What is matter? This is a difficult question\, and answers\, accordingly\, have varied across the centuries. But the basic picture from the ancient Greeks into the early modern period is this: take a bottle\, and melt it down. The shape&mdash\;the form&mdash\;is gone. But the underlying stuff\, in this case glass\, remains. In a parallel way\, to cast a statue out of bronze is to impart a form onto matter that previously lacked it. Thus matter accounts for the underlying stuff of the world that survives change. And in a causal way\, the glass supplies matter for the bottle as the bronze does for the statue\, and so they are described as the material causes of each.
\nOver the centuries\, this basic framework was adapted countless times\, and spread far beyond the boundaries of physics. Philosophical psychology\, for instance\, took the mind to be analogous to matter\, in that it is receptive of the forms of things. Logicians construed argument structure as form\, referring terms like 'human' and 'horse' as logical matter\, and debated where the boundary lay. Political philosophers construed the body politic as matter\, structured or regulated by the form of law. And metaphysicians and theologians extended the framework to things like angels and the cosmos. This conference will examine developments in thinking about matter through an interdisciplinary and multicultural lens\, focusing in particular on the notion of matter in the Greek\, Arabic\, and Latin philosophical traditions of antiquity up to early modernism.
\nBackground: this conference is part of a series\, each instalment of which is dedicated to one of the four Aristotelian causes. This causal framework featured in all sorts of scientific explanations and demonstrations\, covering issues from the existence and attributes of God to the natural phenomena of His creation\, including the workings of the human mind and its role in determining human values and action.
ORGANIZER;CN=Boaz Faraday Schuman: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260626T091246Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20260924T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Brussels:20260926T170000 SUMMARY:EACME 2026 UID:20260702T203642Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-bd7db559-gt5qm TZID:Europe/Brussels LOCATION:Janseniusstraat 1\, Leuven\, Belgium\, 3000 DESCRIPTION:EACME Annual Conference 2026
\nSeptember 24th&ndash\;26th\, 2026\, Leuven\, Belgium
\nCelebrating European Bioethics
\n40th Anniversary European Association of Centres for Medical Ethics and \;Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law\, KU Leuven
\nRegistrations are open for EACME2026
\nIn 2026\, we celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 40th anniversary of both the European Association of Centres for Medical Ethics and the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law\, KU Leuven. Join us to be part of this historic moment.
\nFor four decades\, both organizations have been at the forefront of tackling complex ethical challenges in medicine and healthcare\, in research and education\, bringing together young and established scholars in a collaborative dialogue.
\nThe anniversary conference will reflect on this journey while looking forward to new developments in the field.
\nThe historic town center of Leuven\, home of the oldest university in the Low Countries\, offers an ideal setting for both academic exchange and social activities.
\n\nCall for Abstracts
\nAttendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussions on a wide range of topics. We are particularly committed to a radically inclusive approach with regard to the topics eligible for the parallel sessions. Participants are invited to submit abstracts on all topics related to the field of medical ethics and bioethics in the broad sense. We hope this thematic inclusiveness will encourage young researchers to bring their creativity and diverse perspectives to the conversation. Please submit your abstract via https://eacme2026.org
\nAbstract submission deadline is 1st of March 2026.
\n\nMore Information
\nCentre for Biomedical Ethics and Law
\nDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care &ndash\; Faculty of Medicine &ndash\; KU Leuven
\nKapucijnenvoer 7
\n3000 Leuven &ndash\; BELGIUM
\nEmail: eacme2026@kuleuven.be Website: https://eacme2026.org
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR