Matter is said in many ways. From its constant presence along the history of philosophy, through the emergence of contemporary theoretical attempts to redefine it, to its central role in political and pedagogical debates, the concept of matter resists any fixed and unambiguous characterization. The main objective of this conference is to open up a debate, encouraging different disciplinary approaches, on the subject of matter. For this very reason, the structure of the conference has been articulated into four different panels which not only are aimed at fostering reflections on the conference topic, but also to represent a real ground for disciplinary exchange and dialogue. To this regard, we propose to explore the semantic constellation of matter in the fields of History of Philosophy and Science, in contemporary philosophical debates both theoretical and practico-political and, finally, from the perspective of Education Sciences.

Arguments

6th International Doctoral Conference in Philosophy and Education Sciences, organized by Ca’ Foscari University and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - 21-23/02/ 2024

The call concerns four different panels :

1. History of philosophy and science panel

The present panel will host contributions concerning the complex articulations and evolutions of the concept of matter in the history of philosophy.

The aim is to give an overview of the various ways in which this concept was formulated and employed in different contexts and philosophical currents. The concept of matter and the issues it entails play a pivotal role in many of the major developments in the History of Philosophy and affect philosophical reflection across its diverse domains of inquiry. In addition, this set of problems serve as a privileged intersection where the histories of philosophy and science converge. All these aspects raise relevant concerns for the historian of Philosophy, prompting reflections on historiographical categories, disciplinary boundaries and periodisation paradigms.

In this vein, we welcome submissions covering different periods in the History of Philosophy and Science, from the ancient times to the Twentieth Century. We especially encourage abstracts that examine authors and historical periods not often associated with the issues of matter and materialism. Additionally, we highly value submissions focusing on Philosophy and Natural Sciences in their historical interplay. We also encourage meta-historico-philosophical reflections concerning the aforementioned issues and the historiographical category of ‘materialism’ itself. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Matter between Metaphysics and Natural Philosophy: the notion of matter and its relation with other natural-philosophical notions (such as: form, space, time, extension, body, motion, void, plenum), the role of matter in the metaphysical foundations of natural investigation (laws of nature, activity of matter, emergentism, mechanism and anti-mechanism, teleology).
• Matter Theories: accounts of the nature of bodies and matter in the history of philosophy and science (hylemorphism, corpuscularianism, atomism, theories of elements and minima naturalia).
• Matter and Mind: debates concerning the relationship between matter and the concepts of mind and soul (matter and theories of soul, material correlates of the mind, physiology of perception, mind-body interaction).
• Matter and Life: matter in medical and biological theories, matter and the different forms of vitalism, metaphysics of life, Lebensphilosophie.
• Matter, Histories and Methodology: reflections on historiographical categories related to the concept of matter (‘materialism’, ‘mechanism’, ‘reductionism’, ‘naturalism’, ‘physicalism’) and examinations of the attempts made in tracing a history of materialism.

2. Theoretical philosophy panel

This panel will host contributions that delve into the diverse theoretical perspectives on the concept of ‘matter’.

Within contemporary Philosophy, the concept of matter holds utmost significance. The emergence of the so-called ‘New Materialisms’ has brought new attention to this theme, seeking to overturn the understanding of matter as a “passive object of external forces”, devoid of agency or vitality, emphasizing instead its vitalistic, performative, and negative aspects. Concurrently, the recent focus on body and corporeal experience, stemming from phenomenology and intersecting with recent developments in cognitive sciences concerning the ‘embodied mind’, calls for an anthropological reflection on the intricate relationship between corporeality and matter, where technology also assumes a pivotal role.

Aligned with these intellectual currents, we welcome contributions that provide a theoretical analysis of the concept of matter, spanning from ancient to contemporary philosophy. Moreover, we invite submissions that engage in a dialogue between classical perspectives and the issues raised by contemporary discourses on ‘New Materialisms‘. Furthermore, we encourage researchers to explore the underlying ontologies that shape various materialistic frameworks. Finally, we are eager to host theoretical proposals that analyze the philosophical implications of different conceptions of matter within sciences, with a particular focus on the impact of Twentieth Century Physics on the redefinition of this concept.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Old and New Materialisms: theoretical aspects concerning the transformations of the concept of matter from antiquity to the contemporary debate, both in Western and non Western metaphysics;
• Matter and Ontology: exploring philosophical positions such as monism, dualism, vitalism, negativism, and performativism in relation to the concept of matter;
• Matter, Body and Anthropology: investigating the implications of the embodied mind, the notion of the cyborg, posthumanism, transhumanism, and other related perspectives for understanding the interplay between matter and corporeality;
• Matter and Science: examining the impact of fields such as quantum mechanics, field theory, materials science, morphogenetic fields, interactionist dualism, and holism on our understanding of matter.

3. Political philosophy panel

The current historical-political situation, marked by global economic and environmental crises, requires us to radically reconsider our relationship with matter. That which appears to be most urgent is the need for philosophical reflections and stances that seriously address this issue.

What is at stake is the overcoming of the deep-rooted conviction that thought must validate the ontological dignity of matter. On the contrary, our emancipatory potential strictly depends on the way we think matter and the concrete effects of its domination. Only by beginning to consider the circularity between theory and praxis will a new set of emancipatory social relations be disclosed. 

Within this context, this panel will welcome contributions on the relationship between materialism and critique, focusing on material appropriation processes. Also, by drawing on the insights of feminist and ecologist reflections, we aim at exploring the forms of accumulation and domination of bodies, territories and spaces.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Materialism and Political Movements: the relationship between historical materialism and the labour movements; labour between valorisation and metamorphosis of matter; processes of exclusion and migration flows;
• Materialism at the Intersection with Feminisms: theories, struggles and awareness raising activism; reproduction and domestic labour; bodies and violence;
• Materialism, Space and Territory: the social and political production of space; the right to the city; accumulation and de/colonisation processes.

4. Education science panel

The current digital transition requires a redefinition of training and learning processes. This radical change has become particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the phenomena of smart-working and distance learning. In general, the spread of new industrial 4.0 systems, robotic devices and the evolution of artificial intelligence have transformed working and learning processes. The boundaries of human action, therefore, are no longer recognizable within a single organizational reality or a specific physical environment but they exceed these spaces, blurring the lines between real and virtual settings. Following this perspective some scholars have introduced the idea of ‘Third Space’.

Within this picture, the topic of matter plays an emblematic role. On the one hand, the debate on the dematerialization of learning and working process requires a new understanding of matter. On the other, matter is the standing point to frame the debate on embodied-cognition and enactivity theory. The body, indeed, remains the point where cognition, mind and environment converge. 

Exploring this broad conception of matter, this panel intends to welcome both theoretical contributions and case studies which include but are not limited to:

• Dematerialization of Learning Processes: redefinition of learning space – micro- and macro-learning, digital media, Chat GPT and learning processes, MOOCs for training,  learning analytics, integrated teaching;
• Dematerialization of working Processes: redefinition of the work space – agile thinking, knowledge economy; relationship between redefinition of the work space and redefinition of identity;
• Matter and Learning: embodied cognition, affective neuroscience and learning.

Submission guidelines

To submit your proposal, please fill in this online form before October 31st, 2023.

You will be asked:

• your contact details (full name, e-mail and affiliation) and those of your co-author/s, if any;
• short bio (150 words)
• the panel of your choice;
• to attach your abstract proposal to be uploaded in .PDF format (350 words, endnotes included). At the end of the form, you will find a link to upload your abstract through MEGA – which will ensure a blind peer review of your work.
• Please remember to send the form. You can either send it after the upload, or open the link to the folder in another tab, send the form and then upload your abstract.

Please, make sure to name your file only with the title of your paper and the panel you would like to intervene (e.g. NAME OF YOUR PAPER_HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY).

Abstracts must be submitted in English language.  

The Conference is aimed at PhD Students and Candidates. Both theoretical contributions and case studies are welcome.

Scientific committee

• Brigitta Pia Alioto (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
• Simone Bresci (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
• Marco Calzavara (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
• Giovanni Fava (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
• Omar Hraoui (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia – Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
• Emanuele Lepore (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
• Laura Moretti (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne – Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)
• Elisa Mozzelin (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)Giacomo Zavatta (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia)