Conference "The Ontological Commitments of Dispositionalism"
July 31 - August 2, 2013, Innsbruck/ Austria
Program including abstracts Program (pdf)
Dispositionalism or dispositional realism, i.e. the view that there are irreducible, causally efficacious dispositions or powers, is a position to be taken seriously within contemporary metaphysics. In recent decades, its proponents have mainly been concerned with showing that dispositionalism is a viable alternative to the highly influential Humean account of causation. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the ontological commitments of dispositional realism: which ontology does the assumption of irreducible powers suggest or even presuppose? Our conference aims at exploring this issue.
In particular, questions to be discussed are:
- How should powers be ontologically categorized? Do they need bearers? If so, to which ontological category might such bearers belong?
- Does dispositional realism favour an ontology of substances or events or tropes etc.?
- Which account of persistence should dispositionalists endorse?
- Are there irreducible powers only in the microphysical realm or also in the macrophysical realm?
The discussion of further relevant questions is welcome and encouraged.
| Confirmed Speakers: Rani Lill Anjum (UMB Oslo/ Norway) Ruth Groff (St. Louis University/ USA) John Heil (Washington University in St. Louis/ USA) Jonathan Jacobs (St. Louis University/ USA) Max Kistler (Sorbonne, Paris/ France) Jonathan Lowe (Durham/ UK) Anna Marmodoro (Oxford/ UK) Stephen Mumford (Nottingham/ UK) Josef Quitterer (Innsbruck/ Austria) Anne Sophie Spann (Innsbruck/ Austria) Neil Williams (Buffalo/ USA) |
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Organization:
Anne Sophie Spann (Innsbruck/ Austria)
Daniel Wehinger (Innsbruck/ Austria)
Contact:
Dr. des. Mag. Anne Sophie Spann
E-mail: annesophie.spann@uibk.ac.at
Phone: +43 (0)512 507 8534
Fax: +43 (0)512 507 2736
Mail: Department of Christian Philosophy
University of Innsbruck
Karl-Rahner-Platz 1
6020 Innsbruck
AUSTRIA
For registration, please send an email to annesophie.spann@uibk.ac.at containing your academic position and institution, before Friday 19 July.
Suggestions for accomodations can be found here.
