Dear All,
Just to let you know, for anyone interested in theory, continental philosophy, and so on, that the Faculty Research Group in Critical Theory and Practice is now up and runnning, with its own website https://www.ncl.ac.uk/nuhri/research/faculty-research-groups/

Do subscribe to the mailing list, if you want to keep abreast of our activities, and to contribute something or get help with something you want to organise or see happen, https://lists.ncl.ac.uk/wws/info/critical-theory-practice.

And for a first event, we have Frank Ruda visiting us on the 9th February, in the late afternoon. More precise details pinned up around the Philosophy department, and to be announced via the subscription list soon.

Newcastle is hosting the British Postgraduate Philosophy Associations’s annual conference, entitled ‘Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Philosophical Thought’ on
25th and 26th November 2021. Please visit the society’s website for more information: https://bppa2021interdisciplinaryconf.org/

Epistemai, the University of Minnesota’s undergraduate philosophy journal, is now accepting paper submissions for our 2021 edition.

We’re looking for excellent undergraduate papers from any philosophical tradition and discipline. Selections will be made based on originality, engagement with the source material, depth of argument, maturity of vocabulary, clarity, conciseness, and accessibility of thoughts and language. We welcome submissions from diverse philosophical backgrounds and on a broad variety of topics.

Submission criteria and process:
• Must be written by an undergraduate.
• Max length of 15 pages or 3,000 words.
• Include a 100-200 word abstract summarizing your paper and page numbers.
• Chicago style citations are preferred.
• Cannot be published elsewhere.
• Include a cover page with all personal information (do not include name anywhere else in the paper): your name, your email, and your undergraduate institution name.
• Submit your paper electronically by February 1, 2022 by filling out and uploading a .docx or .docs (must be editable) to our google form [https://forms.gle/8C8G3nosGDhgLxBr9].

Papers will be selected by early spring. You will be notified as to our decision at that time.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Contact Wangechi Mwaura at mwaur006@umn.edu with any questions.

MA IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE, INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY – DISTANCE LEARNING

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY

AVAILABLE FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME (START IN SEPTEMBER OR JANUARY)

The MA in the Philosophy of Nature, Information and Technology is a new programme taught by senior staff with extensive experience of distance learning. The course examines approaches to understanding the world as a complex network of material relations. It will combine an introduction to ontological perspectives on information and communication with work on new materialisms and posthumanism, and will address work by philosophers including Michel Serres, Donna Haraway, Karen Barad, Stacy Alaimo, Rosi Braidotti, N Katherine Hayles, Alfred North Whitehead, Gilles Deleuze, and others. Its aim is to encourage new thinking on the material world and the connections between nature, knowledge, and social and political life. Students will be encouraged to address contemporary problems such as the climate crisis, the relation between science and politics, and data-driven surveillance culture.

We welcome students from around the world and offer an intellectually challenging but friendly and supportive environment in which to study.

Further details: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/philosophy-nature-information-technology-ma

If you have any queries, please contact David Webb, d.a.webb@staffs.ac.uk.

Testimonials
“My experiences so far have been overwhelmingly positive. The tutors are very helpful, the modules generally well designed, and the literature interesting and intellectually stimulating. I’ve benefitted from other students’ insights, too, who, along with the tutors, have helped me gain traction on issues in continental philosophy. Philosophy at Staffs promotes a very convivial atmosphere for learning.”

“Having spent a year of distance learning studying analytical philosophy at another university, I wanted to get a solid grounding in European philosophy so I transferred to do my second year of the MA with Staffs. I am delighted that I did so, not least because of the quality of tuition and the participation of the other students on the lively discussion forums but also because you are challenged and encouraged at every stage to develop your thinking. It was demanding, of course, and the academic standard is very high. But having just finished, I am now confident that I have the skills and knowledge to continue in philosophy whenever I decide to. Thoroughly recommended.”

“Staffordshire’s Distance Learning M.A. In Continental Philosophy has been the perfect solution to mediate my work schedule and desire to continue learning philosophy! Dr. Webb and Dr. Burnham have been excellent teachers and guides in each module that I’ve taken – and I’m extremely pleased with their critical, yet thoughtful, engagement with students.”

The latest issue of the Journal of Italian Philosophy, edited largely from within the Philosophy department at Newcastle, was published a few weeks ago: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/italianphilosophy/currentissue/
The next issue should be available remarkably soon too, perhaps by the end of July 2021.

Anne-Marie McCallion from Manchester University writes:

I am looking for students to take part in my research into diversity in philosophy and factors that cause the attrition of marginalised groups from the undergraduate to postgraduate levels. This research is part of an AHRC [Arts and Humanities Research Council] funded joint project with the British Philosophical Association and the Diversity Reading List.

I am interested in recruiting participants of all levels of philosophical study from undergraduate to postgraduate levels in order to discuss their experience of studying philosophy and thoughts about curriculum diversity. Participation in this research will involve a semi-structured interview concerning some central philosophical topics, experiences studying philosophy, and why you would like to continue (or not to continue) in philosophy. The interview will last approximately one hour and will take place via Zoom. There will also be a short questionnaire to fill out prior to the interview.  If you are interested in participating in this research please email me ( anne-marie.mccallion@manchester.ac.uk) so that I can send you a participant information sheet which will contain more information. I am also more than happy to answer any questions you may have via email.   

The latest volume of the Journal of Italian Philosophy, a periodical based in Newcastle Philosophy, and this year edited by Giovanni Marmont and German E. Primera, has just been published.

It’s available here.

It is devoted to the notion of ‘inoperativity’ in the work of Giorgio Agamben, and also contains a new translation of a work by Agamben on Georges Bataille.