Category Archives: news events publications

The Protection of Cultural Artefacts in War (13-14 June 2016)

Derek Matravers (here at the Open University) and Helen Frowe (Director of the Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace) are organizing a joint conference on this topic in Stockholm. Here is the call for papers and a link:

The Protection of Cultural Artefacts in War
Stockholm Centre for the Ethics of War and Peace and the Open University
Langholmen Hotel, Stockholm, 13 – 14 June, 2016

The recent and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East – most notably in Syria and Iraq, but also elsewhere – have wreaked havoc on some of the world’s most important cultural sites and artefacts. This workshop aims to shed light on three central questions. First, why does cultural heritage matter? Second, how ought military forces to weigh the value of cultural sites and objects in their strategic deliberations? Third, is it permissible to use military force specifically to protect aspects of cultural heritage? In particular, is it permissible to defend these goods at the risk of endangering soldiers’ lives, and – given our limited resources – at the risk of failing to protect lives?

This workshop will bring together philosophers, archaeologists, and international lawyers in an attempt to answer these and other questions. It is the first of a series of events aimed at developing robust theoretical accounts of cultural heritage within the context of the ethics of war. Subsequent events will directly engage with NGOs, military practitioners, and policymakers. We invite the submission of papers of no more than 7000 words, suitable for delivery in no more than 45 minutes. Attendance at the conference is free, including meals, but please note that the authors of submitted papers are responsible for their own travel and accommodation. Papers should be submitted to stockholmcentre@gmail.com no later than Friday the 8th of April. More information is available on SCEWP’s website here.

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Sophie-Grace Chappell speaking at LSE, 27 Feb 2016

Ideals of Equality: Feminisms in the Twenty-First Century

11 – 12.30pm, Saturday 27 February 2016
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, London School of Economics

Speakers

  • Sophie-Grace Chappell, Professor of Philosophy (The Open University)
  • Heidi Mirza, Professor of Race, Faith and Culture (Goldsmiths College, University of London)
  • Jacqueline Rose, Professor of Humanities (Birkbeck, University of London)
  • Zoe Williams, Writer and journalist

Chair, Danielle Sands, Lecturer in Comparative Literature and Culture (Royal Holloway) and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow

What is the future for feminism? How does feminism interact with concerns about other forms of oppression, such as those based on race and class? Is there one feminist movement or many? If there are many, how should they relate to one another? In this panel, our speakers will discuss these questions and ask what the future holds for feminist movements.

This event is part of LSE LITERARY FESTIVAL 2016: UTOPIAS. It is free to attend but does require a ticket. Details at LSE’s philosophy forum site.

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The British Society of Aesthetics Cambridge Lecture Series

British Society of AestheticsVenue: Seminar Room, 1 Newnham Terrace, Darwin College. (Enter by main door).

Time: 5.00pm to 7.00pm

Admission is free, and all are welcome.

Thursday 22nd October: Stacie Friend, Department of Philosophy, Birkbeck College: ‘The Real Foundation of Fictional Worlds’.

Tuesday 3rd November: Edward Winters: Artist and Philosopher. ‘Situating Joseph Cornell’.

Thursday 19th November: Matthew Kieran, Department of Philosophy, University of Leeds: TBC.

For further information, contact Derek Matravers (derek.matravers@open.ac.uk)

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New publication from Cristina Chimisso

Cristina Chimisso’s article, ‘Narrative and epistemology: Georges Canguilhem’s concept of scientific ideology’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science has just been published online, and will be published in the hard-copy version of the journal this year.

Abstract:

In the late 1960s, Georges Canguilhem introduced the concept of ‘scientific ideology’. This concept had not played any role in his previous work, so why introduce it at all? This is the central question of my paper. Although it may seem a rather modest question, its answer in fact uncovers hidden tensions in the tradition of historical epistemology, in particular between its normative and descriptive aspects. The term ideology suggests the influence of Althusser’s and Foucault’s philosophies. However, I show the differences between Canguilhem’s concept of scientific ideology and Althusser’s and Foucault’s respective concepts of ideology. I argue that Canguilhem was in fact attempting to solve long-standing problems in the Continue reading →

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Is there anything wrong with violence in video games?

The Open University Branch of the Royal Institute of Philosophy: Is there anything wrong with violence in video games?
Cambridge, 14 October 2015

A discussion, chaired by Derek Matravers, with David Braben, Louise Hanson, and Jamie Rumbelow.
14th October, 5.00pm to 7.00pm.

Venue: Seminar Room, Number 1 Newnham Terrace, Darwin College, Cambridge (enter by the main door on Silver Street).

Entry is free, and all are welcome.

Any enquiries to Derek Matravers: derek.matravers@open.ac.uk

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Seminar: Dr Chris Woodard, 9 September 2015

Dr Chris Woodard (University of Nottingham)
Subjective well-being
9 September 2015

Well-being subjectivists aim to explain the nature of one central kind of value—well-being—entirely in terms of psychological states of valuing. This paper explores the attractions of well-being subjectivism, how best to develop it, and some of its implications. One conclusion is that subjectivism is compatible with the claim that subjects can be deeply mistaken about what is good for them, and that being prudent is very difficult.

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Seminar: Dr Stacie Friend, 1 July 2015

Dr Stacie Friend (Birkbeck, University of London)
Reality in Fiction

The concept of ‘truth in fiction’ prompts two questions: (i) What does it mean to say that something (e.g., a proposition) is fictionally true? (ii) How are the fictional truths determined? In answer to (i) I defend a version of the claim that fictional truth should be understood in terms of prescriptions to imagine. However, my focus in this talk is on (ii). I argue that the starting point for determining fictional truth is the assumption that fictional stories invite us to imagine about the real world. In consequence, we assume that whatever really obtains also obtains in the fictional world, so long as it is consistent with other fictional truths. I defend this claim against objections and contrast it with alternative approaches.

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