Denis)
From Plato&rsquo\;s indictment of the tragic poets as misrepresenting the truth\, to Sir Philip Sidney&rsquo\;s famous claim in the Defence of Poesy that &lsquo\;the Poet\, he nothing affirms\, and therefore never lieth&rsquo\;\, to current debates about fictionality and factuality\, the relationship between \;fiction \;and \;lies \;has been a focus of scholarly attention. Both \;fiction-makers and liars make things up and misrepresent the truth. But it is traditionally assumed that with \;fiction\, the invention is non-deceptive. As Margaret Macdonald (1954\, 170) put the point\, &lsquo\;The conviction induced by a story is the result of a mutual conspiracy\, freely entered into\, between author and audience. A storyteller does not \;lie\, nor is a normal auditor deceived&rsquo\;. Macdonald proposed that instead\, \;fiction-makers engage in a non-deceptive pretence of assertion\; but other approaches also distinguish between fictionality and deception\, from philosophers who associate \;fiction \;with an invitation to make-believe rather than to believe to narratologists who treat fictionality as a rhetorical mode of communication that overtly signals fabrication. If \;lies \;are assertions aimed at deception\, perhaps \;fictions \;are incapable of \;lying.
Yet a sharp distinction between fictionality and deception confronts numerous challenges. Scholars across disciplines have considered the many ways in which \;fictions \;can affect our beliefs\, for good or ill. Even if \;fictions \;cannot \;lie \;in some technical sense\, they can certainly mislead\, insinuate\, obfuscate and so on. Works of \;fiction \;may be instances of propaganda which misrepresent the facts\; think of Oliver Stone&rsquo\;s film JFK (1991) or Michael Crichton&rsquo\;s \;novel \;State of Fear (2004). And the distinctions between the \;fictional \;and factual are under increasing pressure in the current culture of disinformation and &lsquo\;fake news&rsquo\; &ndash\; a category not so easy to distinguish from &lsquo\;fictional \;news&rsquo\;.
This three-day international conference aims to explore the relationship between \;fiction \;and \;lies \;from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives\, including philosophy\, literary history and theory\, narratology\, film and media studies\, psychology and cognitive science. Proposals may address fiction in general\, or any historical period or cultural tradition. We also encourage studies of fictional works in a variety of media (including video games\, comics\, film\, and television series).
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
\n&bull\;The possibility of lying in/through fiction
\n&bull\;Other modes of deception and dissimulation in fiction (in particular works\, in different media\, etc.)
\n&bull\;Fiction and fictionality as (tools for) propaganda
\n&bull\;The relationship between fiction and fake news
\n&bull\;Differing historical or cultural conceptions of the relationship between fiction and lies
\n&bull\;Representations of deception within fiction (e.g.\, unreliable narrators\, lying protagonists\, forgers)
\n&bull\;Fictions that (seem to) deceive about their own status (e.g.\, mockumentary)\, and more generally\, questions of &lsquo\;framing&rsquo\;
\n\nPlease note: There may be a conference registration fee (discounted for students) depending on the outcome of grant funding applications.
\n\nSubmission guidance
\n&bull\;All submissions should be sent by attachment in Word or pdf to fictionlies2026@gmail.com by 15 December 2025. \;
\n&bull\;Papers: Abstracts should be no longer than 350 words\, in English or French. Bear in mind that sessions scheduled for paper presentations will be 30 minutes (20 minutes presentation\, 10 minutes questions and answers). \;
\n&bull\;Symposia: Proposals\, in English or French\, should be no longer than 500 words and should include a description of the topic/theme\, the names/affiliations of participants and brief abstracts of the papers. Sessions for symposia will be 1.5 hours or 2 hours depending on the schedule and thus should typically have no more than three speakers. \;
\n&bull\;We encourage submissions from\, and symposia including\, members of groups underrepresented in their disciplines\, including women in philosophy. Symposia in philosophy should ensure that the proposal follows the Good Practice Policy of the British Philosophical Association and the Society for Women in Philosophy (see bpa.ac.uk/resources/women-in-philosophy/good-practice). Please also take note of the BPA&rsquo\;s Environment/Travel Guideline Scheme (bpa.ac.uk/policies).
\n&bull\;Funding may be available towards the cost of arranging childcare for speakers who may require it. Please ask for details.
\n&bull\;Participants in the conference will be expected to become members of the Association if they are not already (www.fictionstudies.org).
\nEarly career prize
\nThe ASIFF/SIRFF will offer a prize for the best paper by an early-career scholar (doctoral student or scholar who has received their PhD within the last 3 years)\, to be presented at the conference. The winner will receive a monetary award of &euro\;1\,000 (euros). If you would like to be considered for this award\, please submit your completed conference paper (no more than 3\,500 words/20\,000 characters) by 28 February 2026 to fictionlies2026@gmail.com. The article must be unpublished.
\n \; ORGANIZER;CN=Stacie Friend: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR