Held annually since 1923, the 2018 Conference will be held conjointly with the New Zealand Association of Philosophy (NZAP). It will be hosted by Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand at its Pipitea campus Sunday 8 July to Thursday 12 July. The conference is designed to give professional philosophers and philosophy postgraduate students the opportunity to present and discuss papers in all areas of philosophy. Each year it attracts around 300 philosophers worldwide. The conference begins with the AAP AGM at 4.30pm on Sunday 8 July, prior to the Opening Reception and the Presidential Address delivered by Professor Fred Kroon. It will conclude with the Conference Dinner on the evening on Thursday 12 July, preceded earlier in the day by the NZAP Presidential Address delivered by Professor Simon Keller.
1 Modal Metaphysics: The Extent of Impossibility
Convenors: Martin Vacek (Slovak Academy of Sciences)
The concept of a possible world, a way things could have been, has found many applications in philosophy as it played a crucial role in ‘intensional revolution’. However, the intensional move did not go far enough. Since many fundamental notions in philosophy are hyperintensional, they cannot be analysed by standard possible worlds apparatus. The so-called 'hyperintensional revolution’ gave rise to the concept of impossible world, a way things cannot be. The aim of this stream will be to explore the metaphysics of impossible worlds and new ways of analysing various hyperintensional phenomena by use of them.
2 History of Philosophy
Convenors: Adriane Rini (Massey); Mike LeBuffe (Otago) and Steve Chadwick (Massey)
This stream is for papers on the history of philosophy. The theme includes anything from pre-Socratic philosophy through to 20th century philosophy where there is a focus on the History of Philosophy.
3 Technology and Embodiment
Convenors: Eliza Goddard (UNSW); Susan Dodds (UNSW), Katrina Hutchison (Macquarie University) and Mary Walker (Monash)
This stream is for papers which focus on philosophical and ethical issues related to technology and embodiment. Technologies have the potential to change bodily capacities and how we engage with the world and with each other. We welcome papers which explore these themes.
4 Experimental Philosophy
Convenors: Justin Sytsma (Victoria)
This stream focuses on experimental philosophy, understood broadly as the use of empirical methods to help answer philosophical questions. Papers presenting new empirical results encouraged, but the stream will also cover critiques of previous work and investigations of the metaphilosophical issues raised by experimental philosophy.
5 Social Epistemology: Fake News, Propaganda, Conspiracy Theories
Convenors: Mark Alfano (Delft University of Technology & Australian Catholic University) and Colin Klein (Macquarie University)
This stream focuses on contemporary and applied issues in social epistemology, including fake news, propaganda, conspiracy theories, and related issues. Papers analyzing these issues using case studies, simulations, network models, reflection on the "epistemic state of nature," and so on are encouraged.
Information: https://aap.org.au/Conference-2018