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Plato's Alcibiades I

20-22 Sept. 2018, Cambridge (UK)
Abstract submission deadline: 15 July 2018

Although the Platonic dialogue Alcibiades I was highly regarded in late antiquity and occupied a prominent place within the Neoplatonist curriculum, the dialogue has suffered from relative neglect both within classical and philosophical scholarship ever since Schleiermacher denounced it as spurious at the beginning of the 19th century. This conference will be dedicated wholly to the Alcibiades I, bringing together scholars who have been central in rekindling recent interest in the dialogue while also welcoming contributions from new researchers on the dialogue, including early career researchers and graduate students. Questions that might be addressed include, but are not limited to, questions about self-hood and self-knowledge, the soul-body relationship, politics and political influence, love, the role of the divine within the dialogue, as well as questions about authenticity and the place of the Alcibiades I within – or outside of – the Platonic corpus.

In short, we welcome submissions on all aspects of the dialogue and its reception. Papers looking at under-explored topics or aspects of the dialogue are especially welcome. Submissions from graduate students, early career researchers and philosophers from underrepresented groups in philosophy are also especially welcome. Submissions permitting, we will reserve two slots for postgraduate speakers or recent PhD graduates. More information about the conference can be found at http://rationalselfgovernment.se/alcibiades/

Confirmed speakers:
Prof Ursula Coope, University of Oxford
Dr Jakub Jirsa, Charles University, Prague
Dr Albert Joosse, University of Utrecht
Dr Christopher Moore, Pennsylvania State University
Dr Olof Pettersson, University of Uppsala
Prof Pauliina Remes, University of Uppsala
Prof Nicholas Smith, Lewis & Clark College
Prof Emeritus Harold Tarrant, University of Newcastle, Australia
Dr Ellisif Wasmuth, University of Essex

Submission guidelines

We invite proposals for papers of approximately 30 minutes. Abstracts should be submitted as .pdf files and should not exceed 500 words. Please submit your abstract as an email attachment to firstalcibiades@gmail.com and write ‘Conference Abstract Submission’ in the subject line of your email. Please include, in the body of your email, your name, departmental affiliation, email address, and the title of your paper. Graduate students should state their program and year of study (e.g. ‘2nd year PhD’). Abstracts should be prepared for blind review, so please ensure that your abstract is free from any identifying personal details.
Please submit your abstracts by the 15th July 2018. Applications will be blind reviewed and speakers notified by the 1st August 2018.

Conference Details and Accessibility

The conference will take place at the University of Cambridge between the 20th-22nd September 2018. We aim to make the conference accessible to all, regardless of disabilities. When details of the conference venues are confirmed, accessibility information will be provided on PhilEvents and the conference website. If you have any questions about accessibility, please do not hesitate with contacting us on firstalcibiades@gmail.com. More information about the conference can be found at http://rationalselfgovernment.se/alcibiades/

The conference is organized by Pauliina Remes (Uppsala), Olof Pettersson (Uppsala) and Ellisif Wasmuth (Essex) and generously supported by the British Society for the History of Philosophy, the Mind Association, the Aristotelian Society and the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences (RJ).

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(Photo: "Handwritten" by A. Birkan, licensed under CC BY 2.0)