5th International Ontological Workshop on Topological Philosophy, Warsaw (Poland), 8-9 February, 2016

First Call for Paper

Summary and themes

Geometry has played an important role in philosophy since the time of Plato. Concepts such as space (and its properties), shape, size, geometrical figures, continuity, proximity and transformation are an essential part of philosophical considerations, and in particular, are an important part of ontology. Geometry at the turn of 19th and 20th centuries led to a more general study of these concepts. Since then topology has expanded rapidly, becoming an independent branch of mathematics. Geometrical structures have been used in philosophy since the beginning, in the twentieth century their place was partly replaced by topological structures. Topology as a branch of mathematics can serve philosophy as a method of thinking but also topological spaces may be used as material to create philosophical structures. The conference concentrates on the use of concepts and techniques of modern topology in philosophy (in particular in formal ontology and metaphysics).

The workshop is specifically focused on reflection on the following issues (but not exclusively), topological aspects of: part-whole relations (mereology, mereotopology), spatial logic, metaphysics of holes, time, events, substance, causality, possibility and necessity (topology in possible worlds ontology), process ontology, mind and matter, cosmology, identity, similarity and change, qualities, forms and universals, problems of determinism/indeterminism.
During the workshop we want to also explore topological topics in the history of philosophy (from Parmenides and Plato to Husserl, Cassirer, Lewin, Carnap, Whitehead and Russell), philosophy of science, epistemology and formal logic.


Confirmed Speakers:

Janusz Kaczmarek (Lodz University, Poland)
Thomas Mormann (University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU),
Tomasz Placek (Jagiellonian University, Poland),
Ian Pratt-Hartmann (University of Manchester, UK),
Peter Simons (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland),
Achille Varzi (Columbia University, USA).

Submission Timetable:

Full & Short paper submissions deadline: 1 October 2015
Full & Short paper notifications of acceptance: 1 December 2015
Final versions of Full papers: 15 December 2015
Registration opens: 1 December 2015
All accepted papers will be included in the proceedings (probably De Gruyter publishing house) available at the conference.

Graduate school on topological philosophy

6-7 February 2016 will be held 2-days graduate school on topological philosophy for students and doctoral students. At this school students would learn the elements of topology and topological philosophy. There will be two tutorials: Basic Topology and Topological Philosophy. Tutorial of topological philosophy will conduct Thomas Mormann (University of the Basque Country, Spain)

Scientific Committee:

Thomas Mormann (University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU),
Tomasz Placek (Jagiellonian University, Poland),
Ian Pratt-Hartmann (University of Manchester, UK),
Peter Simons (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland),
Mirosław Szatkowski (LMU, Munich, Germany),
Achille Varzi (Columbia University, USA).

Conference website:

https://sites.google.com/site/ontologicalworkshops/vth-international-ontological-workshop-2016-topological-philosophy

Organizing Committee:

Mirosław Szatkowski (Head)
Bartłomiej Skowron

Further Inquiries:

please contact Bartłomiej Skowron (bartlomiej [dot] skowron [at] gmail [dot] com)

Institution:

International Center for Formal Ontology affiliated with the Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences, Poland