We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group Conference 2017 (our own Derek Matravers is one of the organisers). Please see the message below for details about this exciting event, including the programme and registration. The conference is conceived as a hub of interaction for scholars and students working in the area of music and philosophy: you are warmly welcome, regardless of whether you are giving a paper. Please also note that the early-bird registration offer closes on Wednesday 31st May.
2017 Biennial Conference of the Royal Musical Association Music and Philosophy Study Group
Department of Music and Department of Philosophy, King’s College London
13-14 July 2017
Derek Matravers is one of the organisers of the 2017 Music and Philosophy Conference (he is also organising a session on music in videogames). It has a great programme, including papers by people such as Roger Scruton and Jean-Luc Nancy. All the information can be found here: http://musicandphilosophy.ac.uk/mpsg2017/
The documentary, ‘Simon’s Choice’, which followed a man who chose to end his life in a Swiss clinic, has been nominated for a BAFTA in the ‘Single Documentary’ category. It was an OU/BBC co-production. The academic consultants were Sam Murphy, from the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education, and Language Studies, and Derek Matravers from the department.
Further details can be found here: http://www.bafta.org/television/tv-2017#single-documentary
All you need to know about empathy can be found in Derek Matravers‘s new book — entitled, appropriately enough, Empathy (Polity, 2017). Heather Battally (of Cal State, Fullerton) describes it as ‘A terrific introduction to the concept of empathy’. Karsten Stueber (who wrote an excellent book on the subject, called Rediscovering Empathy) describes it as ‘very enjoyable, highly nuanced, and historically astute…a first rate introduction.’ Further information, including a table of contents are available here.
Derek Matravers’s Empathy (Polity 2017)
The book is out in the same series as Carolyn Price‘s excellent book, Emotion, which was published by Polity in 2015.
Dr Henry Taylor (Cambridge University): What Can Zombies Teach Us About Consciousness?
Where: Newnham Terrace Seminar Room, Darwin College, Cambridge (enter by the main door on Silver Street).
When: 5.00pm to 7.00pm, Monday 5th December.
Entry is free and open to everybody.
For all enquires, email Derek Matravers (derek.matravers@open.ac.uk)
Consciousness is simultaneously the most intimate, and the most mysterious aspect of our lives. In one sense, we know a lot about consciousness because we are conscious beings. We know what it’s like to look at a beautiful sunset, to have a dream, to think about politics, to taste a lemon tart, or to listen to music. These are all elements of our conscious lives that we are intimately familiar with, and we know a lot about consciousness from a first person point of view.
In another sense, we know almost nothing about consciousness. We have no idea where it comes from, which animals have it, how it is related to the brain, and whether or not it is part of the normal physical world.
In this lecture, Dr Taylor will outline the phenomenon of consciousness, and why it has struck so many as so mysterious. Then he will look at the famous ‘zombie’ argument, which aims to show that consciousness is not a physical phenomenon. He will also suggest some ways we might make progress about this issue in the future.
Video Games and Virtual Ethics
Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, University of London
July 21-22, 2017
Is it morally wrong to play violent video games? Academics across numerous disciplines have taken an interest in these issues. Excellent work can be found in philosophy, psychology, media studies, sociology, and literary studies. However academics within these disciplines often do not talk to each other about their shared interest in games. With this conference, our aim is to promote cross-disciplinary dialogue on these issues.
Papers are invited that deal with issues relating to the ethics of video games. Topics may include (but not limited to) the role of imagination in our engagement with video games, the nature of fiction and the status of games as works of fiction, foundational questions about the moral framework needed to critique video games, or specific analyses of games and virtual actions within games.
Attendance at the conference is free, as is the conference dinner. All other costs will need to be met by the speakers themselves.
Essays should be no longer than 3,000 words (allowing for a 30 minute presentation). Submitted essays should be prepared for blind review. All contact information (including the author’s name, institutional affiliation, essay title, and email address) should be included in the email accompanying the submission. Essay submissions are due by 1 March 2017. Successful authors will be notified by early May. Submit essays in Word or PDF format to bartelcj@appstate.edu. Please include ‘VGVE2017 Submission’ in the subject line.
Invited speakers:
Christopher Bartel (Philosophy, Appalachian State University)
Morgan Luck (Philosophy, Charles Sturt University)
Esther MacCallum-Stewart (Media Studies, University of the West of England)
Stephanie Patridge (Philosophy, Otterbein University)
Miguel Sicart (Game Studies, IT, University of Copenhagen)
Garry Young (Philosophy and Psychology, Nottingham Trent University)
Inquiries can be addressed to Christopher Bartel (bartelcj@appstate.edu) or Derek Matravers (derek.matravers@open.ac.uk). Please use ‘VGVE 2017’ in the subject line.
This conference is being generously supported by the British Society of Aesthetics and the Institute of Philosophy. The conference organizers value inclusivity and are committed to organizing this conference in accordance with BPA/SWiP guidelines.
