Sekcja Filozofii Przyrody i Nauk Przyrodniczych Polskiego Towarzystwa Filozoficznego

Call for papers

The Dynamical Ontologies
of A.N. Whitehead and N. Hartmann
5-7 May 2011, Katowice, Poland

Conference Venue: Franciscan Seminary, Katowice, Panewnicka 76, Poland

The conference is jointly organized by The Whitehead Metaphysical Society and Nicolai Hartmann Society, it is supported by the Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Department of the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Krakow and enjoys the invaluable help of The Franciscan Seminary in Katowice.

Whitehead and Hartmann have elaborated two of the most sophisticated categorical frameworks of Twentieth century ontology. Both understood reality as essentially dynamic, and both placed the category of process at the core of their framework. This conference aims at discussing, comparing, and critically evaluating their frameworks. In particular, we would like to encourage fresh approaches and independent thinking on the ontological understanding of science.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The differences and connections between ontology and metaphysics
• The differences and connections between ontology and epistemology
• The nature of ontological categories
• The structure of an ontological framework
• The category of process
• Times and spaces
• Levels of reality
• Sciences and their ontological clarification or interpretation
• The Platonism of Hartmann and Whitehead
• Ontological categories and ethical categories
• Comparison with other process thinkers

May 5 will be dedicated to a series of tutorials on Hartmann’s and Whitehead’s ontologies. The provisional schedule includes the following tutorials:

• N. Hartmann 1 (spheres and modes of being, the nature of an ontological category)
• N. Hartmann 2 (general categories, level categories, categorical laws)
• A.N. Whitehead 1 (quantized process, actual entity and its bipolar nature)
• A.N. Whitehead 2 (categoreal scheme, modes of existence, interconnectedness, concrescence).

Accepted papers will be presented May, 6-7. Presentations will last 30’ (Q&A included).
To participate please send a two-page abstract to jakubdziadkowiec@gmail.com before 31 January 2011.
For further information, see:
http://towarzystwo.panewniki.pl/english
or http://nicolaihartmannsociety.org

Relevant dates: Abstracts: January 31, 2011
Acceptance/rejection: March, 15
Conference: May, 5-7
A list of hotels, organized by price range, will be circulated in due time.

Conference Chairs: Bogdan Ogrodnik and Roberto Poli

Conference secretary: Jakub Dziadkowiec