Biological Modality Workshop
\n14-15 September 2026\, University of Leeds
\nOrganized by:
\nMargarida Hermida (University of Leeds)
\nSponsored by:
\nLeverhulme Trust
\nConfirmed Speakers:
\nCarrie Figdor (University of Iowa)
\nMarcel Weber (University of Geneva)
\nAlastair Wilson (University of Leeds)
\nRami Koskinen (University of Oslo)
\nMargarida Hermida (University of Leeds)
\nDescription:
\nEvolution by natural selection can bring new kinds of systems into existence\, with capacities never before instantiated. But it cannot &lsquo\;break the laws of physics&rsquo\; &ndash\; the biologically possible must be physically possible. This workshop will explore various themes within biological modality: what is biologically possible\, and how does that relate to physical laws? Is biological possibility best understood as accessibility from a given location within a space of possibilities\, such as Dennett&rsquo\;s &lsquo\;Library of Mendel&rsquo\;? Are there any biological laws that ground a specific kind of biological modality? What can astrobiology\, the search for other instances of life in the universe\, tell us about how life can be? And can synthetic biology be seen as the empirical study of what is biologically possible? How much of what we see around us in the living world is the result of evolutionary contingency\, and how much is the way it is because it could not have been otherwise?
\nCall for papers:
\nWe invite submissions on any topic related to biological modality broadly construed\, including\, but not limited to\, the following:
\n- Biological (im)possibility
\n- Biological laws
\n- Chance and necessity in biology
\n- Dispositional properties of biological entities
\n- Evolutionary contingency and/or convergence
\n- Evolvability
\n- Physical laws in biological systems
\n- Synthetic biology and biological possibility
\n- Universal biology\, astrobiology\, and how life could be
\nAbstracts (max. 500 words not including references) should be prepared for blind review and sent as a pdf attachment to M.Hermida@leeds.ac.uk. Authors should state their names and affiliations clearly in the email. Submissions from early career researchers (PhD students\, postdocs\, and philosophers not in permanent academic employment) are especially encouraged.
\nThe deadline for submissions is 10 July 2026 at 11.59pm BST. Authors will be informed of a decision by 31 July \;2026.
ORGANIZER;CN=Margarida Hermida: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260622T120148Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260713T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260714T170000 SUMMARY:British Society for Ethical Theory 2026 UID:20260622T223450Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-bd7db559-gt5qm TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:University of Leeds\, Leeds\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:Please see the BSET website (link below) \;for a complete schedule and registration information.
\nAll welcome!
\nKeynotes:
\nSubmitted papers:
\nReasons and Resentment - Cara Addleman\, Oxford
\nPrudential Particularism - James Brown\, UCL
\nComplaints and the Risky Procreation Asymmetry - Owen Clifton\, Regina
\nLeaving the Present Behind - Emma Curran\, Oxford
\nBlame\, Rationality and Contrary-to-Duty Imperatives - Zeb Dempsey\, USC
\nHow Should I Feel About What We Did Together? - Ahmet Gonullu\, Bilkent
\nInnocent Apologies - Ilya Shemmer\, NYU
\nDoes Justice Require an Unequal Distribution of Parental Duties After Birth? - Fiona Woollard\, Southampton
\nSchedule:
\n11.00 &ndash\; 11.10 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Welcome &ndash\; Alastair Wilson
\n11.10 &ndash\; 12.10 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Ways of Closing the Circle&rdquo\; &ndash\; Margherita Moro and Alastair Wilson
\n12.10 &ndash\; 13.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Lunch
\n13.30 &ndash\; 14.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Comments on Adlam &ndash\; Lina Jansson
\n14.30 &ndash\; 15.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Epistemic Solutions for Epistemic Problems?&rdquo\; &ndash\; Lucy Mason
\n15.30 &ndash\; 16.00 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Break
\n16.00 &ndash\; 17.00 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Future directions in Epistemology of QM&rdquo\; &ndash\; Emily Adlam
\n17.00 &ndash\; 18.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Drinks outside Botany House
\n18.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;Dinner
ORGANIZER;CN=Margherita Moro;CN=Alastair Wilson: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260622T120148Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260827T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260828T170000 SUMMARY:Just Theorising 2026 UID:20260622T223452Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-bd7db559-gt5qm TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Leeds\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:Main Event: \;27th \;August 2026
\nOptional \;Additional Session: \;28th \;August 2026
\nCall for participants deadline: \;Sunday 10th \;May \;23:59 GMT
\nTheme
\nMany of us theorise about groups to which we do not belong\, and about issues which seriously impact groups to which we do not belong. In this workshop we will explore questions around how this theorising should be done\, and whether/when such research should be avoided. \;
\nJust Theorising is a reading workshop on responsible and responsive philosophical research. Participants will discuss the epistemological and methodological issues surrounding theorising across social difference.
\nParticipants will discuss texts from social epistemology\, applied ethics\, and by marginalised people writing outside academia &ndash\; all \;of which suggest ways to approach (or not to approach) \;theorising across social difference. \;
\nOur aim is to improve our \;philosophical \;practice by thinking together. \;By approaching these questions collaboratively and openly\, we hope to improve the philosophical and ethical quality of \;our \;future work. \;
\nFormat
\nThis workshop involves one full day of discussions\, and an optional collaborative session the following morning. \;
\nThe main event \;will involve a series of \;reading-group-style sessions\, where participants discuss existing texts on workshop themes. \; \;
On the second day\, the organiser will be holding an optional session\, where we will design an online resource to aid others who want to investigate these issues themselves or organise similar events.
How to participate
\nBecause this workshop is discussion-based\, we are limited to 20 attendees. This means that if we have more than 20 interested \;applicants \;we will need to say &lsquo\;yes&rsquo\; \;to some applicants and &lsquo\;no&rsquo\; to others. \;We hope that we \;won&rsquo\;t \;have to turn anyone away\, but if we do\, this will be decided \;based on \;who will get the most out of the workshop \;(not \;who is the most successful philosopher!). \;Therefore\, we ask applicants to \;state \;why the workshop is appealing to them\, and how they feel it will be useful to them. \;We are looking for an honest statement of how the workshop might support your work\, we are not looking for \;competitive statements of \;academic credentials. \;
\nWe \;realise that while most participants are likely to be people \;doing \;theorising across social difference\, \;some participants might be writing on the issue of theorising across social difference \;itself. \;Therefore\, please let us know \;if \;you&rsquo\;d \;be interested in a work-in-progress session \;for this kind of research\, either as part of this event or as a future event.
\nAccess Information
\nThis event was made possible by the Leverhulme Trust\, thanks to them for funding \;an \;Early Career Research Fellowship which includes this project. This event \;revives the approach and goals of a 2018 event of the same name\, organised by Nadia Mehdi and Rosa Vince. \;Thank you to Nadia for her hard work in the original workshop.
\nOrganising team: Rosa Vince\, Alethea Choo\, Anne-Marie McCallion\, Leonie Smith
\nIf you have any questions about this workshop\, please contact Dr Rosa Vince at r.vince@leeds.ac.uk
ORGANIZER;CN=Rosa Vince;CN=Leonie Smith;CN=Anne-Marie McCallion: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260622T120148Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260914T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260915T170000 SUMMARY:Biological Modality Workshop UID:20260622T223453Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-bd7db559-gt5qm TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:13-15 Beech Grove Terrace\, Woodhouse\, Leeds\, United Kingdom\, LS2 9JS DESCRIPTION:Evolution by natural selection can bring new kinds of systems into existence\, with capacities never before instantiated. But it cannot &lsquo\;break the laws of physics&rsquo\; &ndash\; the biologically possible must be physically possible. This workshop will explore various themes within biological modality: what is biologically possible\, and how does that relate to physical laws? Is biological possibility best understood as accessibility from a given location within a space of possibilities\, such as Dennett&rsquo\;s &lsquo\;Library of Mendel&rsquo\;? Are there any biological laws that ground a specific kind of biological modality? What can astrobiology\, the search for other instances of life in the universe\, tell us about how life can be? And can synthetic biology be seen as the empirical study of what is biologically possible? How much of what we see around us in the living world is the result of evolutionary contingency\, and how much is the way it is because it could not have been otherwise?
ORGANIZER;CN=Margarida Hermida: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260622T120148Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260924T103000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260925T170000 SUMMARY:Practical Applications of Kant’s Philosophy UID:20260622T223454Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-bd7db559-gt5qm TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Leeds\, United Kingdom\, LS2 9JT DESCRIPTION:UK Kant Society Annual Conference 2026
\nCall for Abstracts: Practical Applications of Kant&rsquo\;s Philosophy
\nIDEA: The Ethics Centre 24th and 25th September 2026
\nKeynote speakers
\nProf. Nuria Sá\;nchez Madrid (Madrid)
\nProf. Pablo Gilabert (Montreal/Oxford)
\nWe are pleased to announce that this year the Annual Conference of the UK Kant Society will be organised by Paula Satne and hosted at IDEA: The Ethics Centre\, a specialist unit for teaching\, research\, training\, and consultancy in applied ethics. In line with the interests of the IDEA Centre\, and to continue the celebrations of IDEA&rsquo\;s recent 20th anniversary\, the main theme of this year&rsquo\;s conference is &ldquo\;Practical Applications of Kant&rsquo\;s Philosophy&rdquo\;.
\nWe invite papers on any aspect of Kant&rsquo\;s philosophy that has a practical application or dimension. We also invite papers that build on Kant&rsquo\;s philosophy and/or the Kantian tradition\, as well as papers that are critical of it. Moreover\, papers on any area of Kant&rsquo\;s philosophy are also welcome and will be considered. The list below indicates possible topics related to the theme of the conference (though the list is not exhaustive):
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Poverty and social justice
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Refugees and immigration
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; War and peace
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; The ethics of AI
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Environmental ethics
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Love\, sex\, and relationships
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Forgiveness\, revenge\, and punishment
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Art\, morality\, and politics
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Kant and the Isms (sexism\, racism\, heterosexism\, etc.)
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Death
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; The ethics and politics of memory
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Freedom\, democracy\, and authoritarianism
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Evil
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Animal ethics
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Corporations
\n- \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Business\, advertising\, social media
\nThe conference will take place at the University of Leeds on 24&ndash\;25 September 2026. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 31 May 2026\; we aim to send decision letters by 28 June 2026. Abstracts should be suitable for a 25&ndash\;30‑minute presentation\, with 15&ndash\;20 minutes for discussion\, and should be approximately 500 words in length.
\n\nThere are various sources that offer guidance on how to write abstracts\; one that we think is particularly relevant for philosophy is:https://cjblunt.com/abstracts-and-introductions/. Abstracts should be prepared for anonymous refereeing and sent top.satne@leeds.ac.uk. In a separate document\, please include your name\, institutional affiliation\, email address\, and paper title. If you are a member of an underrepresented group\, you may include that information in the separate document in compliance with BPA/SWIP guidelines.
\nThe conference aims to comply with the BPA/SWIP guidelines for accessible conferences.
\nFor further queries\, please contact p.satne@leeds.ac.uk
ORGANIZER;CN=Paula Satne: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR