On the Work of Howard Stein: Philosophy\, Math\, and Physics \;
\n9:00 AM to 9:30 AM - Introductory Remarks by Lydia Goehr\, Jonathan Levi\, and David Malament
\n9:30 AM to 12:30 PM - Session One - Jenann Ismael\, Chair
\nAndré\; W. Carus
\n&ldquo\;Howard Stein&rsquo\;s Dialectical Conception of Metaphysics&rdquo\;
\nIt has plausibly been argued&mdash\;and Stein himself agreed&mdash\;that his philosophy can be placed in the logical empiricist tradition of his teacher Carnap. But then why the frequent references to metaphysics? What does he mean by it? One clue is provided by his equally frequent references to &ldquo\;dialectic&rdquo\; (in the Platonic sense). It turns out there are (at least) two fundamentally different possible paths from Carnap&mdash\;the &ldquo\;ontological&rdquo\; path followed by Quine and the &ldquo\;dialectical&rdquo\; one followed by Stein. This is illustrated by one of Stein&rsquo\;s own favorite contrasts\, between Descartes and Galileo. In keeping with the dialectical spirit of Stein&rsquo\;s writings\, no firm conclusion is reached. \;
\nErich Reck
\n&ldquo\;Howard Stein\, the Second Birth of Mathematics\, and Understanding in Mathematics&rdquo\;
\nBesides his influential writings in the philosophy of physics\, Howard Stein contributed several important papers to the philosophy of mathematics as well\, although they are less widely known. \;In them he formulated and substantiated\, among others\, the striking suggestion that the nineteenth century witnesses a &ldquo\;second birth&rdquo\; of mathematics\, based on the shift from a more computational to a more conceptual way of practicing it\, and with &ldquo\;modern mathematics&rdquo\; as the result. \;In this talk I will reconsider\, further defend\, and then extend this suggestion in a number of ways\, including the following two: by tracing the trajectory of this conceptual transformation of mathematics forward into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries\; and by connecting its substantive core with current philosophical discussions about the notion of understanding in mathematics.
\n\n12:30 PM to 2:00 PM - Catered Lunch
\n\n2:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Session Two - David Albert\, Chair
\nRobert DiSalle
\n&ldquo\;Newton&rsquo\;s Revolution in Metaphysics&rdquo\;
\nHoward Stein&rsquo\;s 1967 paper\, &ldquo\;Newtonian Space-Time\,&rdquo\; had profound implications regarding not only Newton&rsquo\;s views\, but also broader questions about space-time structure\, its role in the conceptual structure of physics\, and its connection with experience. Previously\, philosophers had generally regarded Newton as a brilliant mathematician who was\, philosophically\, naive and even retrograde\; he postulated &ldquo\;absolute&rdquo\; theoretical objects just as physics was emerging from such metaphysical prejudices\, and as contemporaries such as Huygens and Leibniz supposedly foreshadowed the &ldquo\;relativistic&rdquo\; ideas of the 20th century. From Stein&rsquo\;s work\, philosophers learned that Newton&rsquo\;s arguments for &ldquo\;absolute&rdquo\; space\, time\, and motion were far more subtle\, and more firmly grounded in physics\, than his critics had understood. Subsequent debates surrounding the philosophy of space and time had\, at least\, to take Newton&rsquo\;s arguments seriously.
\n\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; But Stein&rsquo\;s account of Newton went further than this: he showed that the traditional picture of Newton was not only too dismissive\, but\, in an important respect\, backwards. It was Newton who was remarkably forward-looking\, in that he saw the nature of space and time as inextricably bound to the laws of physics: space and time must be understood\, not through traditional philosophical conceptions of them\, but through the structural connections between the two that are implicit in the principles of dynamics. Newton&rsquo\;s freedom from contemporary metaphysical boundaries\, and his focus on mathematical representations of phenomena\, led him to insights into the nature of space\, time\, and gravity&mdash\;and of physical interaction in general&mdash\;that remain central to theoretical physics.
\nJB Manchak
\n&ldquo\;Howard Stein on Gö\;del Spacetime&rdquo\;
\nIn his 1970 paper &ldquo\;On the Paradoxical Time-Structures of Gö\;del\,&rdquo\; Howard Stein helps us better understand the strange geometry of Gö\;del spacetime which allows for &ldquo\;time travel&rdquo\; of a certain kind. He also considers (variations of) a central question: &ldquo\;Consider either an arbitrary given cosmological model\, or a model having the structure of one of the sorts assumed to hold in the real world. Then&hellip\;is it ((a) ever\, (b) always) possible to introduce into such a model a continuous deformation of the structure\, leading through intermediate states\, all compatible with Einstein&rsquo\;s theory\, to a state in which Gö\;del-type relationships occur?&rdquo\; In this talk\, I will first give a short primer on the geometry of Gö\;del spacetime and Stein's own contributions to our understanding of it. I will then explore several ways of making precise the central question mentioned above. Finally\, I will catalogue what is presently known concerning these precise questions and what is still left unsettled some fifty-odd years on.
\n5:00 PM to 6:15PM - Reception
ORGANIZER;CN=Alyssa Timin: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261019T180759Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261115T234500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261115T234500 SUMMARY:Philosophical and Technological Reflections on Contemporary Cosmology UID:20261019T180808Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:Online Workshop: "Philosophical and Technological Reflections on Contemporary Cosmology"\nDetailed description:
The workshop &ldquo\;Observation\, Theory\, and Progress in Seismology&rdquo\; will bring together researchers from seismology and from history and philosophy of science to address the relation between theory\, observation/instrumentation and progress in seismology. \; \; Many accounts of progress in science tell a story that focuses largely on theoretical breakthroughs&mdash\;just think of how the theoretical achievements of Newton\, Einstein\, or Darwin are thought to mark the progress of modern science. Yet our capacity to &ldquo\;observe&rdquo\; (broadly understood) nature has progressed in no less impressive ways\, across the natural sciences\, from early telescopes to the massive interferometers of the LIGO project\, from magnifying glasses to electron microscopes\, and from intensity scales to broadband seismometry and global seismic networks. How have improvements in observational capabilities led to progress in the physical sciences? In what ways are the development of instrumentation and theory interdependent? Seismology is a science that we might see as having largely been driven by the development of instrumentation\, but developments in seismological theory have also been crucial for progress. The study of seismology from a historical and philosophical perspective is likely to uncover new insights into how science in general and seismology in particular makes progress. \; \;
Sttructure:
There will be 4 talks and a panel discussion.
The talks will be given by Hiroo Kanamori (Caltech)\, Susan Hough (USGS)\, Teru Mirake (NTU Singapore)\, and Alisa Bokulich (Boston University).
The panel discusion will be led by Miguel Ohnesorge (University of Boston)\, Jamee Elder (Tufts)\, Lucy Jones (Caltech)\, and Thomas Heaton (Caltech).
\nAnyone with an interest in the topic is welcome to attend. \;
\n
RSVP here:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=2elb_XJ7-U2DDrH5zFtEvQ8hmfRMv91Hjr2YcxI3VD5UNUFNQjdWQkVBS1lESUI5S1NEQURVWUJMTy4u&\;route=shorturl
Le thè\;me retenu est «\; Kant\, la nature\, la physique »\;. Il s&rsquo\;agit de mettre l&rsquo\;accent sur la conception kantienne de la physique et la maniè\;re dont celle-ci cré\;e un cadre philosophique compatible avec la perspective de la physique quantique. Cela é\;tant dit\, les contributions sur tout autre aspect de l&rsquo\;&oelig\;uvre kantienne\, de ses sources et de sa projection contemporaine sont é\;galement les bienvenues. Outre le programme acadé\;mique\, un programme culturel axé\; principalement sur la musique et é\;troitement lié\; au thè\;me de la confé\;rence sera proposé\;.
ORGANIZER;CN="Pedro Jesús Teruel": METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261019T180759Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261130T234500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261130T234500 SUMMARY:Philosophia Reformata special issue on the legacy of MD Stafleu UID:20261019T180811Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:Call for Papers: \;The legacy of M. D. Stafleu
\nJournal: \;Philosophia Reformata \;(www.brill.com/phir)
\nGuest editors: Richard Gunton (Queen Mary University of London) and Gerrit Glas (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
\nDeadline: Papers (5\,000&ndash\;9\,000 words) may be submitted through the journal&rsquo\;s website.
\nMarinus Dirk (Dick) Stafleu (1937&ndash\;2024) wrote extensively on philosophy of physics\, and encyclopedically on the sciences at large. \;Drawing on and critiquing the work of Herman Dooyeweerd\, he made important contributions to a Reformational philosophy of science reaching from mathematics to social and political sciences. \;However\, since his passing in November 2024\, Stafleu's legacy appears largely limited to his 24 papers in Philosophia Reformata\, 5 papers in other peer-reviewed journals\, and some 15 books in English and Dutch\, mostly self-published on his own website (although 5 were published in print by various minor publishing houses).
\nWe invite scholars who have drawn on any of Stafleu's work to contribute to a special issue that will clarify and situate his contributions in the philosophical foundations of physics and of the sciences more broadly. \;Topics might include\, for example:
\nFor more information\, please contact the editorial assistant\, Mathanja Berger: \;mathanja@bergeracademicediting.nl.
\n\nInstructions to Authors: \; https://brill.com/fileasset/downloads_products/Author_Instructions/PHIR.pdf
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261019T180759Z DTSTART;TZID=Africa/Casablanca:20261203T090000 DTEND;TZID=Africa/Casablanca:20261205T170000 SUMMARY:The 6th International Conference: Green Lab. Solutions for Sustainable Development (JOE6) UID:20261019T180812Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Africa/Casablanca LOCATION:CERHSO\, Oujda\, Morocco\, 60000 DESCRIPTION:The 6th \;International Conference: Green Lab. Solutions for Sustainable Development (JOE6)\, scheduled for \;December 3&ndash\;5\, 2026\, in Oujda\, Morocco\, will serve as a platform for addressing pressing environmental\, territorial and technological challenges.
\nThe conference is structured around six central themes\, ranging from the management of geo-resources and territories to the valorisation of natural resources within a circular economy approach\, renewable energies and advanced materials for sustainable production\, artificial intelligence applied to environmental and health risk management\, and environmental education and eco-citizenship:
\nAs part of this International Conference\, a strategic workshop dedicated to co-action will be held on \;5 December 2026\, in connection with the \;Info-Energy Climate Cell \;(CIEC)\, under the theme: &ldquo\;From Strategy to Citizen Action: CIEC for Participatory Territorial Energy Transition&rdquo\;. The workshop will bring together key institutional\, academic\, socio-economic and civil society stakeholders to share experiences\, discuss operational challenges and co-develop practical recommendations aimed at strengthening participatory territorial action in the fields of energy and climate.
\nThis sixth edition of the conference is conceived as a call to action. In light of the complex challenges of adapting to climate change and the need to ensure sustainable development\, it brings together diverse perspectives to propose practical and innovative solutions. By uniting scientists\, researchers\, policymakers\, entrepreneurs and citizens\, it aims to build a bridge between science and concrete action\, generating a collective momentum capable of transforming our practices towards a sustainable and equitable future.
\nUnder the visionary leadership of \;His Majesty King Mohammed VI\, Morocco is committed to a sustainable and ecologically sound future. This event serves as a collaborative platform for researchers\, experts\, governmental bodies and civil society to converge and devise tangible solutions to the environmental challenges facing our nation. The event will feature enlightening plenary sessions\, engaging panel discussions and insightful presentations from eminent speakers\, highlighting scientific breakthroughs and key strategies for cultivating a sustainable future.
\nIn keeping with our commitment to recognising exemplary efforts\, the event will honour outstanding solutions within each theme. We extend a warm invitation to scientists\, researchers\, policymakers\, environmental advocates and all concerned stakeholders to join us on \;3&ndash\;5 December 2026\, as we collectively champion:
\n"Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Environmental Practices."
\nTogether\, let us help shape a greener\, more sustainable Morocco\, \;fostering harmony between human endeavour and the environment. \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Association Yes Green Maroc;CN=Mourad Arabi;CN=Mohamed El Malki;CN=Latifa Mechkirrou: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261019T180759Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270127T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270129T170000 SUMMARY:Philosophical and Technological Reflections on Contemporary Cosmology UID:20261019T180813Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:Cosmology has undoubtedly become an epistemically successful science. Some of its successes include explaining the Cosmic Microwave Background and its features (temperature\, anisotropies\, polarization\, etc.) with high precision\; accounting for the abundances of the light chemical elements in the universe with high accuracy\; discovering the isotropic accelerated expansion of the universe\; establishing a model that synthesizes the results of various observational research projects (SNIFS\, BOSS\, COBE\, etc.) into a relativistic model of an overall flat geometry with predictive power\, and much more.
\nOn the one hand\, its success makes cosmology a reliable ground on which to test philosophical theses and frameworks motivated by research in other areas of science (Doboszewski &\; Elder\, 2026\; Elder\, 2025). On the other hand\, despite its success\, there remain several philosophical concerns regarding the standard model of cosmology and inflation (Jacquart\, 2021\; Smeenk\, 2014)\, the conceptual character and metaphysics of the phenomena it aims to account for (Martens &\; Lehmkuhl\, 2020\; Josset\, Pé\;rez &\; Sudarsky\, 2017)\, the integration of relativistic and quantum theories into a coherent whole (Sudarsky\, Urrutia &\; Vucetich\, 2002\; Okó\;n &\; Sudarsky\, 2014)\, the epistemological significance of computational methods (Gueguen\, 2020\; Meskhidze\, 2023)\, and the challenges involved in developing a science of the universe itself (Ellis\, 2001\; Smeenk\, 2017). \;
\nOur aim is to provide space for these discussions. \;
\n\n \; ORGANIZER;CN="Andrés E. Vázquez-Quijano";CN="María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz";CN="Ana Rosa Pérez Ransanz": METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261019T180759Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20271013T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Madrid:20271015T170000 SUMMARY:Kant\, la nature\, la physique UID:20261019T180814Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-8d97778f4-j59r7 TZID:Europe/Madrid LOCATION:Avinguda Blasco Ibáñez\, 30\, Valencia\, Spain DESCRIPTION:La Socié\;té\; internationale d&rsquo\;É\;tudes Kantiennes de Langue Franç\;aise (SiEKLF) tiendra son XVIIIe Congrè\;s à\; la faculté\; de philosophie de l&rsquo\;Université\; de Valence\, du 13 au 15 d&rsquo\;octobre 2027. Le thè\;me retenu est «\; Kant\, la nature\, la physique »\;. Il s&rsquo\;agit de mettre l&rsquo\;accent sur la conception kantienne de la physique et la maniè\;re dont celle-ci cré\;e un cadre philosophique compatible avec la perspective de la physique quantique. Cela é\;tant dit\, les contributions sur tout autre aspect de l&rsquo\;&oelig\;uvre kantienne\, de ses sources et de sa projection contemporaine sont é\;galement les bienvenues. Outre le programme acadé\;mique\, un programme culturel axé\; principalement sur la musique et é\;troitement lié\; au thè\;me de la confé\;rence sera proposé\;.
\nLes personnes inté\;ressé\;es à\; participer au congrè\;s ont jusqu&rsquo\;au 27 novembre 2026 pour envoyer un titre et un ré\;sumé\; de 100 mots maximum\, en indiquant leur affiliation acadé\;mique\, à\; l&rsquo\;adresse é\;lectronique suivante : kv2027sieklf@uv.es. Chaque intervenant disposera de 30 minutes pour son exposé\;\, suivi de 20 minutes de dé\;bat.
\nLa langue principale du congrè\;s sera le franç\;ais. Des propositions de confé\;rences en castillan\, en allemand\, en anglais seront prises en considé\;ration\, mais dans une proportion limité\;e. L&rsquo\;exposition sera accompagné\;e d&rsquo\;une traduction en franç\;ais (imprimé\;e ou projeté\; sur l&rsquo\;é\;cran) ou\, au moins\, d&rsquo\;un ré\;sumé\; de cinq pages en langue franç\;aise.
\nLe ré\;sultat de l&rsquo\;é\;valuation (acceptation ou refus) de la proposition sera communiqué\; au plus tard le 31 dé\;cembre 2026. \;
\n ORGANIZER;CN="Pedro Jesús Teruel": METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR