Call for Paper for the Workshop

From the 23rd till 26th of October 2008
At the Technische Universität Berlin
Organised by Kai Gregor and Sergueï Spetschinsky

In the frame of the "Peace-Project" (www.peace-realspace.net), which takes place the entire month of October 2008, the workshop "Philosophical Perspectives on Peace" aims to produce a reflection on the idea of peace on the basis of concrete and multidimensional contemporary approaches.

Content of the Workshop:
Following the Kantian tradition, we call the method we propose for the workshop »transcen-dental«. It means that we are not simply examining peace as it can be observed (or not) in the world: instead we are looking for the conditions of the possibility of a concrete peace in our concrete reality. We are looking for what peace ought to be, and how it can or cannot be real-ised in human existence.

The Workshop is an event of applied philosophy. It seeks to develop philosophical reflections on peace, based on concrete contemporary cases. The topic we propose is broad and we want to leave a wide field of possibilities for thinking. With the title "Turkey, Germany and Europe", participants can investigate one or two themes, or even all three of them. The aim of this investigation is to highlight the complex relations involved in this triangle. The interroga-tions could be for example the following ones: What are the contemporary understandings that Turkey has of itself? What is the role of Europe in such an understanding? What are the tension points in this understanding? On the other side, how can Germany understand itself now, since a big part of its population is originally from Turkey? What can a national identity mean, in Germany or Turkey, at the European epoch? What can Europe mean for both Ger-many and Turkey? What could it mean for Europe as well as for Turkey to get closer? These kind of concrete questions could bring an analysis dealing with political matters and topics in the national and international field, such as the nature of identities, cultures, religions, social and class issues, nationalism, ideologies, cosmopolitanism, capitalism, democracy and justice.
Although based on an empirical matter, each contribution or discussion must also have some philosophical content, instead of loosing itself in historical, empirical, political, eco-nomical or social considerations. First and foremost, it should be an interrogation of peace as an idea or a concept. We will question what peace can mean today as a strong ideal under the historical conditions that determinate our epoch.
The challenge of the workshop is to address different important contemporary prob-lems, and to be able to keep an equilibrium between empirical facts and transcendental inquiry. Also, the use of empirical facts can be for example the following ones: an empirical problem is discussed, which needs a new kind of philosophical analysis in order to be solved. The empirical fact can also be a paradigm, an example or an occasion for philosophical reflection. It can as well provide a new point of view on an already existing philosophical problem. In any case, the concrete problem has to be subjected to a strong philosophical inquiry.
    
Form of the Workshop:
We strive for new ideas and visions around the conditions of possibility of peace. In this sense the Workshop understands itself as a sort of think tank for new philosophical perspectives of peace and its application. We intend to focus on a more discursive way of research than in common congresses. Hence each speaker should talk for  15 to 20 minutes in order to leave ample time for critical discussion. The Workshop will start in the early afternoon there will be 3-4 short-lectures a day. Each day there will be a central keynote-lecture in the beginning and a general discussion at the end. All lectures and discussions will be in English.

Please send a short abstract (150 words maximum) and a title before the 15th of August 2008.

Please send all questions and abstract submissions to k.u.gregor@a-priori.eu or Sergueï.Spetschinsky@gmail.com.