CfP: Understanding Cancer: Philosophical Explorations

Conference Announcement and Call for Papers: Understanding Cancer: Philosophical Explorations

Conference Sponsored by the Ann Johnson Institute for Science, Technology, and Society and the Department of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina

March 15-16, 2024, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC.

This conference seeks to address the Philosophy of Cancer across a number of different disciplinary and methodological areas of philosophy, including the philosophy of science, philosophy of medicine, ethics and political philosophy, philosophical anthropology, and the philosophy of religion. Papers are solicited for 50 minute sessions that should include no more than 30 minutes of reading time.

We hope to collect select papers for a subsequent edited volume.

Conference Themes:

1. Cancer and the Philosophy of Science and Medicine: We invite papers that address the various questions of taxonomy, ontology, and epistemology surrounding cancer research.

Keynote Speaker: Marta Bertolaso, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome

2. The Ethics and Politics of Cancer: We invite papers on the ethical, political, and public policy questions surrounding cancer research, screening, treatment, and patient care.

Keynote Speaker: Ruth Groenhout, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

3. Cancer and the Human Condition: We invite papers that investigate the existential and religious questions raised by cancer.

Keynote Speaker: Jeffrey Bishop, St Louis University

Conference Organizer: Chris Tollefsen, Department of Philosophy, University of South Carolina

Steering Committee: Agnes Bolinska, University of South Carolina, Sarah-Vaughan Brakman, Department of Philosophy, Villanova University, Adam Omelianchuk, Baylor College of Medicine

Submission Deadline: September 15, 2023: Please email submission of no longer than 4500 words, along with a 250 word abstract, to Christopher Tollefsen

Paper acceptance will be confirmed by no later than November 1, 2023. We expect to have a small number of modest travel fellowships for graduate students whose papers are accepted. Inquiries may also be directed to Christopher Tollefsen.