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Engaging the Contemporary is a yearly event organised by the Philosophy Department at the University of Malta. This year’s ninth iteration of the conference is jointly organised by the Philosophy Department of the Universities of Malta and Turin, and will take place in the beautiful city of Turin, Italy.

We live in a time defined by fast paced and unprecedented technological advancements, and an increasing awareness of the intricate web of beings which envelop, stabilise, and sustain our everyday existence. In this edition of Engaging the Contemporary, we seek to explore and (critically) assess the philosophical complexities surrounding the relation between humans and nonhumans.

The conference seeks to provide a platform for scholars to engage in interdisciplinary discussions that transcend traditional boundaries, in order to encourage dynamic dialogue between scholars working within diverse fields such as animal studies, technology studies, and new forms of realism and materialism. Through this collective exploration of interdisciplinary thought, we aim to illuminate the multifaceted philosophical dimensions that govern our relationships with various nonhuman entities with which we share the world. This conference welcomes papers that challenge established paradigms, offer novel perspectives, and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the intricacies that define human/nonhuman relations in our contemporary landscape.

Conveners

Prof. Tiziana Andina (University of Turin)

Prof. Claude Mangion (University of Malta)

Organising Team

Robert Farrugia (University of Malta)

Dr Niki Young (University of Malta)

Dr Erica Onnis (University of Turin)

Francois Zammit (University of Malta)

 

Enquiries

For any enquiries, kindly email us on engagingthecontemporary@um.edu.mt

Call for Papers

Deadline: May 1st, 2024

We live in a time defined by fast paced and unprecedented technological advancements, and an increasing awareness of the intricate web of beings which envelop, stabilise, and sustain our everyday existence. For this ninth edition of Engaging the Contemporary, we seek to explore and (critically) assess the philosophical complexities surrounding the relation between humans and nonhumans.

The conference provides a platform for scholars to engage in interdisciplinary discussions that transcend traditional boundaries, in order to encourage dynamic dialogue between scholars working within diverse fields such as animal studies, technology studies, and new forms of realism and materialism. Through this collective exploration of interdisciplinary thought, we aim to illuminate the multifaceted philosophical dimensions that govern our relationships with various nonhuman entities with which we share the world. This conference welcomes papers that challenge established paradigms, offer novel perspectives, and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the intricacies that define human/nonhuman relations in our contemporary landscape.

We invite scholars to submit contributions on the following themes:

Nonhuman Animals, Ecology, and the Environment

  1. Ecological Ethics and Politics
  2. Animal Studies
  3. Philosophy of Biology and Biodiversity
  4. Environmental and Transgenerational Justice
  5. Ecofeminism
  6. Ethology and Deep Ecology
  7. Anthropocentrism and the Anthropocene
  8. Climate Change
  9. Nonhuman Rights
  10. Global Climate Justice                        

Technology and Society

  1. Approaches to Technology: Determinism, Neutralism, Realism.
  2. Cyborgs, Posthumanism, and Transhumanism
  3. The Nature/Culture Relation
  4. Surveillance
  5. Webfare
  6. The Politics and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  7. Social Ontology
  8. Biotechnology
  9. Social Media and the Internet
  10. Techno-feminism
  11. Philosophy of Information and Technology
  12. Transgenerationality: metaphysics, political representation and social justice

Objects, Artefacts, and Materiality

  1. Object-Oriented Ontology
  2. Speculative Realism
  3. Thing Theory
  4. New Materialism
  5. New Realism
  6. Material Culture
  7. Aesthetics of Everyday Objects
  8. The Politics and Ethics of Things
  9. Technology and Agency                         

Interested participants are to submit a 500-word abstract and a short biographical note through the website by the 1st May 2024. Decisions will be communicated by the 31st May 2024. Presentations are to be in English and no longer than 20 minutes.

A small conference fee (30 euros) will be asked to cover basic expenses.

To submit an abstract, visit the following link: forms.gle/zpLPwxKvJ8MdNVso6

Please note: Letters of invitation shall only be sent to accepted speakers.

To download the call for paper click here