The 2027 conference of the MSA invites submissions on the theme of the &ldquo\;metaphysics of habit\,&rdquo\; understood both as a subjective and objective genitive. Contributors may explore the metaphysical underpinnings of habit or investigate habit as a metaphysical principle in its own right. Topics of interest include\, but are not necessarily limited to\, the following questions:
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit a pragmatic device for assuaging epistemological impasses\, as in Hume\, or can it have a genuine metaphysical function? If so\, how\, when and under what conditions?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit conscious or unconscious\, intelligent or blind? Is it a sign of rational consistency or the erosion of thought into blind compulsion? Is it learned or inherited\, adaptive or mechanical\, spontaneous or rote\, proactive or reactive? Is habit a result of repetition or the propensity to repeat? Or\, does habit subvert these dichotomies altogether?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Are practice\, routine\, custom\, tics and neuroses distinct in kind from habit itself or only various degrees or intensities of habit? Or\, is habit a species of one of these categories?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Must habit be relegated to psychology or is habit operative at other\, or even all\, domains of being? What of motricity or motor habit? Are instinct and inertia species of habit? Is habit a metaphysical principle underpinning various notions of evolution? Might it underwrite scientific theories\, e.g. quantum theory? Could habit account for the lawfulness of nature itself? What is the metaphysics of social and collective habits? Could there be a theology of habit?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit an attribute or might it constitute substantiality itself? Do individuals possess habits or is the self but a nexus of habits? Are some kinds of beings inherently habitual and others impervious to habit? Can a rock acquire a habit? Can artificial intelligence?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit an effect\, a cause or the very principle of causality itself? Is habit antecedent to its effects or simultaneous with them? Is habit a result consequent to its cause(s) or simultaneous with it? Or\, is it temporalization itself?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Can habit perform the functions Kant allotted to transcendental structures &ndash\; synthesis\, identity\, regularity\, temporal contraction? If so\, are traditions that make habit into a metaphysical principle\, e.g. French Spiritualism and American Pragmatism\, post-Kantian? Or\, are they instead post-Humean or post-Leibnizian?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Can habit be simultaneously empirical and contingent\, yet also universal? Is habit a priori or a posteriori\, transcendental or empirically real? Could habit ground a &ldquo\;metaphysical empiricism\,&rdquo\; &ldquo\;transcendental empiricism&rdquo\; or &ldquo\;critical realism&rdquo\;?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit dyadic and chiasmatic? Does habit have more to do with the Dyad or the One?
\nAbstracts that address these and related questions and issues in original ways are especially encouraged and will be prioritized. Submissions of abstracts for papers on other metaphysical topics are also welcome.
\nGuidelines for the Submission of Abstracts
\nDeadline: September 1\, 2026
\nSubmit to: Jessica Wahman\, Vice President of the MSA (msamarch2027@gmail.com)
\nFormat: Word documents of no more than 600 words. Late abstracts and those shorter than 400 words or longer than 600 words will not be considered. To facilitate double-anonymous review\, an abstract should not contain the author&rsquo\;s name or otherwise identify the author. In the email to which the abstract is attached\, authors should indicate full name\, institutional affiliation (if any)\, and abstract title. The email subject-line should read: \; 2027 MSA Submission [last name of author)] -- for example: 2027 MSA Submission Leibniz.
\nAristotle Prize
\nThe MSA&rsquo\;s annual Aristotle Prize\, which is only awarded if a submission is deemed worthy of the prize\, is open to current students without a Ph.D. The Aristotle Prize carries a cash award of $500\, inclusion in the program\, and assistance with costs for attending the annual meeting.
\nPersons who wish to be considered for this prize must a) clearly state (in an email message accompanying their submission) their eligibility for this prize and their desire to be considered for it\, and b) submit a full\, final paper in addition to the abstract by the September 1\, 2026 deadline. The body of the text (as is proposed to be read at the meeting) must be no longer than 3\,750 words.
\nPlato Prize
\nThe MSA&rsquo\;s annual Plato Prize\, which is only awarded if a submission is deemed worthy of the prize\, is open to persons who have received their first Ph.D. in the last six years&mdash\;thus (for the 2027 meeting) in 2021 or more recently. The Plato Prize carries a cash award of $500\, inclusion in the program\, and assistance with costs for attending the annual meeting.
\nPersons who wish to be considered for this prize must a) clearly state (in an email message accompanying their submission) their eligibility for this prize and their desire to be considered for it\, and b) submit a full\, final paper in addition to the abstract by the September 1\, 2026 deadline. The body of the text (as is proposed to be read at the meeting) must be no longer than 3\,750 words.
\nTravel Grants
\nThanks to the generous support of past MSA Presidents\, Society members\, and a grant from the Hocking-Cabot Fund for Systematic Philosophy\, the MSA is pleased to be able to offer reimbursements for travel expenses up to $400 to current graduate students and post-doctoral researchers within two years of their first PhD whose submissions are selected for the conference program. Persons who wish to receive such reimbursements must state their eligibility in their submission email and\, at the conference\, provide the MSA with all relevant expense receipts. (Invoices are not acceptable.)
\nAcceptance decisions will be announced by November 20\, 2026.
\nThe MSA&rsquo\;s Executive Council (https://www.metaphysicalsociety.org/about.htm) operates as the vetting committee. Those accepted for the conference must submit completed papers by February 20\, 2027 to allow review by session chairs. Papers may not exceed 3\,750 words. Eligibility to present at the conference requires payment of both membership and registration fees (https://www.metaphysicalsociety.org/membership.htm).
ORGANIZER;CN=Tyler Tritten: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260907T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260909T170000 SUMMARY:The Aesthetics of Games UID:20260901T074219Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Manchester\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:British Society of Aesthetics Conference &ndash\; The Aesthetics of Games
\n7-9 September 2026
\nUniversity of Manchester\, UK
\nOver the past two decades\, games - both digital and non-digital - have become increasingly prominent within philosophy. As well as receiving attention from aestheticians\, games have been examined in ethics\, philosophy of action\, metaphysics\, philosophy of mind\, and social philosophy\, prompting questions about: agency\; responsibility\; rule-following\; normativity\; meaning\; responsibility for in-game actions\; the organisation of rule-governed activity\; the phenomenology of skilled performance\, and the ontological status of fictional and virtual entities. At the same time\, game studies has developed a rich interdisciplinary body of research addressing narrative\, space\, identity\, labour\, and politics.
\nThis conference aims to bring other philosophical discussions about games into sustained contact with aesthetics\, to furnish a more comprehensive picture of what kinds of aesthetic categories\, evaluative standards\, and conceptual tools are needed to understand the experiences games generate. At the same time\, it seeks to explore what pressure games place on familiar distinctions within aesthetics (e.g.\, between object and experience\, form and performance\, or representation and action)\, and to clarify what is at stake in treating games as aesthetically significant.
\nSpeakers include Kumru Akdoğan (Manchester)\, Craig Bourne\, Emily Caddick Bourne (Manchester)\, Alex Fisher (Leeds)\, Luca Marchetti (Genova)\, Emily Ryall (Gloucestershire)\, Jaakko Stenros (Tampere)\, Daniel Vella (Malta).
\nWe have some spaces available for further papers. If you are interested in giving a paper\, please send an abstract of around 300-400 words to kumru.akdogan@manchester.ac.uk and emily.caddickbourne@manchester.ac.uk\, by August 13th. Speakers will have up to 40 minutes presentation time\, followed by 20 minutes for questions.
\nTopics could include\, but are not limited to:
\n- Games as objects of aesthetic evaluation\, e.g.: How do traditional concepts such as unity\, coherence\, and form apply to interactive media? How does the relation between ludic and narrative structures shape aesthetic experience? Should games be understood as artworks\, practices\, performances\, or hybrids thereof? What does this imply for aesthetic judgement?
\n- Narrative\, fiction\, and counterfactual structure\, e.g.: Do non-linear narrative forms require attention to different standards of evaluation? What is the aesthetic significance of alternative narrative paths? How do modes of play relate to the exploration of counterfactuals? How might interactive fiction rethink familiar narrative conventions from literature and film?
\n- Aesthetics of space and environment\, e.g.: How should we distinguish space as an aesthetically active dimension of games from space as a neutral backdrop for action? How do spatial composition\, atmosphere\, and environmental design structure perception\, movement\, and affect? How can phenomenology\, architecture\, or theories of place enable us to analyse game environments as aesthetic constructs? How should narrativity be understood in environmental storytelling?
\n- Action\, performance\, and play\, e.g.: How does aesthetic value emerge not only from designed forms but from enacted play? Can the exercise of player agency usefully be understood as a form of aesthetic\, or artistic\, performance? What is the significance of improvisation\, failure\, and skill? What are the possible roles of teamwork and coordination in shaping evaluative ideals such as 'beautiful play'?
\n- Formal and procedural aesthetics\, e.g.: What constitutes aesthetic engagement with rules\, systems\, and procedures\, and is this a crucial part of the aesthetic experience of games? What does it mean for rule systems to be elegant? What is the aesthetic experience of mastering complex mechanics\, or of navigating repetition and looping? How can opacity of rules or absence of rules be deployed as aesthetic strategies?
\n- Ethical\, social\, and political dimensions of game aesthetics\, e.g.: How do social and material factors shape aesthetic experience and evaluation? Under what circumstances does a game express a moral perspective on the actions it allows as part of engagement? How do cultural and historical framings of games and play impact on how games should be understood as aesthetic objects? How do games\, and the contexts in which they are played\, navigate questions about who is represented and who participates? What counts as an ethical transgression in gameplay?
\nTo register to attend the conference\, or for any questions\, please send an email to kumru.akdogan@manchester.ac.uk and/or emily.caddickbourne@manchester.ac.uk. Registration is free and refreshments will provided each day. When registering\, please include a note of any dietary requirements. Please also let us know about any accessibility requirements you would like us to be aware of\, which we will aim to accommodate wherever possible.
\nWe hope to see you there!
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261011T170000 SUMMARY:Formal Approaches to Rationality and Meaning (FARM) UID:20260901T074220Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:America/New_York LOCATION:New York\, United States DESCRIPTION:FARM is a conference that aims to bring together researchers studying meaning\, reasoning and rational norms.
ORGANIZER;CN=Matthew Mandelkern;CN=Harvey Lederman;CN=Snow Zhang;CN=Paolo Santorio;CN=Julia Staffel: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261015T234500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261015T234500 SUMMARY:Postdoctoral Position in Logic\, Probability\, and Rationality CLE–UNICAMP\, Brazil UID:20260901T074221Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:Call for Applications\nThe Centre for Logic\, Epistemology and the History of Science (CLE) at\nUNICAMP. Brazil\, invites applications for a postdoctoral position\,\nfunded by FAPESP\, under the supervision of Prof. Walter Carnielli. The\nposition is linked to the FAPESP Thematic Project "Rationality\, Logic\nand Probability &ndash\; RatioLog" (Process 2020/16353-3).\n \;\nInternational candidates\, regardless of nationality or any other\ncondition\, are welcome to apply.\n \;\nCLE-UNICAMP is one of the first and highest-ranked academic\ninstitutions in Latin America fully dedicated to the areas of Logic\,\nEpistemology\, Philosophy\, and the History of Science\, promoting\ninterdisciplinary research through seminars and scientific meetings\,\npublications\, and academic exchange with research groups and\ninstitutions in Brazil and around the world.\n \;\nProject: Logic\, Probability and Rationality: Tools for Robust Reasoning\n \;\nThis project develops a unified framework combining logic\,\nprobability\, and causal inference to support robust models of rational\nreasoning. It aims to integrate paraconsistent and paracomplete logics\n(particularly Logics of Formal Inconsistency and Logics of Evidence\nand Truth) with Bayesian inference and Pearl's causal models\,\naddressing reasoning under contradiction\, uncertainty\, and\nintervention.\nMain objectives:\n \;\n--Develop semantic frameworks combining non-classical logics with\nprobabilistic reasoning and causal inference\n-- Extend Logics of Formal Inconsistency (LFIs) and Logics of Evidence\nand Truth (LETs) with probabilistic and causal operators\n--Formalize rational argumentation involving contradictory\, uncertain\,\nand counterfactual reasoning\n-- Implement prototype software integrating logical\, probabilistic\,\nand causal inference tools\n- To organize\, and participate\, in seminars\, conferences and workshops\, and maintain a high rate of publications\n \;\nCandidate requirements:\n \;\nApplicants should have a strong publication record in international\njournals and demonstrated expertise in at least three of the following\nareas:\n \;\n1)Non-classical logics\, including their semantics and proof methods\n2)Probability theory and its mathematical and philosophical foundations\n3)Foundations of AI\n4)Theoretical and/or applied computer science\n5)Abstract algebraic logic\n \;\nCandidates must hold a PhD in Logic\, Mathematics\, Computer Science\, or\nPhilosophy\; the thesis must be in the area of Logic and must be\nofficially approved at the time of application.\n \;\nRequired documentation:\n1)A research project along the lines described above (up to 10 pages\,\nexcluding bibliographical references)\n2)A complete CV\, including a list of publications\n3)A Curricular Summary\, following FAPESP's required format:\nhttps://fapesp.br/6351/instructions-for-the-elaboration-of-a-curricular-summary\n4)Certificate of Completion of the Doctoral Degree\n5) At least one recommendation letter\n \;\nHow to apply:\nAll applications must be sent by e-mail with the subject line "PD\nPosition at CLE/FAPESP Project RatioLog" to:\nProf. Walter Carnielli walterac@unicamp.br>\nwith a copy to:\nMr. Rodrigo Cesar da Silva (CLE administrative assistant) rcsilva2@unicamp.br>\n \;\nFellowship benefits:\n- Duration: 12 months\, renewable for 12 months\n- Stipend: BRL 12\,570.00 per month (approx. US$ 2\,450.00 per month)\, tax-free\n- Technical Reserve (additional funding for scientific activities such\nas conferences\, academic visits\, equipment\, books\, etc.): BRL\n15\,000.00 per year (approx. US$ 2\,900.00 per year)\, tax-free\n- Possibility of a 6-month research stay abroad at a renowned\ninstitution (Research Internship Abroad\, RIA)\, subject to specific\nconditions\, upon approval by FAPESP and by the supervisor.\n \;\nApplication deadline: October 15th\, 2026\, 23:59 (Sã\;o Paulo time)\nEstimated project start date: January 30th\, 2027\n \;\nFor more information\, visit the RatioLog project website:\nhttps://groupfortheoreticalandappliedlogic.my.canva.site/ratiolog2\n \;\nFor additional information\, please contact: Walter Carnielliwalterac@unicamp.br>\n \; ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20261030T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20261031T170000 SUMMARY:Can social ontology change the world? UID:20260901T074222Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:America/Vancouver LOCATION:Vancouver\, Canada DESCRIPTION:The International Social Ontology Society workshop "Can Social Ontology Change the World?" will take place October 30-31\, 2026 at the Harbour Centre Campus of Simon Fraser University in downtown Vancouver\, British Columbia. \;
\nIn recent years\, the sub-discipline of social ontology has undergone a decidedly political reorientation. In non-ideal\, emancipatory\, and critical social ontology\, theorists explicitly ask whether our theorizing should have political goals or be relevant for political ends. An uptick in investigations on the metaphysics of race and gender has centered anti-racist\, feminist\, and trans struggles. These projects (e.g.\, Haslanger 2000\; Dembroff 2016\; Jenkins 2023\; Richardson 2023) explicitly theorize with a political purpose\, and so presuppose that social ontology can play a role in the struggle for social justice. But\, taking a step back\, this workshop questions the precise relationship between social ontology and politics. Are social ontologists changing the world\, or merely interpreting it? Given the former\, are there social ontological theories or methods better suited for direct political intervention\, and\, if so\, what makes them better? Given the latter\, what is the relationship\, if any\, between description and political intervention? \; \; \;
\nWe invite the submission of abstracts of 500-700 words for 20-minute presentations of papers related to the theme of the conference. Please send anonymized abstracts to \;social.ontology.and.the.world@gmail.com. The deadline for submitting is \;June 15th\, with notice of acceptance by July 15th. \; \;
\nSome \;travel grants and support for accommodations \;will be available for graduate students and faculty members who do not have access to research funds\; please indicate in your submission email if you would like to be considered for support. \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Zara Anwarzai;CN=August Faller: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261231T234500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261231T234500 SUMMARY:4th Inquiry Network Workshop UID:20260901T074223Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:America/Chicago LOCATION:2000 North Pkwy\, Memphis\, United States\, 38112 DESCRIPTION:The Inquiry Network is hosting a workshop on inquiry at Rhodes College in Memphis\, TN\, April 2-3\, 2027.
\nThis meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual Mid-South Philosophy Conference.
\nWe invite submissions of anonymized abstracts (up to 1\,000 words) on any topic related to the philosophy of inquiry. For example\, papers might address topics such as:
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Norms of inquiry.
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; The relationship between inquiry and interrogative attitudes such as curiosity and suspension of judgment.
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; The relationship between inquiry and attention or salience.
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; The semantics and pragmatics of questions.
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Virtues and vices of inquiry.
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Inquiry in specific domains\, such as scientific inquiry or philosophical inquiry.
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Historical approaches to inquiry (for example\, work on the American Pragmatists\, ancient Pyrrhonians\, etc.).
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Ethics of inquiry.
\nPlease submit anonymized abstracts (up to 1\,000 words) by EOD \;December 31\, 2026 \;to inquirynetworkgroup@gmail.com.
ORGANIZER;CN=David Thorstad;CN=Jared A. Millson: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270116T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270116T090000 SUMMARY:CFP Discipline Filosofiche\, XXXVII\, 1\, 2027: Phenomenological Analyses of Emotions in their Ontological and Metaphysical Implications\, ed. by Giuliana Mancuso UID:20260901T074224Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:DISCIPLINE FILOSOFICHE\, XXXVII\, 1\, 2027: PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF EMOTIONS IN THEIR ONTOLOGICAL AND METAPHYSICAL IMPLICATIONS Edited by Giuliana Mancuso Over the past twenty years\, scientific literature on emotions has grown enormously\, and the same has occurred in philosophy. In light of the assumptions&mdash\;often implicit&mdash\;that guide scientific research programs\, the wealth of their findings\, and the explanatory hypotheses advanced on the basis of such observational and theoretical grounds\, it is inevitable that philosophers ask what the specific contribution of philosophy to research on emotions might be\, given the intertwining of physiological\, expressive\, behavioral\, cognitive\, evaluative\, normative\, and motivational components that emotions involve\, as well as their social relevance. In other words\, what does philosophy have to say about emotions in relation to what the natural and social sciences already tell us about them? The answers naturally vary depending on the conceptions one may hold of philosophy\, but there is a particular philosophical tradition that appears especially well suited to addressing phenomena such as emotions in their characteristic two-fold nature as subjective\, first-person experiences and at the same time as objective experiences that disclose aspects of the world&mdash\;a two-fold structure that philosophical reflections on emotions have often sacrificed in favor of one aspect or the other. This tradition is phenomenology\, understood not generically as an empirical investigation of &ldquo\;what it is like to feel\,&rdquo\; but properly as the study of embodied consciousness in its directedness toward other subjects as well as toward objects\, states of affairs\, and events in the world. With respect to the contemporary philosophy of emotions as a chapter of the philosophy of mind in its relation to the cognitive sciences\, the phenomenological approach in fact claims a primacy that is\, first of all\, temporal. Between the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries\, emotions acquired centrality in philosophy primarily thanks to what Husserl described as an already existing method\, of which Husserlian transcendental phenomenology conceived itself as &ldquo\;a certain radicalization&rdquo\; (HUA IX\, 302). This was descriptive or phenomenological psychology\, a philosophical research project on consciousness and its lived experiences that ran parallel and as an alternative to the experimental psychology of the time. Its main figures were Brentano\, Stumpf\, and Th. Lipps\, and it was from this tradition that Husserl himself set out in his \;Logical Investigations. Under the influence of Husserl\, it was then Lipps&rsquo\;s students and collaborators in Munich\, and later Husserl&rsquo\;s in Gö\;ttingen\, who defended the idea of a distinctive affective intentionality irreducible to that of other mental states such as beliefs\, judgments\, or desires. In their works they developed extraordinarily detailed eidetic analyses of particular classes of emotional experiences\, their contents\, and the themes connected with them&mdash\;analyses that\, in what is perhaps the most famous case\, that of Max Scheler\, culminated in a complex philosophical theory of emotional functions and acts\, as well as of their objects\, namely values. In subsequent developments of phenomenological philosophy\, the role accorded to affectivity remained central in Heidegger\, Sartre\, Merleau-Ponty\, Levinas\, and Henry\, as well as later in Hermann Schmitz&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;new phenomenology&rdquo\;&mdash\;with its conception of emotions as spatially extended atmospheres that transcend the mind/body distinction and the distinction between psychophysically separate individuals&mdash\;in Waldenfels&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;responsive phenomenology\,&rdquo\; and\, finally\, in the numerous studies of recent years at the intersection of phenomenology and the cognitive sciences on classical phenomenological themes such as intersubjectivity\, empathy\, and the emotional forms of collective intentionality. In such a context\, a renewed focus on emotions and values has been prompted by the publication\, in 2020\, of the \;Studien zur Struktur des Bewusstseins \;(HUA XLIII)\, which bring together analyses carried out by Husserl between 1909 and 1914 and subsequently in the first half of the 1920s. Against this background\, \;Discipline filosofiche \;intends to devote a special issue to phenomenological analyses of emotions\, past and present\, and invites authors to submit contributions on the following topics:
\nThe conference Sein und Zeit \;Today: Relevance and Resonance \;is organized by the Centro Studi di Critica Heideggeriana (CSCH) on the occasion of the centenary of the publication of \;Being and Time \;by Martin Heidegger. The conference will take place from February 17 to 19\, 2027\, at the FISPPA Department of the University of Padua. \;
\nIn a context that has long been active in Heidegger studies\, the conference aims to bring into dialogue some of the most authoritative voices in the current debate on Heidegger&rsquo\;s work and thought across different philosophical traditions and geographical contexts. Alongside contributions from invited speakers in the regular sessions (Hiroshi Abe\, Francesco Camera\, Paola-Ludovika Coriando\, Costantino Esposito\, Giuliana Gregorio\, Servanne Jollivet\, Giusi Strummiello\, Mark Wrathall\, Holger Zaborowski) and a panel dedicated to the work of the Paduan philosopher Franco Volpi (&ldquo\;Being and Time&rdquo\;: A Practical Philosophy? Interpretative Perspectives in Dialogue with Franco Volpi\, with guest interventions from Jesú\;s Adriá\;n Escudero\, Adriano Fabris\, and Carlo Scilironi)\, the event will include parallel sessions featuring presentations selected through a call for abstracts.
\nThe guiding idea of the conference is to foster engagement with a classic text of twentieth-century philosophy by rereading it from the standpoint of the present and by relating the fundamental questions that run through Heidegger&rsquo\;s masterpiece to the concerns of an era &ndash\; our own &ndash\; shaped by radically transformed conceptual horizons and frameworks of thought. \;
\nThe aim is to encourage dialogue among different traditions of thought that have found in \;Being and Time \;a major source of inspiration &ndash\; such as hermeneutics\, existential philosophy\, and phenomenology of embodiment &ndash\; or that have engaged with it in original ways\, such as certain areas of analytic philosophy and pragmatism.
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270325T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20270327T170000 SUMMARY:The Metaphysical Society of America UID:20260901T074226Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:America/Los_Angeles LOCATION:702 E. Desmet Ave.\, Spokane\, United States DESCRIPTION:The 2027 conference of the MSA invites submissions on the theme of the &ldquo\;metaphysics of habit\,&rdquo\; understood both as a subjective and objective genitive. Contributors may explore the metaphysical underpinnings of habit or investigate habit as a metaphysical principle in its own right. Topics of interest include\, but are not necessarily limited to\, the following questions:
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit a pragmatic device for assuaging epistemological impasses\, as in Hume\, or can it have a genuine metaphysical function? If so\, how\, when and under what conditions?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit conscious or unconscious\, intelligent or blind? Is it a sign of rational consistency or the erosion of thought into blind compulsion? Is it learned or inherited\, adaptive or mechanical\, spontaneous or rote\, proactive or reactive? Is habit a result of repetition or the propensity to repeat? Or\, does habit subvert these dichotomies altogether?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Are practice\, routine\, custom\, tics and neuroses distinct in kind from habit itself or only various degrees or intensities of habit? Or\, is habit a species of one of these categories?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Must habit be relegated to psychology or is habit operative at other\, or even all\, domains of being? What of motricity or motor habit? Are instinct and inertia species of habit? Is habit a metaphysical principle underpinning various notions of evolution? Might it underwrite scientific theories\, e.g. quantum theory? Could habit account for the lawfulness of nature itself? What is the metaphysics of social and collective habits? Could there be a theology of habit?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit an attribute or might it constitute substantiality itself? Do individuals possess habits or is the self but a nexus of habits? Are some kinds of beings inherently habitual and others impervious to habit? Can a rock acquire a habit? Can artificial intelligence?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit an effect\, a cause or the very principle of causality itself? Is habit antecedent to its effects or simultaneous with them? Is habit a result consequent to its cause(s) or simultaneous with it? Or\, is it temporalization itself?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Can habit perform the functions Kant allotted to transcendental structures &ndash\; synthesis\, identity\, regularity\, temporal contraction? If so\, are traditions that make habit into a metaphysical principle\, e.g. French Spiritualism and American Pragmatism\, post-Kantian? Or\, are they instead post-Humean or post-Leibnizian?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Can habit be simultaneously empirical and contingent\, yet also universal? Is habit a priori or a posteriori\, transcendental or empirically real? Could habit ground a &ldquo\;metaphysical empiricism\,&rdquo\; &ldquo\;transcendental empiricism&rdquo\; or &ldquo\;critical realism&rdquo\;?
\n·\; \; \; \; \; \; Is habit dyadic and chiasmatic? Does habit have more to do with the Dyad or the One?
\nAbstracts that address these and related questions and issues in original ways are especially encouraged and will be prioritized. Submissions of abstracts for papers on other metaphysical topics are also welcome.
\nGuidelines for the Submission of Abstracts
\nDeadline: September 1\, 2026
\nSubmit to: Jessica Wahman\, Vice President of the MSA (msamarch2027@gmail.com)
\nFormat: Word documents of no more than 600 words. Late abstracts and those shorter than 400 words or longer than 600 words will not be considered. To facilitate double-anonymous review\, an abstract should not contain the author&rsquo\;s name or otherwise identify the author. In the email to which the abstract is attached\, authors should indicate full name\, institutional affiliation (if any)\, and abstract title. The email subject-line should read: \; 2027 MSA Submission [last name of author)] -- for example: 2027 MSA Submission Leibniz.
\nAristotle Prize
\nThe MSA&rsquo\;s annual Aristotle Prize\, which is only awarded if a submission is deemed worthy of the prize\, is open to current students without a Ph.D. The Aristotle Prize carries a cash award of $500\, inclusion in the program\, and assistance with costs for attending the annual meeting.
\nPersons who wish to be considered for this prize must a) clearly state (in an email message accompanying their submission) their eligibility for this prize and their desire to be considered for it\, and b) submit a full\, final paper in addition to the abstract by the September 1\, 2026 deadline. The body of the text (as is proposed to be read at the meeting) must be no longer than 3\,750 words.
\nPlato Prize
\nThe MSA&rsquo\;s annual Plato Prize\, which is only awarded if a submission is deemed worthy of the prize\, is open to persons who have received their first Ph.D. in the last six years&mdash\;thus (for the 2027 meeting) in 2021 or more recently. The Plato Prize carries a cash award of $500\, inclusion in the program\, and assistance with costs for attending the annual meeting.
\nPersons who wish to be considered for this prize must a) clearly state (in an email message accompanying their submission) their eligibility for this prize and their desire to be considered for it\, and b) submit a full\, final paper in addition to the abstract by the September 1\, 2026 deadline. The body of the text (as is proposed to be read at the meeting) must be no longer than 3\,750 words.
\nTravel Grants
\nThanks to the generous support of past MSA Presidents\, Society members\, and a grant from the Hocking-Cabot Fund for Systematic Philosophy\, the MSA is pleased to be able to offer reimbursements for travel expenses up to $400 to current graduate students and post-doctoral researchers within two years of their first PhD whose submissions are selected for the conference program. Persons who wish to receive such reimbursements must state their eligibility in their submission email and\, at the conference\, provide the MSA with all relevant expense receipts. (Invoices are not acceptable.)
\nAcceptance decisions will be announced by November 20\, 2026.
\nThe MSA&rsquo\;s Executive Council (https://www.metaphysicalsociety.org/about.htm) operates as the vetting committee. Those accepted for the conference must submit completed papers by February 20\, 2027 to allow review by session chairs. Papers may not exceed 3\,750 words. Eligibility to present at the conference requires payment of both membership and registration fees (https://www.metaphysicalsociety.org/membership.htm).
ORGANIZER;CN=Tyler Tritten: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20270402T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20270403T170000 SUMMARY:4th Inquiry Network Workshop UID:20260901T074227Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:America/Chicago LOCATION:2000 North Pkwy\, Memphis\, United States\, 38112 DESCRIPTION:The Inquiry Network is hosting a workshop on inquiry at Rhodes College in Memphis\, TN\, April 2-3\, 2027.
\nThis meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual Mid-South Philosophy Conference. \;
\nPlease see the CFP for more information\, or contact inquriynetworkgroup@gmail.com with any questions.
\nFor more information about the Inquiry Network\, see \;https://inquirynetwork.weebly.com/. \;
ORGANIZER;CN=David Thorstad;CN=Jared A. Millson: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270430T234500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270430T234500 SUMMARY:Survey on the Perceived Permissibility of Using Artificial Intelligence in the Activities of Academic Agents (Students\, Professors\, Researchers\, Translators\, Reviewers\, Editors\, and Evaluators) UID:20260901T074228Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:This study is conducted by the Philosophical Investigation Group (DGP/CNPq)\, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Reis Lastra Cid\, and focuses on the ethical use of AI in academia. Your participation helps ground the reflection on this topic.
\nThis survey presents a series of detailed\, real-world scenarios involving the use of AI by students\, professors\, researchers\, translators\, reviewers\, editors\, and evaluators. For each scenario\, we ask you to rate the usage according to the scale we provide. There are no right or wrong answers. Our goal is to map where the academic community converges and diverges\, thereby providing an empirical basis for the philosophical reflection that will guide the "Technology in Philosophical Investigation" meeting in July 2027. \; The questionnaire is divided into blocks based on professional profiles. Each block contains approximately 10 scenarios. You may answer only those blocks that are relevant to your experience. Your explanations will be the most valuable part of this survey\; they will reveal the actual criteria behind your judgments\, not just the final verdict. Your participation\, even if partial\, contributes directly to a collective reflection on an issue that already affects the daily work of those who teach\, conduct research\, translate\, review\, edit\, and evaluate. Please remember to submit the form at the end.
Thank you for taking the time to think about this with us.
Click the link to start the survey: \;
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260901T074122Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20300531T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20300531T090000 SUMMARY:Phenomenologies of Religious Experience UID:20260901T074229Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-794dd5465d-cwrdq TZID:Europe/London DESCRIPTION:This 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