Covert Consciousness: Detection and Treatment \;
\nNeuroscience Strategic Intelligence\, Grand Challenge Workshop
\nhttps://neurosas.org/strategic-intelligence/challenge-workshops/the-workshops/covert-consciousness%20detection-and-treatment/ \;
\nOctober 15-19\; Crans-Montana\, Switzerland \; \; \;
\nOver the past decade\, it has become clear that a significant number of behaviourally unresponsive patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) are covertly conscious\, as shown by complex and/or voluntary cortical response patterns. The realisation that behaviourally unresponsive patients are not necessarily unconscious changes the way brain-injured and critically ill patients must be assessed and treated\, and how families are counselled. \;This Challenge Workshop will focus on the latest advances in detecting and managing covert consciousness in both ICU and sub-acute settings\, supporting functional recovery through pharmacological or neurotechnological interventions\, restoring communication via brain-machine interfaces\, and navigating philosophical and ethical implications. \;
\nOpen to clinicians\, researchers\, patient advocates\, ethicists\, philosophers\, and technologists. \; Participation is limited to 20 individuals\, selected on the basis of merit and relevance to the workshop. \; \;
\nApplications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all 20 available spots are filled. \; \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Christof Koch;CN=Michael J. Young: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261016T103000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20270527T170000 SUMMARY:Modelling the Mind. Seminar Series in the Philosophy of Cognitive Science UID:20261018T020607Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Rome LOCATION:Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici\, Via Porta di Massa 1\, Napoli\, Italy\, 80133 DESCRIPTION:What do cognitive scientists explain when they explain a behaviour\, and what would count as having explained it? How do computational\, mechanistic\, representational and dynamical accounts of the same phenomenon relate &mdash\; do they compete\, complement one another\, or answer different questions? Where do the methods and models of empirical research come from\, and how well do they fit what they are meant to describe? What\, if anything\, do artificial systems teach us about biological minds?
\nQuestions of this kind keep coming up because there is no shortage of findings about the mind. What is scarce is a clear account of how they hang together\, or whether they do. Modelling the Mind is a seminar series for working that out in the open\, one talk at a time. The aim is to contribute to an empirically informed philosophical understanding of the mind and of the methods by which it is studied.
\nUpcoming talks:
\nFri 9 October 2026 - Silvano Zipoli Caiani (Università\; degli Studi di Firenze)
\nFri 16 October 2026 - Matteo Colombo (Tilburg University)
\nThu 12 November 2026 - Dimitri Coelho Mollo (Umeå\; University)
\nThu 10 December 2026 - Beate Krickel (Technische Universitä\;t Berlin)
\nMon 18 January 2027 - Nina Poth (Radboud University)
\nThu 11 February 2027 - Andrew Richmond (University of Otago)
\nWed 3 March 2027 - Gualtiero Piccinini (University of Missouri)
\nWed 31 March 2027 - Grace Lindsay (New York University)
\nWed 21 April 2027 - Mazviita Chirimuuta (University of Edinburgh)
\nFri 7 May 2027 - Danielle Williams (New York University)
\nThu 27 May 2027 - Alfredo Paternoster (Università\; degli Studi di Bergamo)
\nEach session pairs a 45-minute talk with an extended discussion. Each talk of the seminar series is in hybrid form. Attendance is free\, in person and remotely\, and everyone is welcome at any career stage.
\nFor info on abstracts\, Zoom links\, times of the talks (in UTC) and to subscribe to the mailing list - \;in order to receive by email all of the above information and reminders of the talks \;- visit our website at the link below.
ORGANIZER;CN=Claudio Fabbroni: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261018T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261018T090000 SUMMARY:Beyond Diagnostic Boundaries. Mentalizing\, Theory of Mind\, and Cognitive Heterogeneity in Neurodevelopmental Conditions UID:20261018T020608Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:This call for papers invites contributions to the Special Issue &ldquo\;Beyond Diagnostic Boundaries: Mentalizing\, Theory of Mind\, and Cognitive Heterogeneity in Neurodevelopmental Conditions\,&rdquo\; to be published in Reti\, saperi\, linguaggi &ndash\; Italian Journal of Cognitive Sciences\, a prestigious international peer-reviewed journal indexed in Scopus and Web of Science&ndash\;ESCI.
\nThe Special Issue will explore mentalizing and Theory of Mind across neurodevelopmental conditions\, with particular attention to cognitive heterogeneity within and across diagnostic categories. We welcome empirical\, theoretical\, methodological\, and review contributions addressing topics such as autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions\, individual differences in social cognition\, language and interaction\, embodied and ecological approaches to mentalizing\, and innovative assessment methods.
\nResearchers interested in contributing should send a provisional title and a 300&ndash\;400-word abstract to paola.pennisi@unime.it by 18 October 2026. Preliminary decisions will be communicated by 2 November 2026. The deadline for full manuscripts is 30 May 2027\, with publication expected in July 2027.
\nManuscripts in English are especially encouraged. There are no submission or publication fees.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20261021T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20261023T170000 SUMMARY:MIABRIDGE - Mental Imagery and Aphantasia: Bridging Philosophy and Neuroscience UID:20261018T020609Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Paris LOCATION:Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière 47 bd de l'Hôpital\, 75013 Paris \, Paris\, France DESCRIPTION:Mental imagery - the capacity to generate perception-like representations
and experiences without external input - is widely believed to be a central
feature of human experience. However\, current debates surrounding
aphantasia\, namely a strong reduction or complete absence of imagery\,
challenge the assumption that imagery is necessary for human cognition.
This 3-day workshop offers a quantitative\, interdisciplinary framework for
studying mental imagery and aphantasia. Co-organized by the Paris Brain
Institute and the Institut Jean Nicod\, it brings together philosophy\,
neuroscience\, cognitive psychology\, cognitive neurology\, and computational
modelling.
The program will include 12 Keynote speakers across neuroscience and
philosophy
Neuroscience: Guilia Cabbai (UCL)\, Sergio Della Sala (Edinburgh)\, Nadine
Dijkstra (UCL)\, Jianghao Liu (Paris Brain Institute)\, Anna C. Noble (Yale)\,
Fabrizio de Vico Fallani (Paris Brain Institute)
Philosophers: Margherita Arcangeli (Institut Jean Nicod)\, Andrea Blomkvist
(Glasgow)\, Steve Humbert-Droz (Madrid)\, Bence Nanay (Antwerp)\, Ian Phillips
(John Hopkins)\, Lu Teng (ANU)
We now invite the submission of abstracts for poster presentations.
AI systems now play a role in many practices through which people are heard\, interpreted\, assessed\, and trusted. This raises questions that are not just ethical or political\, but also epistemic in nature: whose testimony is treated as credible\, whose experiences are made intelligible\, and who is able to participate in shared practices of knowledge production? The workshop focuses on these questions by bringing work on epistemic injustice into conversation with current debates about AI\, including debates about algorithmic bias\, transparency\, linguistic exclusion\, trust\, institutional decision-making\, and the distribution of epistemic authority. We welcome contributions on the philosophical\, ethical\, social\, and political dimensions of epistemic injustice and AI. \;
\nTopics include\, but are not limited to:
\nWe welcome abstracts of up to 500 words\, excluding references. Submissions should be anonymised\, argumentative\, and clearly engage with the workshop theme.
\nThe workshop will feature both oral presentations and a poster session\; all presentations must be in person.
\nWe encourage submissions from students and early-career researchers. \;
\nImportant dates:
\nFurther information and submission details can be found on the workshop website.
ORGANIZER;CN=Corien Bary;CN=Eline Ensinck;CN=Harmen Ghijsen;CN=Bob van Tiel;CN=Nina Poth: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261104T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261106T170000 SUMMARY:The 4th annual conference of the The International Society for the Philosophy of the Sciences of the Mind UID:20261018T020611Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:What is the mind\, and how does it work? These questions have led to centuries of philosophical and empirical investigations\, and still lack definitive answers. We thus invite submissions from all disciplines that leverage insights from the use of different techniques\, methodologies\, and research questions to shed light on the nature and functioning of the mind.
\nIn this fourth web conference\, we seek again to bring together many of these perspectives to build a common ground\, a comprehensive and multi-scale conceptual landscape of the mind. We accept submissions from a broad range of perspectives\, including - but not limited to - philosophy of psychology\, philosophy of psychiatry\, philosophy of neuroscience\, philosophy of cognitive science\, philosophy of mind\, philosophy of artificial intelligence &\; robotics\, philosophy of linguistics\, philosophy of ethology\, philosophy of (cognitive) anthropology\, philosophy of biology\, philosophy of the social sciences and consciousness studies.
\nWe are delighted to already have a number of excellent keynote speakers confirmed for 2026\, including:
\nDevon Bailey
University of Johannesburg\, \;Republic of South Africa
Louise Barrett
University of Lethbridge\, \;Canada
Ali Boyle
LSE\, \;United Kingdom
Melina Gastelum Vargas
UNAM\, Mexico
Michael Kirchhoff
University of Wollongong\, \;Australia
Yukie Nagai
University of Tokyo\, Japan
Practical Information
\nWhen: 4-6 November 2026
Where: Online
Fees: The conference is fully online\, and no fee is required
Further Inquiries: \;ispsmofficial@gmail.com
Further details about registration will soon be available on the reFIA website:
https://refia.es/
If you are interested in participating please send a message to: \;refia@usc.es
ORGANIZER;CN="Xavier de Donato Rodríguez";CN=Spanish Network for the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence reFIA: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Argentina/Salta:20261106T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Argentina/Salta:20261109T170000 SUMMARY:V Workshop on AI and Philosophy UID:20261018T020614Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:America/Argentina/Salta LOCATION:Bulnes 642 \, Buenos Aires\, Argentina\, Argentina DESCRIPTION:&bull\; É\;tica de la inteligencia artificial: responsabilidad moral\, autonomí\;a\, agencia humana y artificial\, delegació\;n de decisiones\, explicabilidad y confianza.
\n&bull\; IA\, polí\;tica y democracia: inteligencia artificial y esfera pú\;blica\, procesos democrá\;ticos\, desinformació\;n\, polarizació\;n\, participació\;n polí\;tica y nuevas formas de poder.
\n&bull\; Gobernanza y regulació\;n de la IA: marcos normativos\, gobernanza algorí\;tmica\, transparencia\, rendició\;n de cuentas\, regulació\;n nacional e internacional y responsabilidad institucional.
\n&bull\; IA\, trabajo y transformaciones sociales: automatizació\;n\, reorganizació\;n del trabajo\, nuevas formas de dependencia tecnoló\;gica y efectos sobre instituciones y prá\;cticas sociales.
\n&bull\; IA\, conocimiento y racionalidad: producció\;n y validació\;n de conocimiento\, epistemologí\;a de los sistemas generativos\, confianza episté\;mica\, testimonio artificial\, desinformació\;n y autoridad cognitiva.
\n&bull\; Agencia\, autonomí\;a y condició\;n humana: transformaciones de la deliberació\;n y el juicio\, interacció\;n humano-má\;quina\, dependencia tecnoló\;gica\, discernimiento y lí\;mites de la delegació\;n cognitiva.
\n&bull\; Desafí\;os filosó\;ficos de los modelos generativos: lenguaje\, comprensió\;n\, creatividad\, intencionalidad\, autorí\;a y estatuto de los productos generados por inteligencia artificial.
\n&bull\; IA en á\;mbitos aplicados: problemas é\;ticos y polí\;ticos vinculados con la salud\, la educació\;n\, la investigació\;n cientí\;fica\, las polí\;ticas pú\;blicas\, las artes y otros dominios de aplicació\;n.
\n&bull\; Perspectivas crí\;ticas sobre inteligencia artificial: economí\;a polí\;tica de la IA\, infraestructuras tecnoló\;gicas\, concentració\;n empresarial\, extractivismo de datos\, impactos ambientales y relaciones entre tecnologí\;a y poder.
ORGANIZER;CN=Eduardo Alejandro Barrio;CN="Diana I. Pérez";CN=Karina Pedace: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261107T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261108T170000 SUMMARY:Toronto Workshop on Moral Psychology and Moral Theory UID:20261018T020615Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:America/Toronto LOCATION:Toronto\, Canada DESCRIPTION:The Toronto Workshop on Moral Psychology and Moral Theory will take place at the University of Toronto on November 7&ndash\;8\, 2026.
\nThe workshop aims to bring together philosophers\, psychologists\, and and others working on questions about the relationship between empirical research on moral cognition and the foundations of moral theory. The goal is to foster interdisciplinary discussion about how empirical work in fields such as psychology\, neuroscience\, and evolutionary theory bears on moral judgment and the evaluation of moral beliefs.
\nFor more information about the conference\, and to register to attend\, please visit our website:
\nwww.moralpsychologytoronto.com
\n\nOur speakers will be:
\n\; \; \;-Paul Bloom (Psychology\, University of Toronto)
\n\; \; \;-James Cornwell (Psychology\, Wheaton College)
\n\; \; \;-Ryan Davis (Political Science\, Brigham Young University)
\n\; \; \;-Brendan de Kenessey (Philosophy\, University of Toronto)
\n\; \; \;-Joshua Knobe (Philosophy and Psychology\, Yale University)
\n\; \; \;-Larisa Heiphetz Solomon (Psychology\, Columbia University)
\n\; \; \;-Roseanna Sommers (Law\, University of Michigan)
\n\; \; \;-Yuji Winet (Business\, Duke University)
\n\; \; \;-Liane Young (Psychology\, Boston University)
\n\; \; \;-Mike Zhao (Philosophy\, University of Notre Dame)
\nAny questions? Please contact the confernce organizer\, Andrew Sepielli\, at torontomoralpsych@gmail.com
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20261111T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20261112T170000 SUMMARY:The Age of the Bookworm: Can Large Language Models Represent the World? UID:20261018T020616Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Zurich LOCATION:Rue des Savoises 15\, Genève\, Switzerland\, 1205 DESCRIPTION:What does it mean for a system trained exclusively on text to represent and understand the world?
\nSince the public release of ChatGPT in late 2022\, large language models (LLMs) have become a fixture of academic and public life. Yet how these systems work\, and what they are fundamentally capable of\, remains poorly understood. Many people know that they are trained to predict the next token given a context. Far fewer have reflected on the capacities that emerge from this simple training objective\, or on what fine-tuning through human feedback and verifiable rewards adds to it.
\nA useful starting point is Bender and Koller's (2020) thought experiment. An infinitely smart octopus intercepts underwater telegraph messages between two islanders. After eavesdropping on vast amounts of their talk about life on land\, could it produce meaningful text about that world without ever engaging with it directly? The sharper question behind the analogy is this: can an LLM's internal states and outputs be about extra-linguistic reality\, independently of the meaning human interpreters project onto them?
\nThis two-day interdisciplinary workshop brings together philosophers and AI researchers to address that question and related issues of grounding\, reference\, intentionality and understanding in LLMs. It sits at the intersection of philosophy of mind and language\, linguistics and artificial intelligence.
\nRegistration: please write to Niels.Linnemann@unige.ch / Subject "Bookworm". 30 places\, first come\, first served.
ORGANIZER;CN=Niels Linnemann;CN=Eliot Du Sordet: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Belgrade:20261112T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Belgrade:20261114T170000 SUMMARY:10th International Transdisciplinary Symposium "Bioethics and Aporia of Psyche" - Call for Abstracts UID:20261018T020617Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Belgrade LOCATION:Jordanovac 110\, Zagreb\, Croatia DESCRIPTION:Esteemed colleagues\, respected friends and associates\,
\nIt is our honour and great pleasure to invite you to contribute with presentations at the jubilee 10th International Transdisciplinary Symposium Bioethics and the Aporia of \; Psyche.
\nThe event will take place in a celebratory atmosphere from November 12 to 14\, 2026\, at various locations in Zagreb. Building upon the traditional breadth and live significance of the topics\, the inter- and transdisciplinary diversity of keynote speakers\, and the rich array of themes and program segments\, this year we are appropriately focusing on a comprehensive overview of the symposium series held to date.
\nWith a clear vision directed toward the future of the human person &ndash\; navigating the space of possibilities and challenges found within the bioethical horizons of destigmatization\, empathy\, and inclusion &ndash\; we aim to continue fostering new collaborative networks both domestically and internationally\, as well as various project initiatives in the field of mental health in society.
\nUnited on a platform of pluriperspectivism\, orientational knowledge\, and integrative reflection and action &ndash\; and encouraged by previous gatherings\, a resolute perspective\, and a commitment to following the path of bioethical sensibility &ndash\; our goal this year remains to integrate and spread a culture of empathy\, understanding\, support\, and care!
\nKey conference topics:
\n- Reflections based on experience regarding the state of inclusion and destigmatization in Croatia (and regions) over the past decade
\n- Bioethical foundations and challenges of philosophical practice in Croatia and the region
\n- The relationship between psychotherapy and pastoral care
\n- Bioethics and mental health &ndash\; the intersection of applied ethics and philosophical practice
\n- Spiritual exercises: between mental gymnastics\, psychotherapy\, and the sacrament
\n- Logotherapy: between psychotherapy\, spirituality\, and religiosity
\n- Phenomenology of psychopathology &ndash\; the enactment of interdisciplinary dialogue in the research and practical spheres of mental health and the human psyche
\n- Points of convergence between upbringing\, education\, art\, and the psyche &ndash\; practical examples and guidelines
\nIn addition to the suggested topics\, you are welcome to propose other presentation topics based on your own interests and areas of focus.
\nThe symposium will be held in a hybrid format\, allowing for both in-person and online participation. The official languages of the conference are English and Croatian (including related languages).
\nPlease submit the completed forms by November 1\, 2026\, via the following e-mail address: \;hufp.hr@gmail.com
\nRegistration fees for active participation (presenters) are:
\n1. \;0 euros (free of charge) for retirees\, the unemployed\, and graduate students
\n2. \; 25 euros for all others
\nVenues:
\nFaculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies\, University of Zagreb (Jordanovac 110)
\nUniversity Centre for Integrative Bioethics\, University of Zagreb (Ivana Lučića 1a)
\nFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences\, University of Zagreb (I. Lučića 3)
\nOrganizers of this year's conference:
\nCroatian Philosophical Practice Association\, "Ludruga" Association\, Croatian Institute for Mental Health Research and Education (HIIEMZ)\, Centre for Bioethics of the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies (University of Zagreb)\, Mental Health Office of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ)\, University Centre for Integrative Bioethics (University of Zagreb)\, Croatian Philosophical Society\, Amigdala Centre\, Croatian Bioethics Society.
\nWith warm regards and a cordial invitation\,
Asst. Prof. Luka Jane&scaron\;\, PhD
Chair of the Organizing Committee
10th International Transdisciplinary Symposium
Bioethics and Aporia of Psyche
Here is our full list of speakers: Sara Aronowitz\, Richard Arthur\, Katherine Dunlop\, Alexandre Duval\, Gary Hatfield\, Alistair Isaac\, Alex Klein\, Mohan Matthen\, Tyke Nunez\, Michael Rescorla\, Lisa Shabel\, and Elizabeth Spelke.
The human ability to perceive spatial properties and think about space has been at the center of philosophical inquiry for more than 2000 years. It plays a pivotal role in the arguments of numerous influential figures\, including Plato\, Descartes\, Berkeley\, Kant\, Helmholtz\, James\, and Russell. However\, the interest in this topic has waned substantially in contemporary philosophy. Philosophers of psychology and cognitive scientists now do their work largely independently from historical scholarship on these important figures. To bridge this gap\, the Bertrand Russell Research Centre at McMaster University is organizing a workshop entitled "Space in Mind: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives". The goal of the workshop is to bring about a dialogue between researchers interested in historical scholarship and those directly involved in contemporary debates\, and to highlight insights of historical philosophers that can help us make progress on contemporary issues. \;
We are pleased to announce our monthly \;online \;talk series on "Inferences &\; Capacities."
Our next speaker is:
Hans-Johann Glock \;(University of Zü\;rich)
"Is ascribing inferences to brains or non-human animals a fallacy?"
Nov 16: \;12am (Buenos Aires)\, 10am (New York)\, 4pm (Berlin).
Abstract: TBA
\nHow to participate: \;Please\, send an email to Alfredo Vernazzani at: \;
\nalfredo-vernazzani AT protonmail.com
\n_______
\nThe series brings together work on inferential capacities\, rationality\, normativity\, and cognition &mdash\; across both human and non-human animals &mdash\; with the aim of fostering discussion on the nature and limits of the cognitive sphere. \;
\n2026 line-up: \;
April 27: \;Angelica Kaufmann \;(University of Milan): "Mind Blanking as Mental Imagery." \;
\nMay 18: \;Federico Burdman \;(Universidad Alberto Hurtado) "Constrained choices: addiction\, attention\, and reasons-responsiveness." \;
\nJune 22: \;Susanna Schellenberg \;(Rutgers): TBA \;
\nJuly 20: \;Cameron Buckner \;(University of Florida): "Chains-of-Thought\, Inner Speech\, and Artificial Epistemic Agency."
\nSeptember 7: \;Ulf Hlobil \;(Concordia University): TBA \;
\nOctober 19: \;Eva Schmidt \;(TU Dortmund): TBA \;
\nNovember 16: \;Hans-Johann Glock \;(University of Zü\;rich): "Is Ascribing Inferences to Brains or Non-human Animals a Fallacy?" \;
\nDecember 14: \;Emma Borg \;(SAS\, University of London): "Twitches\, Fidgets\, Habits\, Skills: The Scope of Common-Sense Psychology." \;
Each talk lasts c. 40 minutes followed by 40 minutes open Q&\;A. \;
\nThe series is co-organized by:
\nMariela Aguilera \;(University of Có\;rdoba)
\nMatí\;as Osta-Vé\;lez \;(Universidad de la Repú\;blica)
\nAlfredo Vernazzani \;(TU Dortmund\; Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg).
\nVisit our website: \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Alfredo Vernazzani;CN=Mariela Aguilera;CN="Matías Osta Vélez": METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20261120T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20261120T170000 SUMMARY:Boundaries of Artificial Intelligence: From Computational Models to Mind Emulation and Superintelligent Systems UID:20261018T020620Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Warsaw LOCATION:Podchorążych 2\, Kraków\, Poland DESCRIPTION:The rapid development of artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of cognition\, consciousness\, and the nature of the mind. Advances in computational modeling\, neuroscience\, and neurotechnology raise fundamental questions about the possibility of Whole Brain Emulation (WBE)\, understood as the reconstruction and simulation of the human brain in silico.
\n\;At the same time\, progress in artificial intelligence brings increasing attention to the potential emergence of advanced and possibly superintelligent systems. These developments raise critical questions concerning controllability\, safety\, and the long-term trajectory of human civilization. In this context\, issues of AI alignment\, strategic timing of technological development\, and global coordination become central.
\nThis conference aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform for researchers working at the intersection of artificial intelligence\, neuroscience\, computer science\, philosophy\, and the social sciences. We welcome contributions addressing theoretical foundations\, technical feasibility\, as well as philosophical\, ethical\, and strategic implications of the transition from computational models to artificial and emulated minds.
ORGANIZER;CN=Andrzej Dabrowski;CN=Magdalena Reuter;CN="Stanisław Ruczaj";CN=Olga Qq;CN=Marcin Urbaniak;CN=Anna Sarosiek: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20261201T234500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20261201T234500 SUMMARY:Existential Freedom: The Quest for Freedom and Its Challenges in Life and Therapy — 7th European Conference for Existential Therapy UID:20261018T020621Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Phoenicia Grand Hotel\, Bucharest\, Romania DESCRIPTION:CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS\n \;\nExistential Freedom: The Quest for Freedom and Its Challenges in Life and Therapy\n7th European Conference for Existential Therapy\n28&ndash\;29 May 2027\, Bucharest\, Romania\n \;\nThe Federation for Existential Therapy in Europe (FETE) and the Faculty of Philosophy\, University of Bucharest invite proposals for oral presentations\, workshops\, panels and roundtables\, and posters.\n \;\nWe welcome philosophical\, theoretical\, clinical\, empirical\, and practice-based contributions exploring freedom\, choice\, responsibility\, embodiment\, identity\, constraint\, and the therapeutic encounter.\n \;\nSubmissions engaging existential philosophy\, phenomenology\, ethics\, philosophy of psychology\, and philosophy of psychiatry are particularly relevant to the conference&rsquo\;s interdisciplinary scope.\n \;\nAbstract submission deadline: 1 December 2026\nThursday 3rd December
\n13.30 Cristina Mendonç\;a (WJCR &ndash\; Instituto Universitá\;rio de Ciê\;ncias Psicoló\;gicas\, Sociais e da Vida\, Portugal): Cognitive biases in the social transmission of information
\n14.30 Elena Popa (Universidad de Sevilla\, Spain): Scientific objectivity: From values\, to biases\, to context
\n15.30 Simone Lackner (Independent researcher\, Portugal): AI and objective Truth &ndash\; the myth of the rational agent
\nFriday 4th December
\n9.00 Filipa Madeira (Universidade Cató\;lica Portuguesa\, Portugal): When does race capture attention? Resource scarcity in a healthcare context
\n10.00 Marina Trakas (Universidade de Lisboa\, Portugal): Mnemonic biases
\n11.00 Francisco Cruz (WJCR &ndash\; Instituto Universitá\;rio de Ciê\;ncias Psicoló\;gicas\, Sociais e da Vida\, Portugal): Putting the biased in bias: Cognitive and motivational bases in distorted social judgments
\nThis activity is funded by Portuguese national funds through FCT &ndash\; Fundaç\;ã\;o para a Ciê\;ncia e a Tecnologia\, CEEC Ind Research Project 2024.10330.CEECIND: "An inquiry into memory biases\, memory virtues\, and mnemonic humility" \;
\n ORGANIZER;CN=Marina Trakas: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261214T160000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261214T180000 SUMMARY:Twitches\, Fidgets\, Habits\, Skills: Exploring the scope of common-sense psychology UID:20261018T020623Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:We are pleased to announce our monthly \;online \;talk series on "Inferences &\; Capacities."
Our last speaker for 2026 is:
Emma Borg \;(SAS\, University of London)
"Twitches\, Fidgets\, Habits\, Skills: Exploring the scope of common-sense psychology"
December 14: \;12am (Buenos Aires)\, 10am (New York)\, 4pm (Berlin).
\nAbstract: A standard philosophical view holds that human action is typically intentional\, i.e. reasons-responsive\, driven by what a subject believes\, desires\, and intends. This picture of human action seems crucial to many things we care about (e.g. underpinning reactive moral attitudes). However\, recently questions have been asked about the scope of what Fodor 1987 called &lsquo\;good old common sense belief/desire psychology&rsquo\;: is the assumption that human behaviour is typically reasons-responsive right? According to various scope-based challenges\, although the reasons-based approach holds for occurrently considered\, consciously-willed actions\, most of what humans do is not like this. In particular\, fidgets\, habits\, and skills have all been argued to fall beyond the reach of the common-sense framework. Yet if this is right\, then the reasons-based model turns out to be less interesting or impressive than we might once have thought\, since it accounts for only a tiny sliver of human action\, ignoring vast swathes of what people do. My aim in this talk is to defend common-sense psychology from various incarnations of the scope challenge. I&rsquo\;ll argue that\, at heart\, the challenge rests on a background picture of different\, fully encapsulated systems for thought and action\, a picture we have reason to resist.
\nHow to participate: \;Please\, send an email to Alfredo Vernazzani at: \;
\nalfredo-vernazzani AT protonmail.com
\n_______
\nThe series brings together work on inferential capacities\, rationality\, normativity\, and cognition &mdash\; across both human and non-human animals &mdash\; with the aim of fostering discussion on the nature and limits of the cognitive sphere. \;
\n2026 line-up: \;
April 27: \;Angelica Kaufmann \;(University of Milan): "Mind Blanking as Mental Imagery." \;
\nMay 18: \;Federico Burdman \;(Universidad Alberto Hurtado) "Constrained choices: addiction\, attention\, and reasons-responsiveness." \;
\nJune 22: \;Susanna Schellenberg \;(Rutgers): TBA \;
\nJuly 20: \;Cameron Buckner \;(University of Florida): "Chains-of-Thought\, Inner Speech\, and Artificial Epistemic Agency."
\nSeptember 7: \;Ulf Hlobil \;(Concordia University): TBA \;
\nOctober 19: \;Eva Schmidt \;(TU Dortmund): TBA \;
\nNovember 16: \;Hans-Johann Glock \;(University of Zü\;rich): "Is Ascribing Inferences to Brains or Non-human Animals a Fallacy?" \;
\nDecember 14: \;Emma Borg \;(SAS\, University of London): "Twitches\, Fidgets\, Habits\, Skills: The Scope of Common-Sense Psychology." \;
Each talk lasts c. 40 minutes followed by 40 minutes open Q&\;A. \;
\nThe series is co-organized by:
\nMariela Aguilera \;(University of Có\;rdoba)
\nMatí\;as Osta-Vé\;lez \;(Universidad de la Repú\;blica)
\nAlfredo Vernazzani \;(TU Dortmund\; Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg).
\nVisit our website: \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Alfredo Vernazzani;CN=Mariela Aguilera;CN="Matías Osta Vélez": METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261217T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20261218T170000 SUMMARY:People of the Italian Philosophy of the Life Sciences workshop UID:20261018T020624Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Rome LOCATION:Milano\, Italy ORGANIZER;CN=Federica Bocchi;CN=Stefano Canali;CN=Federico Boem;CN=Emma Cavazzoni: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Singapore:20270111T093000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Singapore:20270112T170000 SUMMARY:The Semantics and Format of Episodic Representations UID:20261018T020625Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Asia/Singapore LOCATION:Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Building\, NTU\, Singapore\, Singapore DESCRIPTION:The rich\, multidimensional representations by which we remember events in our personal past share key features with those by which we imagine future\, counterfactual\, or other situations. These include overlapping neural bases\, shared construction operations\, and perhaps continuities in representational format and semantic profile too.
\nThis workshop addresses two broad sets of questions. The first concerns the semantics of these representations: what determines their subject matter\; what does their accuracy consist in\; what contributions are made by trace-indexes\, gists\, and schemas? The second concerns their format: are such representations built compositionally\; do they have a syntax\; what is the role of mental imagery\; are there forms of remembering or imagining that do not employ such representations at all? Answers to both sets of questions bear on many other issues: the function(s) of a purported episodic system\, or the effects of ageing and conditions such as depression.
\nThe workshop aims to make progress on these questions by bringing together philosophers and psychologists working on memory\, imagination\, and mental representation.
\nLOCATION
\nAll talks in SHHK Conference Room (05-57) at NTU Singapore.
\nPROVISIONAL SCHEDULE
\nDay 1 (Monday 11th January)
\n09:30&ndash\;09:40. Welcome
\n09:40&ndash\;10:40. Kourken Michaelian (Grenoble)
\n10:40&ndash\;11:00. Tea/coffee break
\n11:00&ndash\;12:00. Simon Brown (Ashoka)
\n12:00&ndash\;13:00. James Openshaw (NTU)
\n13:00&ndash\;14:30. Lunch
\n14:30&ndash\;15:30. Johannes Mahr (York)
\n15:30&ndash\;16:30. Megan Entwistle (Grenoble)
\n16:30&ndash\;17:00. Tea/coffee break
\n17:00&ndash\;18:00. Peter Langland-Hassan (Cincinnati)
\n19:00. Workshop dinner
\nDay 2 (Tuesday 12th January)
\n09:30&ndash\;10:30. Kristina Liefke (Bochum)
\n10:30&ndash\;11:00. Tea/coffee break
\n11:00&ndash\;12:00. Lizhu Luo (NTU)
\n12:00&ndash\;13:00. Denis Perrin (Grenoble)
\n13:00&ndash\;14:30. Lunch
\n14:30&ndash\;15:30. Andrea Nocerino (NTU)
\n15:30&ndash\;16:30. André\; Sant&rsquo\;Anna (Yonsei)
\n16:30&ndash\;17:00. Tea/coffee break
\n17:00&ndash\;18:00. Robert Hopkins (Oxford)
\nDETAILS AND REGISTRATION
\nFor details\, future updates\, and to register\, please visit the website below.
\n\nAttendance is free but registration is required by Monday 28th December.
\nENQUIRIES
\nContact James Openshaw (james.openshaw@ntu.ed.sg).
\nORGANISERS
\nJames Openshaw (NTU) and Kourken Michaelian (Grenoble).
\nFUNDING
\nThe workshop is funded by an NTU Start-Up Grant and also a Merlion Workshop grant held in conjunction with Kourken Michaelian (Centre for Philosophy of Memory\, Grenoble). \;
ORGANIZER;CN=James Openshaw: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270111T234500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270111T234500 SUMMARY:Dimensions of Radical Embodiment IV UID:20261018T020626Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Bristol\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:The 4th instalment of the Dimensions of Radical Embodiment Conference series will take place at the University of Bristol on 26-27th July 2027. \;
\nThe conference focuses on Radical Embodied Cognition\, Ecological Psychology\, and Enactivist approaches to the mind\, and related philosophical issues.
\nAs well as addressing broad issues relating to these approaches\, this instalment of the conference will have two specific areas of focus:
\n1.Radical Embodiment in Healthcare and Psychopathology
\n2.Radical Embodiment in AI and Robotics
\n\nInvited Speakers
\nDr Steve Battle (UWE)
\nDr Joel Krueger (University of Exeter)
\nProf. Ute Leonards (University of Bristol)
\nThe conference will also include talks based on submitted abstracts (see Call for Contributions page)\, with some spaces reserved for early career researchers and PhD students. The deadline for submitted abstracts is Monday 11th January 2027.
\nIf you are interested in presenting your work at the conference\, please submit an anonymised abstract (maximum 500 words) for a talk of roughly 30 minutes by email to dre4bristol@gmail.com by the deadline of midnight on Monday 11th January 2027. \;
\nPlease also submit a separate document including the following information:
\nName
\nAffiliation
\nPosition or Student Status
\nIf a PhD graduate\, the year of your PhD award
\nWhether you are interested in also attending the Embodiment and Intelligence in Philosophy and Robotics conference on 28-29th July
\nWhether your proposed talk is:
\nA general talk on Radical Embodiment
\nA talk on Radical Embodiment in healthcare and psychopathology
\nA talk on Radical Embodiment in AI and Robotics
\nSuggested topics
\n\nNovel explanations of mental phenomena in terms of radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist frameworks
\nResponses to challenges posed to radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist frameworks
\nProposals for integration or separation of radical embodied vs. enactivist frameworks
\nForging links between radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist frameworks and established issues in other areas of philosophy
\nRadical embodiment and epistemic injustice
\nRadically embodied accounts of ineffability
\nRadical embodiment and bodily doubt
\nApplications of radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist frameworks in healthcare
\nAffordances in illness and old age
\nApplications of radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist frameworks in psychopathology
\nAffordances in psychopathology
\nApplications of radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist frameworks in robotics
\nAnti-representationalist approaches to understanding AI
\nCritiques of computational functionalism in AI narratives from radical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist perspectives
\nRobotic affordances
\nRadical embodied / ecological psychology / enactivist approaches to artificial consciousness
\nThe conference will be immediately followed by a partner event at the same venue\, the British Academy conference on Embodiment and Intelligence in Philosophy and Robotics\, which will take place on 28-29th July 2027. Speakers at Dimensions of Radical Embodiment 4 will not need to pay a registration fee to attend this extra conference.
\n\nIf you have any questions about the conference\, please email the organizer\, Max Jones (max.jones@bristol.ac.uk).
ORGANIZER;CN=Max Jones: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270131T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270131T090000 SUMMARY:Clinical Pragmatics and the Cognitive Sciences UID:20261018T020627Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:CALL FOR CHAPTERS
\nCLINICAL PRAGMATICS AND THE COGNITIVE SCIENCES
Language\, Mind\, and Communication Across the Lifespan
Edited by Paola Pennisi
University of Messina\, Italy
Proposed for the Springer series
Perspectives in Pragmatics\, Philosophy &\; Psychology
────────────────────────────────────────
\nABOUT THE VOLUME
\nClinical pragmatics offers a privileged perspective on the relationships between language\, meaning\, cognition\, and social interaction.
\nThis edited volume will bring together clinical\, linguistic\, philosophical\, psychological\, neuropsychological\, and cognitive-scientific approaches to pragmatic communication across the lifespan.
\nWe particularly welcome contributions that begin with the description or analysis of clinical and atypical pragmatic-linguistic profiles and use this evidence to develop\, refine\, or challenge broader theories of language\, meaning\, cognition\, and interaction.
\nThere are no submission or publication fees for contributors.
\n────────────────────────────────────────
\nTOPICS MAY INCLUDE
\n&bull\; Autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions
&bull\; Social and pragmatic communication disorders
&bull\; Developmental language disorder and intellectual disability
&bull\; Genetic and rare syndromes
&bull\; Schizophrenia\, psychosis\, and psychiatric conditions
&bull\; Aphasia and right-hemisphere communication disorders
&bull\; Traumatic brain injury
&bull\; Parkinson&rsquo\;s disease\, dementia\, and other neurodegenerative conditions
&bull\; Hearing loss\, visual impairment\, and multimodal communication
&bull\; Pragmatic development and pragmatic changes across the lifespan
&bull\; Theory of mind\, mentalizing\, and social cognition
&bull\; Executive functions\, memory\, attention\, emotion\, and cognitive flexibility
&bull\; Pragmatic inference\, implicature\, presupposition\, and speech acts
&bull\; Metaphor\, irony\, humour\, sarcasm\, and indirect language
&bull\; Narrative\, discourse\, conversation\, prosody\, gesture\, and gaze
&bull\; Embodied\, enactive\, phenomenological\, ecological\, and interactional approaches
&bull\; Pragmatic assessment\, diagnosis\, intervention\, and rehabilitation
&bull\; Cross-linguistic\, cross-cultural\, and multilingual perspectives
&bull\; Digital technologies\, computational methods\, and artificial intelligence
Related proposals are also welcome.
\n────────────────────────────────────────
\nTYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS
\nThe volume welcomes:
\n&bull\; Experimental and observational studies
&bull\; Descriptions of pragmatic-linguistic profiles
&bull\; Qualitative\, quantitative\, and mixed-method studies
&bull\; Conversation\, discourse\, narrative\, and multimodal analyses
&bull\; Clinical case studies and case series
&bull\; Comparative and transdiagnostic studies
&bull\; Assessment and intervention studies
&bull\; Methodological contributions
&bull\; Theoretical and philosophical papers
&bull\; Systematic\, scoping\, and narrative reviews
&bull\; Meta-analyses and interdisciplinary position papers
Contributions may address any age group\, from early childhood to older adulthood.
\n────────────────────────────────────────
\nSUBMISSION
\nPlease submit:
\n&bull\; A provisional title
&bull\; An abstract of approximately 300&ndash\;500 words
&bull\; Five keywords
&bull\; Authors&rsquo\; names\, affiliations\, and contact details
&bull\; A short biographical note
&bull\; The proposed type of contribution
Abstracts should be sent to:
\nPaola Pennisi
University of Messina
paola.pennisi@unime.it
────────────────────────────────────────
\nIMPORTANT DATES
\nAbstract submission: 31 January 2027
Notification of acceptance: 14 February 2027
Full chapter submission: 7 January 2028
Peer-review reports: 28 February 2028
Final manuscript submission to Springer: June 2028
────────────────────────────────────────
\nAll chapters will undergo scholarly peer review. Acceptance of an abstract does not automatically guarantee publication of the final chapter.
\nProspective contributors are welcome to circulate this call among interested colleagues.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20270224T090000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20270226T170000 SUMMARY:Conference for Asia Pacific Psychedelic Science UID:20261018T020628Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Australia/Melbourne LOCATION:Melbourne\, Australia DESCRIPTION:Australia is at the centre of this shift. In 2020\, Monash University established the country's first dedicated psychedelic research lab. In 2023\, the Therapeutic Goods Administration created a regulated pathway for authorised psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin\, making Australia one of the first countries to formalise clinical access to psychedelic-assisted therapy outside of clinical trials.
\nMultiple groups across the Asia-Pacific are now conducting world-first and world-class psychedelic research\, assessing implementation in real-world clinics\, asking questions across a diverse array of disciplines\, manufacturing psychedelic compounds in novel ways\, shaping novel policy\, and developing psychedelic practice.
\nCAPS27 builds on that foundation. It's a forum for researchers\, clinicians\, policymakers\, ethicists\, cultural scholars\, educators\, industry leaders\, and funders to meet\, share evidence\, build collaborations\, and advance the field together.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20270323T080000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20270324T170000 SUMMARY:Epistemic Injustice and AI UID:20261018T020629Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Amsterdam LOCATION:Nijmegen\, Netherlands DESCRIPTION:AI systems now play a role in many practices through which people are heard\, interpreted\, assessed\, and trusted. This raises questions that are not just ethical or political\, but also epistemic in nature: whose testimony is treated as credible\, whose experiences are made intelligible\, and who is able to participate in shared practices of knowledge production? The workshop focuses on these questions by bringing work on epistemic injustice into conversation with current debates about AI\, including debates about algorithmic bias\, transparency\, linguistic exclusion\, trust\, institutional decision-making\, and the distribution of epistemic authority. We welcome contributions on the philosophical\, ethical\, social\, and political dimensions of epistemic injustice and AI. \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Corien Bary;CN=Eline Ensinck;CN=Harmen Ghijsen;CN=Bob van Tiel;CN=Nina Poth: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270324T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270327T170000 SUMMARY:3rd PhOMO APA affiliated group session UID:20261018T020630Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:America/Los_Angeles LOCATION:Portland\, United States DESCRIPTION:The Philosophy of Memory Organization (PhOMO) invites applications to present at its next APA affiliated group session\, expected to take place at the 2027 Pacific Division meeting in Portland\, Oregon (March 24th&ndash\;27th\, 2027).
\n\nFollowing previous sessions\, PhOMO expects to run a 2-hour event consisting of three 30-minute talks\, each followed by 10 minutes of Q&\;A.
\n\nColleagues at all career stages are encouraged to apply\, especially early career researchers. Since the affiliated groups program is distinct from the APA&rsquo\;s divisional program\, those who expect or intend to present on the divisional program are free to apply.
\n\nTo apply\, please submit a title and abstract of your proposed talk (up to 500 words\, excluding references). Abstracts should centrally address memory and will be evaluated on the basis of their originality\, significance\, clarity of argument\, and suitability for a 30-minute talk. Only one submission will be considered by any given individual\, whether as single author or co-author.
\n\nSubmissions must be prepared for blind review and submitted as an attachment by email to:phil.mem.org@gmail.com
\n\nIn the body of the email\, applicants are requested to specify the name(s) and any institutional affiliation(s) of the author(s).
\n\nThe deadline for submissions is 23:59 CEST on 18th September 2026. Successful applicants will be informed within 2 weeks of the deadline.
\n\nPlease note that PhOMO is unable to financially support the meeting registration\, travel\, or accommodation costs of selected speakers. Those selected to present at the session will be expected to be members of PhOMO at the time of the event.
ORGANIZER;CN=James Openshaw: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20270528T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Bucharest:20270529T170000 SUMMARY:Existential Freedom: The Quest for Freedom and Its Challenges in Life and Therapy — 7th European Conference for Existential Therapy UID:20261018T020631Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Bucharest LOCATION:Phoenicia Grand Hotel\, Bucharest\, Romania DESCRIPTION:&ldquo\;Freedom is never abstract. It is lived in bodies\, relationships\, histories\, and situations.&rdquo\;
\nThe 7th European Conference for Existential Therapy brings together philosophers\, existential therapists\, psychotherapists\, counsellors\, psychologists\, psychiatrists\, researchers\, educators\, trainees\, and practitioners from related fields to explore \;freedom \;as a fundamental&mdash\;and often difficult&mdash\;dimension of human existence.
\nFreedom raises questions that are at once philosophical\, ethical\, psychological\, and clinical. What does it mean to be free when our possibilities are shaped by personal history\, embodiment\, relationships\, social institutions\, and circumstances beyond our control? How do choice and responsibility emerge within situations marked by uncertainty\, vulnerability\, suffering\, or loss? How can we recognize meaningful possibilities without overlooking the constraints that structure human lives?
\nFor existential therapy\, these questions are not merely theoretical. They arise in encounters with people struggling with anxiety\, guilt\, dependency\, isolation\, identity\, belonging\, and the demands of change. Therapeutic practice invites reflection on how individuals understand their circumstances\, relate to others\, and inhabit the possibilities available to them. It also requires careful attention to the ethical limits of appeals to freedom\, choice\, and personal responsibility.
\nThe conference provides a space in which philosophical inquiry and therapeutic reflection can inform one another. It invites dialogue across existential and phenomenological traditions\, different schools of existential therapy\, and neighbouring disciplines concerned with human experience.
\nOver two days in Bucharest\, participants will engage in plenary keynotes\, paper sessions\, clinical and experiential workshops\, panels\, and shared critical inquiry. The aim is to examine how existential perspectives can illuminate contemporary challenges while remaining attentive to the concrete conditions of individual and collective life.
\nPhilosophical and interdisciplinary scope
\nThe conference welcomes contributions that examine the conceptual foundations\, lived experience\, and practical implications of freedom.
\nOf particular interest are questions concerning the relationship between freedom and situatedness\; agency and constraint\; authenticity and self-deception\; selfhood and relationality\; responsibility and vulnerability\; and philosophical reflection and therapeutic practice.
\nContributions may engage existential philosophy\, phenomenology\, ethics\, philosophy of psychology\, philosophy of psychiatry\, and related fields. We also welcome clinical\, empirical\, and practice-based perspectives that bring these questions into dialogue with therapeutic encounters\, mental health\, education\, and contemporary social life.
\nThe conference seeks a critically engaged exchange between scholars and practitioners\, across Europe and beyond\, rather than adherence to a single philosophical or therapeutic approach.
\nConference themes
\nContributions may address\, but are not limited to\, the following thematic areas:
\n1. Freedom\, choice\, and responsibility
\nAgency\, decision-making\, ambivalence\, guilt\, accountability\, authenticity\, self-deception\, courage\, and the anxiety of freedom.
\nHow should we understand the relationship between freedom and responsibility? What happens when possibilities become sources of anxiety rather than empowerment? How do existential perspectives illuminate difficult decisions\, competing commitments\, and the limits of self-understanding?
\n2. Freedom under conditions of constraint
\nTrauma\, grief\, illness\, disability\, poverty\, discrimination\, coercion\, institutionalisation\, migration\, violence\, and war.
\nHow can freedom be understood without denying the material\, social\, historical\, and psychological conditions that limit it? What forms of agency remain possible under adverse circumstances? How can therapeutic practice acknowledge constraint without reducing individuals to their circumstances?
\n3. Freedom in the therapeutic encounter
\nTherapeutic relationships\, dialogue\, presence\, power\, dependency\, boundaries\, resistance\, change\, and the ethics of practice.
\nHow is freedom expressed\, supported\, or challenged within the therapeutic relationship? What responsibilities follow from the asymmetries of power and expertise in therapy? How can practitioners facilitate change while respecting uncertainty\, ambivalence\, and the client&rsquo\;s own understanding of their life?
\n4. Embodiment\, identity\, and becoming
\nThe body\, sexuality\, gender\, ageing\, neurodiversity\, identity\, selfhood\, transformation\, and the limits of self-authorship.
\nHow do embodied experience and social recognition shape possibilities for being and becoming? How do identities constrain or enable freedom? What can existential and phenomenological approaches contribute to understanding change\, continuity\, and the tension between self-definition and circumstances?
\n5. Freedom in a changing world
\nClimate anxiety\, ecological responsibility\, digital life\, social media\, artificial intelligence\, automation\, surveillance\, loneliness\, and contemporary alienation.
\nHow are contemporary technologies and social transformations changing experiences of agency\, connection\, and responsibility? What does freedom mean in contexts shaped by ecological uncertainty\, digital mediation\, and new forms of dependence or exclusion?
\n6. Existential therapy in dialogue with other disciplines
\nPhenomenology\, existential philosophy\, psychiatry\, psychology\, neuroscience\, ethics\, education\, and spirituality.
\nHow can different disciplines contribute to understanding human freedom without losing sight of lived experience? What are the possibilities and limits of interdisciplinary explanation? How can philosophical and therapeutic perspectives critically engage scientific\, educational\, and spiritual approaches to human life?
\nKeynote speakers
\nFurther speakers
\nCall for contributions
\nWe welcome proposals from philosophers\, existential therapists\, counsellors\, psychotherapists\, psychologists\, psychiatrists\, researchers\, educators\, trainees\, and practitioners from related fields.
\nContributions may be philosophical\, theoretical\, clinical\, empirical\, or practice-based. We particularly welcome proposals that connect conceptual inquiry with lived experience\, therapeutic practice\, or the ethical and social challenges of contemporary life.
\nThe following formats are invited:
\nFor submission instructions and updates\, please consult the conference website. Questions regarding contributions may be addressed to the conference contact email below.
\nImportant dates
\nVenue and practical information
\nThe conference will take place at Phoenicia Grand Hotel\, Bulevardul Alexandru Șerbănescu 87\, Bucharest 014281\, Romania.
\nInformation about registration categories\, fees\, accommodation\, and practical arrangements is available on the conference website. Further programme and participation updates will be published there.
\nWebsite and contact
\nConference website: \;https://www.existentialfreedom.eu/
\nEnquiries: contact@existentialfreedom.eu
ORGANIZER;CN=Daniela Nica;CN="Laurenţiu Staicu";CN=Laurentiu Gheorghe: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261017T091023Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270726T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270727T170000 SUMMARY:Dimensions of Radical Embodiment IV UID:20261018T020632Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Bristol\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:The 4th instalment of the Dimensions of Radical Embodiment conference series will take place at the University of Bristol on 26-27th July 2027. \;
\nThe conference focuses on Radical Embodied Cognition\, Ecological Psychology\, and Enactivist approaches to the mind\, and related philosophical issues.
\nAs well as addressing broad issues relating to these approaches\, this instalment of the conference will have two specific areas of focus:
\n1.Radical Embodiment in Healthcare and Psychopathology
\n2.Radical Embodiment in AI and Robotics
\nInvited Speakers
\nDr Steve Battle (UWE)
\nDr Joel Krueger (University of Exeter)
\nProf. Ute Leonards (University of Bristol)
\nThe conference will also include talks based on submitted abstracts (see CFP page)\, with some spaces reserved for early career researchers and PhD students. The deadline for submitted abstracts is Monday 11th January 2027.
\nThe conference will be immediately followed by a partner event at the same venue\, the British Academy conference on Embodiment and Intelligence in Philosophy and Robotics\, which will take place on 28-29th July 2027. Speakers at Dimensions of Radical Embodiment 4 will not need to pay a registration fee to attend this extra conference.
\nIf you have any questions about the conference\, please email the organizer\, Max Jones (max.jones@bristol.ac.uk).
\nThe conference is funded by the University of Bristol Faculty of Arts and the Epistemic Injustice in Healthcare Project (Wellcome Trust Discovery Award)
\nThis series invites proposals in classical phenomenology\, French phenomenology\, pre- and post-phenomenologies\, and in methodologies that bridge phenomenology and analytic philosophy. The relation between phenomenology and religious experience can be considered in a variety of modes: epistemic (phenomenology as a "rigorous science" of religious experience in Husserl's sense)\; ontic (phenomenology as a way to access the core motive\, or regulative ideal\, of religion)\; analogical (phenomenological experience as a secular version of religious experience)\; generalizing (religious experience turning into phenomenological experience when stripped from its dogmatic frame)\, etc. Proposals can take critical\, descriptive\, theoretical\, comparative\, historical\, or other approaches\, and they can focus on the interplay between religious or spiritual experience and assorted theoretical approaches\, or proceed from such experience towards building a new theory. In accord with Husserl&rsquo\;s original intent\, the series welcomes attempts to locate spiritual or religious experience within a broader theory of the sciences (Wissenschaftslehre) and to expand phenomenology towards transcendental philosophy and metaphysics.
The series covers five areas:
1) Clarifications of religious and spiritual experience\, its formal phenomenological research\, and its relationships to art\, textuality\, culture\, anthropology\, politics\, and comparative religion\;
2) Metaphysical extensions of the phenomenology of religious and spiritual experience\;
3) Existential and psychological analyses\, in different traditions\, of religious and spiritual experience\;
4) Theologies of religious experience\, with or beyond a specific focus on ritual and liturgy\, including liberation theologies\, feminist theologies\, theologies at the intersection of religious experience and race\, social status\, etc.\;
5) The phenomenology of religious and spiritual experience as applied to and/ or examined within medicine\, nursing\, and the health sciences and the natural and social sciences.
The series is published in cooperation with the Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience\, \;www.sophere.org.
Editors: \;Michael Barber (michael.barber@slu.edu)\, Peter Costello (PCOSTELL@providence.edu)\, Olga Louchakova-Schwartz (founding editor\, \;olouch@ucdavis.edu)\, and Martin Nitsche (nitsche@flu.cas.cz)
Advisory Board: \;Jason Alvis (University of Vienna)\, Angela Ales Bello (Pontifical Lateran University)\, Michel Bitbol (The French National Center for Scientific Research)\, Carla Canullo (University of Macerata)\, David Ciavatta (Ryerson University)\, Crina Gschwandtner (Fordham University)\, Neal DeRoo (The King&rsquo\;s University)\, Thomas Fuchs (University of Heidelberg)\, James G. Hart (University of Indiana)\, Richard Kearney (Boston College)\, Jeff McCurry (Duquesne University)\, Felix O&rsquo\;Murchadha (National University of Ireland\, Galway)\, Dermot Moran (Boston College)\, Tom Nenon (The University of Memphis)\, Ryōsuke Ōhashi (Universities of Kyoto and Osaka)\, Vincent Pastro (Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University and Aquinas Institute of Theology\, St Louis)\, Hans Rainer Sepp (Charles University)\, Michel Staudigl (University of Vienna)\, Claudia Welz (Aarhus University)
Staff editorial contact: \;Jana Hodges-Kluck (jhodges-kluck@rowman.com) \;
*Please note that this event has officially been postponed. More information will be made available asap in the near future*
\nMany human cognitive capacities and processes may be deployed creatively\, from unique choices made for oneself up through novel cultural shifts. Similarly\, large swaths of our daily lives are taken up with performing spontaneous\, on-the-fly\, and unplanned activities that are\, in a word\, improvised. \; Charting out the nature of both creativity and improvisation\, taken individually or together\, remains an open and pressing issue. In this conference\, we will delve into various philosophical\, theoretical\, empirical\, and interdisciplinary issues that are related to creativity and improvisation. A non-exhaustive list of related questions and themes for this topic include:
\n- What is the relationship between improvisation and creativity?
\n- What is the relationship between creative activity and well-being?
\n- What is the best way to model individual and collective creativity?
\n- Is creativity in the arts the same thing as in other domains\, such as in science or business?
\n- What are the pros and cons of different scientific operationalizations of creativity and improvisation?
\n- Provide a conceptual analysis of creativity and/or improvisation.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR