HomeReturn to animality: theoretical perspectives, cultural approaches and artistic manifestations

HomeReturn to animality: theoretical perspectives, cultural approaches and artistic manifestations

Return to animality: theoretical perspectives, cultural approaches and artistic manifestations

Regresso à animalidade: posturas teóricas, abordagens culturais e manifestações artísticas

Retours à l’animalité : postures théoriques, approches culturelles et manifestations artistiques

*  *  *

Published on Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Summary

In the context of ontological uncertainty, but also of the tragic collapse of biodiversity and the environment, in which preoccupations for the future of man and his relationship with other species increase, how shall one preserve a definition of human being? It is thus pressing to reflect on the future of humanity from new perspectives that might assume a return to a certain animality or even to a reanimalization of man. The aim of this colloquium is to create a plural and interdisciplinary space for reflection on these issues, calling for a dialogue between different perspectives and disciplines. 

Announcement

October 26, 27 and 28, 2022

Universidade NOVA de Lisboa - School of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH)

Institute for the Studies of Literature and Tradition (IELT)

Format

The sessions will take place at Colégio Almada Negreiros (Campus de Campolide, 1099-085, Lisbon) and online (the access link will be indicated in due course).

Argument

For centuries, the Western man has fought against his own animality, taking refuge in civilization and culture as a means to counter the return to the origins, or to a zero level of human nature.

Making use of an extraordinary capacity for transformation (which distinguishes him from other animals), man has created new ways of life that came to revolutionise the subject-animal’s own nature and theory.

In effect, the emergence of an autonomous robotics and the manipulation of living beings through biotechnology gave rise to the appearance of hybrid creatures (clones, cyborgs, robots and other artificial entities) that make the distinction between the artificial and the natural, or the human and the inhuman, problematic, forcing the anthropos to rethink both itself in the mirror of (its) animality, as well as its relationship with other animals, human and non human.

Indeed, science has modified human nature in such a way that humanity finds itself in a radical turning point in its history, having lost the privilege it has always enjoyed for the benefit of unprecedented individuals, manufactured by new technologies.

In this context of ontological uncertainty, but also of the tragic collapse of biodiversity and the environment, in which preoccupations for the future of man and his relationship with other species increase, how shall one preserve a definition of human being? It is thus pressing to reflect on the future of humanity from new perspectives that might assume a return to a certain animality or even to a reanimalization of man.

The aim of this colloquium is to create a plural and interdisciplinary space for reflection on these issues, calling for a dialogue between different perspectives and disciplines. 

We invite paper proposals in the areas of science, literature, literary theory, philosophy, history, cultural studies, and arts such as painting, photography, cinema, comic books, etc.

Possible thematic lines

  • Anti-humanisms, posthumanisms and transhumanisms;
  • Animalisms, speciesisms and zoo futurisms;
  • Modern man’s relationship with his animalistic essence and dehumanisation;
  • New body ontologies. Becomings and metamorphoses. Hybridisms and deformities;
  • Dilution of the ontological limits between the human and the non human: emergence of the triangulation man/animal/artefact;
  • Post-humanist fictions: utopias and dystopias;
  • Zoopoetics of hypermodernity: post-humanist disappointment and return of/to animal;
  • Men, animals and the environment. Animality as memory of origin and reconnection with the forces of nature;
  • Geocide and dehumanisation: apocalyptic imaginaries;
  • Biodiversity, species conservation and Anthropocene theories.

Submission guidelines

Working Languages: Portuguese, French, English and Spanish.

Submission of Proposals: Proposals should be sent to coloquioanimalidade@fcsh.unl.pt

until April 30th 2022,

accompanied by an abstract (max 250 words) and a short bionote (150 words).

Calendar

  • April 30th: deadline for submission of proposals;

  • May 15th: Scientific Commission decision;
  • June 30th: deadline for registration;
  • September 5th: programme publication;
  • October 26, 27 and 28: Colloquium.

Fees

  • Participants without paper presentation: free entry;
  • IELT researchers and students: 50€;
  • Participants with paper presentations:
  • From May 15th to June 15th: 80€
  • From June 16th to June 30th: 100€

Registration will only be considered after payment, whose confirmation must be digitalized and sent to coloquioanimalidade@fcsh.unl.pt, with the registration form that will be made available in due time. Payment confirmation must contain name; VAT number, and address information. Payment must be made through a deposit or bank transfer to the following FCSH - Universidade Nova de Lisboa account:

IBAN: PT50 0018 000321419114020 13

BIC/SWIFT: TOTAPTPL

Publication: Participants will be subsequently invited to submit the written version of their papers for selection for publication in an e-book.

Organising Committee

  • Ana Paiva Morais (IELT - NOVA FCSH)
  • Carlos Carreto (IELT - NOVA FCSH)
  • Márcia Seabra Neves (IELT - NOVA FCSH)
  • Sara Graça da Silva (IELT - NOVA FCSH)

Subjects

Places

  • Colégio Almada Negreiros (CAN), Campus de Campolide
    Lisbon, Portugal (1099-085)

Event format

Hybrid event (on site and online)


Date(s)

  • Saturday, April 30, 2022

Attached files

Keywords

  • animal, animalité

Information source

  • Carolina Vilardouro
    courriel : comunicacao [dot] ielt [at] fcsh [dot] unl [dot] pt

License

CC0-1.0 This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.

To cite this announcement

« Return to animality: theoretical perspectives, cultural approaches and artistic manifestations », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, https://calenda.org/977505

Archive this announcement

  • Google Agenda
  • iCal
Search OpenEdition Search

You will be redirected to OpenEdition Search