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Perception and Cognition: Top-Down Influences in Perceptual Experience

Perception and Cognition: Top-Down Influences in Perceptual Experience

University of Glasgow, 8–9 September 2015

The Rethinking the Senses project is pleased to announce a research-intensive interdisciplinary workshop on the subject of Perception and Cognition: Top-Down Influences in Perceptual Experience to be held on the 8th and 9th of September at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience.

This event will aim to address two distinct, but closely connected, issues in contemporary philosophy and science of perception: (i) the distinction between, on the one hand, perception or perceptual experience, and, on the other cognition or thought; and (ii) the mechanisms for, and degree to which, the latter influences the former; i.e. cognitive penetration and other top-down effects. The workshop will combine presentation of some of the latest philosophical and scientific research on these topics in a way that aims to make genuine progress on these important and interconnected issues, as well as to draw out the implications of this research for the philosophy and science of perception.

Topics covered will include:

  1. How we should differentiate perceptual experience from higher-level cognitive states, such as thought and belief, and is this a sharp distinction or a matter of degree?
  2. Can the content of higher-level cognitive states influence the phenomenal character of perceptual experience, and, if so, by what mechanism(s) does this take place?
  3. Do top-down effects influence non-perceptual states such as emotions, and can top-down influences other than cognitive penetration similarly affect perception or other states?

Speakers

  • Jacob Beck (York University)
  • Steven Gross (Johns Hopkins)
  • Anya Hurlbert (Newcastle)
  • Jack Lyons (Arkansas)
  • Fiona Macpherson (Glasgow)
  • Christopher Mole (UBC)
  • Lars Muckli (Glasgow)
  • Nico Orlandi (California, Santa Cruz)
  • Dustin Stokes (Utah)

Registration
Registration for this event is via Eventbrite. Fees are as follows:

  • £15 registration fee, which includes refreshments on both days
  • £15 for each day that lunch is required
  • £35 to attend the workshop dinner on 8th September

Please note that places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so please register early to avoid disappointment. All fees are payable in advance, payment details for which will be emailed to delegates upon successful registration.

Further information

For further information, or if you have any questions, please contact the event organiser, Keith Wilson.

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Political Obligation, Liberty and the Law: A Conference in Memory of Dudley Knowles

Political Obligation, Liberty and the Law: A Conference in Memory of Dudley Knowles

You are warmly invited to a conference in memory of Prof. Dudley Knowles. Dudley taught at Glasgow between 1973 and 2011 and our conference will be focused around topics of interest to him. The conference will be held at the Glasgow University Philosophy Department on the 10th and 11th of September.

Speakers include:

  • Tom Dougherty (Cambridge)
  • Carl Fox (Leeds)
  • Beth Kahn (Durham)
  • Sandra Marshall (Stirling)
  • Neil McDonnell (Hamburg)
  • John Skorupski (St Andrews)
  • Ashwini Vasanthakumar (York)

There is no attendance fee. Please contact Ben Colburn (ben.colburn@glasgow.ac.uk) if you would like to attend.

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The Society for European Philosophy and Forum for European Philosophy Joint Conference 2015

The Society for European Philosophy and Forum for European Philosophy Joint Conference 2015

http://societyforeuropeanphilosophy.com/2015/08/05/register-now-for-sep-fep-2015/

3-5 September 2015, University of Dundee

FREE Registration for staff and students at Scottish universities

The SEP-FEP Joint Conference is the UK’s major annual event in continental philosophy, featuring 3 keynote speakers and around 100 papers across all areas of the field.

Keynote speakers:

  • Rosi Braidotti (Utrecht University), “Affirmation as Relational Ethical Praxis”
  • Veronique Mottier (Cambridge University), “Thinking at the Edge: Sexuality, Transgression, and Limit-Experiences”
  • Lars Iyer (Newcastle University), “The Ark and the Flood: Literature after Literature”

Provisional programme: 2015 SEP DRAFT Programme

Register now! Please follow this link for information about accommodation, airport transfers, and registration options:

https://registerforevent.co.uk/sepfep15

Registration is free for staff and students at Scottish universities (but you must register by email: see site for details), thanks to funding from the Scots Philosophical Association

For all others, registration is £80 (waged) or £50 (students/unwaged).

http://societyforeuropeanphilosophy.com/

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Philosophy events, week of 20th July

Events next week (more information):

  • Explanations of Cognition, Stirling, 20th – 22nd July.  Speakers: Fred Adams (Delaware), Ken Aizawa (Rutgers Newark), Zoe Drayson (Stirling), Carrie Figdor (Iowa), Carl Gillett (Northern Illinois), Lena Kastner (Humboldt Berlin), Beate Krickel (Bochum), Tom Polger (Cincinnati), Rob Rupert (Colorado), Christian Sachse (Lausanne), Larry Shapiro (Wisconsin), Jacqueline Sullivan (Western Ontario), Kari Theurer (Trinity College Connecticut).
  • Themes from Smith and Rousseau (Adam Smith Society/Rousseau Association), Glasgow, 20th – 22nd July.  Speakers: Charles Griswold (Boston University), Alexander Broadie (Glasgow University).
  • Death and Immortality in Greek and Early Christian Thought, St Andrews, 24th July.  Speakers: George Boys-Stones (Durham University), Emma Gee (University of St Andrews), Phillip Horky (Durham University), Elizabeth Pender (University of Leeds), Catherine Rowett (University of East Anglia), Simon Trépanier (University of Edinburgh), N.T. Wright (University of St Andrews), James Warren (Cambridge).
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Explanations of Cognition workshop

Explanations of Cognition workshop
University of Stirling
20-22 July

Speakers: Fred Adams (Delaware), Ken Aizawa (Rutgers Newark), Zoe Drayson (Stirling), Carrie Figdor (Iowa), Carl Gillett (Northern Illinois), Lena Kastner (Humboldt Berlin), Beate Krickel (Bochum), Tom Polger (Cincinnati), Rob Rupert (Colorado), Christian Sachse (Lausanne), Larry Shapiro (Wisconsin), Jacqueline Sullivan (Western Ontario), Kari Theurer (Trinity College Connecticut)

Registration is free but space is very limited: please email Zoe Drayson (z.e.drayson@stir.ac.uk) if you wish to attend.

https://sites.google.com/site/zdrayson/july2015

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Philosophy events, week of 29th June

Events next this week (more information):

  • Carrie Figdor (University of Iowa), “Psychological concepts in non-psychological sciences: a case study in conceptual drift,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 1st July.
  • Just War Theory, Edinburgh, 2nd July.  Speakers: Massimo Renzo (Warwick), Susanne Burri (St Gallen), Saba Bazargan (UCSD), Kieran Oberman (Edinburgh), Graham Long (Newcastle), Mathias Thaler (Edinburgh), Holly Lawford-Smith (Sheffield), David Rodin (Oxford).
  • Society for Applied Philosophy, Edinburgh, 3rd – 5th July.  Speakers: James Harris (University of St Andrews), Rebecca Kukla (Georgetown University), Antony Duff (University of Stirling), Nancy Cartwright (University of Durham and University of California, San Diego), Julia Driver (University of Washington in St Louis).
  • Suffering’s Role and Value, Glasgow, 4th – 6th July.  Speakers: David Bain, Michael Brady, Jennifer Corns, Frederique de Vignemont, Richard Gray, Colin Leach, Kevin Reuter, Timothy Schroeder, Tasia Scrutton, Fabrice Teroni.
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CFP: PG Session at 2015 SPA Annual Meeting

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for the Postgraduate Session at the 2015 Scots Philosophical Association Annual Meeting, taking place at the University of Glasgow on 4th and 5th December, 2015.  Up to 2 papers will be selected for presentation at the Meeting.  The PG Session provides PhD students with their opportunity to showcase their work and receive feedback at the annual meeting of the professional association of philosophers in Scotland.  Those presenting papers will have their travel costs and accommodation covered by the SPA.

The keynote speaker at this year’s meeting will be Peter Railton (University of Michigan).

Submission is open to all students enrolled in PhD programmes in philosophy in Scotland.  Papers of no more than 3,000 words, on any area of philosophy, should be prepared for blind review and sent to the Secretary (scotsphil@gmail.com) by 1st September, 2015.

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Workshop on the Ethics of War

Just World Institute: Workshop on the Ethics of War

Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 2.05 Ogilvie Room, Geography, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP

Thursday, 2 July 2015 from 08:45 to 18:30

This workshop will address some of the most pressing questions concerning the ethics of war including when is war justified, who has the authority to wage war, what constitutes permissible conduct in war and who should bear the costs.  The event is free and open to all.

Places are limited so please register here.  If you have any questions please contact the organiser: kieran.oberman@ed.ac.uk

PROGRAMME

8.45-9.15 Coffee

9.15 Welcome

9.30am-11.00am

Dr Massimo Renzo (Warwick) – Political Self-determination, Humanitarian Intervention and the Requirement of Consent

Dr Susanne Burri  (St Gallen) – The Redirection of Bombs During WWII: A Philosophical Investigation

Chair: Dr Mihaela Mihai (York)

11.00am – 11.30am Coffee

11.30am-1pm

Prof Saba Bazargan (UCSD) – Political Subjugation, Respect and Proportionality

Dr Kieran Oberman (Edinburgh) – War and Poverty

Chair: Dr Jonathan Parry (Stockholm)

1pm – 2pm Lunch

2-3.30pm

Dr Graham Long (Newcastle) – Tolerating Injustice in War

Dr Mathias Thaler (Edinburgh)- Unhinged Frames: When Hypotheticals About Torture Go Wrong

Chair: Prof Shawn Kaplan (Adelphi)

3.30pm – 4.00pm Coffee

4.00pm -5.30pm

Dr Holly Lawford-Smith (Sheffield) – Democratic Responsibility for War

Dr David Rodin (Oxford)- Authority and Procedural Rights in War

Chair: Dr Cian O’Driscoll (Glasgow)

5.30-6.30 Reception

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Philosophy events, week of 22nd June

Events next week:

  • The Philosophical Significance of Conceptual History, St Andrews, 22nd – 23rd June.  Speakers: Sally Haslanger (MIT), David Braddon-Mitchell (Sydney), Herman Cappelen (St Andrews and Oslo), Bob Pasnau (Colorado), Katia Vavova (Mt. Holyoke), Alejandro Pérez Carballo (U-Mass Amherst), Brian Epstein (Tufts), Josh Schechter (Brown).
  • Social Epistemology, Edinburgh, 24th June.  Speakers: Stephen Wright (University of Oxford), Sandy Goldberg (Northwestern University).
  • Kant, the Laws of the Life Sciences, and the Lawfulness of Nature, Edinburgh, 25th – 26th June.  Speakers: Karl Ameriks (Notre Dame), Angela Breitenbach (University of Cambridge), Michael Friedman (Stanford University), Hannah Ginsborg (Berkeley), Paul Guyer (University of Pennsylvania), Peter McLaughlin (University of Heidelberg), Lisa Shabel (Ohio State University), Eric Watkins (San Diego), Catherine Wilson (York / CUNY), Rachel Zuckert (Northwestern University).
  • Daniel Silvermint (University of Connecticut), “Passing as Privileged,” at St Andrews on Friday, 26th June.
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Social Epistemology Workshop

24 Jun 2015 11:00 – 13:30
Room 7.01, Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh
Eidyn is hosting a mini-workshop on social epistemology.

11:00-11:15 Tea/coffee
11:15-12:15 Stephen Wright (Oxford), ‘Rumour and Reasons for Belief’
12:15-12:30 Lunch break (provided)
12:30-13:30 Sandy Goldberg (Northwestern/Eidyn), ‘On the Epistemic Significance of Evidence You Should Have Had’

All welcome, and no need to register.

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Call for Book Chapter Proposals: Forgiveness and Philosophy

Forgiveness and Philosophy

Edited by: Court D. Lewis


Call for Book Chapter Proposals
Vernon Press invites short book chapter proposals to be included in a forthcoming scholarly volume on Forgiveness and Philosophy, broadly construed. All philosophically-based schools of thought are encouraged to submit. Other disciplines are encouraged to submit, as long as the chapter contains a clear philosophical component. Also, proposals dealing with corollary issues like resentment, anger, mercy, and vengeance are welcome, as long as they are appropriately related to and clearly discussed in relation to forgiveness.

Description
Forgiveness has long been the purview of theology and psychology, but over the past few decades authors like Jeffrie Murphy, Jean Hampton, Charles Griswold, Margaret Holmgren, Julia Kristeva, Kathryn Norlock, Martha Nussbaum, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and many others have generated a philosophically rich dialogue regarding the nature of forgiveness.  With hopes of continuing this dialogue, while generating new ideas and avenues of dialogue, Vernon Press has commissioned a book (with the possibility of a series) on Forgiveness and Philosophy.  We are currently seeking contributions to be included in the first volume.

Deadlines 
Abstracts Due: 21 August 2015
Notification of Acceptance: 28 September 2015
Finalized Draft Due: 1 January 2016

Submission Details
Proposals should be between 300-700 words, and should clearly describe the author’s thesis and provide an overview of the proposed chapter’s structure. All proposals should be prepared for blind review, removing any reference to the author. As a separate document, authors should provide a short CV containing contact information and relevant publications, presentations, and/or research on forgiveness.  Please email questions and submissions to: forgivenessphilosophy@gmail.com

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Philosophy events, week of 8th June

Events next week (more information):

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Philosophy events, week of 1st June

Events next week (more information):

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Scottish Aesthetics Forum: Emily Brady

The Scottish Aesthetics Forum is delighted to announce its fourth lecture:

Professor Emily Brady (Edinburgh)

“Sublimity and Art”

Wednesday, 10th June, 2015, 4:15 – 6:00pm

Dugald Stewart Building, Room 1.20, 

University of Edinburgh

(https://www.facebook.com/events/1590208141234748/)

The lecture is free and open to all!

Abstract: The arts have an ambivalent status in the history of the sublime. Some philosophers have taken poetry, painting, and music to be sublime, while others have clearly designated the arts as capable only of representing, conveying, or expressing it, that is, somehow derivative of sublimity in nature, whether that be through visual depictions of sublime phenomena, through the language of poetry and literature, or through music. Here, I take as a starting point the eighteenth-century view that the arts, on the whole, are not sublime as such and consider it with reference to recent debates in aesthetics. I argue that (1) paradigm cases of the sublime involve qualities related to overwhelming vastness or power coupled with a strong emotional reaction of excitement and delight tinged with anxiety, and (2) because most works of art lack the combination of these qualities and accompanying responses, they cannot be sublime in the paradigmatic sense. Along the way, I discuss differences between sublimity and profundity in art, and consider the inclusion of works of architecture and some forms of land art in the category of the sublime.

About the speaker: Emily Brady is Professor of Environment and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. She is a Trustee of the American Society of Aesthetics, and has previously held the positions of President of the International Society for Environmental Ethics, Secretary, Treasurer, and Executive Committee Member of the British Society of Aesthetics. Her research interests and publications span aesthetics and the philosophy of art, environmental ethics, eighteenth-century philosophy, Kant, and animal studies. She has co-edited a number of volumes on environmental ethics and aesthetics, and is the author of two monographs, Aesthetics of the Natural Environment (2003), The Sublime in Modern Philosophy: Aesthetics, Ethics, and Nature (2013). She is currently working on her third monograph, Aesthetics of Nature in the Eighteenth Century: A Philosophical History.

Additional information: The lecture will be followed by a dinner with our speaker. If you would like to attend the dinner, please contact the organisers by Saturday, 6th June. There are limited funds to cover dinner expenses for two students, offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

To contact the organisers: scottishaestheticsforum@gmail.com.

For more information: http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/groups/scottish-aesthetics-forum

Or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottishaestheticsforum

SAF is generously supported by the British Society of Aesthetics and the Scots Philosophical Association.

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Society for Applied Philosophy 2015 Conference at Edinburgh

SOCIETY FOR APPLIED PHILOSOPHY
Annual Conference 2015

  • Date: 03-05 Jul-2015
  • Location: John McIntryre Conference Centre, University of Edinburgh
  • Venue Address: Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Park Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5AY
  • Full information at the conference website
  • Registration deadline – Friday 5 June


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Hume on Regime Change
James Harris
(University of St Andrews)


Equipoise, Uncertainty, and Inductive Risk in Research Involving Pregnant Women 
Rebecca Kukla
(Georgetown University)
Civic Punishment
Antony Duff
(University of Stirling)

The Philosophy of Social Technology: Making the Most of Social Science to Build Better Policies
Nancy Cartwright
(University of Durham and University of California, San Diego)


Undermining Promises
Julia Driver
(University of Washington in St Louis)

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Philosophy events, week of 18th May

Events next week (more information):

  • Christopher Burr (University of Bristol), “The Body as Laboratory,” at Edinburgh’s Philosophy, Psychology, and Informatics Reading Group on Wednesday, 20th May.
  • Perspectives on Nativism, Edinburgh, 21st – 22nd May.  Speakers: Balthasar Bickel (University of Zurich), Gillian Brown (University of St. Andrews), Annie Gagliardi (University of Edinburgh), Suilin Lavelle (University of Edinburgh), Roger Levy (University of California, San Diego), Caroline Rowland (University of Liverpool).