CfP: Inquiry | Special Issue on Conceptual Engineering (Deadline: Jan. 31, 2020)
Guest Editors. — Manuel Gustavo Isaac (University of Barcelona) and Steffen Koch (Ruhr University Bochum)
Invited Contributors. — Catarina
Dutilh Novaes (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), David Chalmers (New York
University), Édouard Machery (University of Pittsburgh), and Amie
Thomasson (Dartmouth College)
PhilEvents Webpage. — https://philevents.org/
Special Issue Description
This
special issue (S.I.) is dedicated to one of contemporary’s hottest
topics in metaphilosophy — conceptual engineering. Conceptual
engineering is a method which aims at improving, rather than just
describing, the representational tools we use in theoretical or
practical contexts. More specifically, the S.I. aims to foster
discussions about the theoretical foundations of conceptual engineering.
What kind of objects does conceptual engineering operate on? What does
it mean to ‘engineer’ them? And is the popular metaphor of ‘engineering’
concepts even appropriate? Naturally, how one answers these questions
depends on one’s prior theoretical commitments. The S.I. thus provides a
platform for explicating crucial foundational issues in conceptual
engineering.
Appropriate Topics for Submission
The
topic of the special issue is how the method of conceptual engineering
should generally be construed; in particular, we are less interested in
specific suggestions for how to ameliorate this or that concept. Viable
topics thus include, among others: What is the relevance of metasemantic
theorizing to conceptual engineering? How does conceptual engineering
look like from an internalist/externalist perspective? Does conceptual
engineering operate on an individual or a communal level? How are the
two connected? Does conceptual engineering operate on mental or
linguistic objects? Again, how are the two connected? How should we
construe the goals of conceptual engineers? What is a good method to
achieve these goals? How does conceptual engineering relate to other
philosophical methods? Is conceptual engineering even feasible?
Papers should be prepared for anonymous review, no longer than 8,000 words, and submitted via https://mc.
The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2020.
For further information, please contact the guest editors:
Manuel Gustavo Isaac
Steffen Koch