- News - Philosophy bulletin board

by Solmeng Hirschi

Dear all, I hope you're having a nice start to the new semester. I would like to draw your attention to a new series of reading groups that I am now co-running together with Flaminia Pischedda (Department of Linguistics) focused on Early Chinese texts. This semester we will read the _Mencius _which is one of the foundational works of the Confucian tradition and a key philosophical text of the Warring States period (V-III century BCE). This text is famous for its optimistic view that "human nature is good." If you are interested in joining us, please send an email to me (solmeng.hirschi(a)univie.ac.at) or flaminia.pischedda(a)univie.ac.at in order to be added to the mailing list. You will then receive all information and updates. We usually meet fortnightly during semester. We will begin with Chapter 1. You can find a full translation here: http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/mencius.html [1] The first session will take place on Thursday March 19, at 4-6 PM, at Apostelgasse 23 in the 3rd district. Many thanks, and I look forward to seeing you there! All the best, Solmeng -- Solmeng-Jonas Hirschi, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher in Ancient Philosophy and Classics FWF-Projekt: "_Magna Moralia: Critical Edition, Translation and Commentary_" Department of Philosophy, Universitätsstraße 7 (NIG), 1010 Wien solmeng.hirschi(a)univie.ac.at https://antikephilosophie.univie.ac.at/forschungsprojekte/ Links: ------ [1] http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/mencius.html

1 month, 1 week

1
0
0 0

REMINDER: KiC One-day workshop on Semantic Indecision, 5 March 2026 (tomorrow)

by Max Kölbel

Reminder: Dear all, There will be a one-day workshop on Semantic Indecision tomorrow (5 March 2026). Anyone interested is cordially invited to attend. The schedule, including titles and abstracts, is below. Best, Max. KiC Workshop on Semantic Indecision 5 March 2026 Room 3A, NIG, Universitätsstr 7, 3rd floor 10–11.15 Bryan Pickel, Glasgow: "Immanent Interpretation” 11.30–12.45 Emelia Stanley, Vienna: "Formalising Open Texture" lunch 14.15–15.30 Richard Lawrence, Vienna: "Sharp definitions of concepts and the chaos of experience" 15.45–17.00 Max Kölbel, Vienna: “A Conservative Approach to Semantic Indeterminacy” 17.15–18.30 John MacFarlane, Berkeley: “Felicitous Underspecification" Bryan Pickel, University of Glasgow (joint work with Derek Ball, University of St Andrews): "Immanent Interpretation” Abstract: Famous arguments purport to show that all, or a substantial fragment, of language is indeterminate in meaning. According to these arguments, if a speaker uses a sentence to express a proposition in a context, then an interpreter must (in principle at least) have more evidence favouring this proposition as the correct interpretation rather than rival interpretations. These arguments appeal to the claim that the interpreter or audience does not have sufficient evidence favouring one interpretation over its rivals. We show that these arguments fail because they ignore evidence that is available to interpreters – evidence that arises from the interpreters themselves as language users. But, our aim is not merely to rebut indeterminacy arguments. We construct a research strategy—immanent interpretation—for interpreters to meet the concerns of the proponents of indeterminacy arguments. We conclude by discussing important limitations on immanent interpretation. Emelia Stanley, University of Vienna: "Formalising Open Texture" Abstract: Waismann’s (1947) notion of open texture captures a species of (non‐sorietal) semantic‐ and truth‐vagueness: that a concept can both apply and disapply to some given case, within a context of application. Noting that open texture resists characterisation in a classical framework, I present an original formalisation the notion. Using this model I then conjecture, contra Waismann, that open‐texture does not only occur in mathematics, but that it plays an indispensable role in characterising its epistemology, and particularly its resolution strategies for crises of non‐trivial disagreement. Richard Lawrence, University of Vienna: "Sharp definitions of concepts and the chaos of experience" Abstract: Frege insists that, for logical purposes, concepts must be sharply defined, and this assumption is now deeply embedded in our contemporary approaches to semantics. Yet we have lost track of one of the background assumptions of classical German philosophy which was part of Frege's reason for that insistence: the idea that experience is initially an unstructured chaos, on which we must impose structure by actively seeking to grasp concepts in thought. I will argue that this background played an important role in some of Frege's semantic ideas, and that it is worth revisiting as we try to characterize phenomena like vagueness. Max Kölbel, University of Vienna: “A Conservative Approach to Semantic Indeterminacy” Abstract: So-called "felicitous underspecification" seems to be ubiquitous. Nevertheless communication succeeds effortlessly. A number of theorists (e.g. Viebahn, MacFarlane, King and others) have made proposals as to how semanticists should model this phenomenon. Some have proposed new-fangled semantic contents to do justice to the phenomenon. Others have offered pragmatic explanations of communicative success. In this talk, I want to draw attention to a third, more conservative approach that can at least in some cases be employed to explain what is going on. John MacFarlane, University of California at Berkeley: "Felicitous Underspecification” Abstract: In recent work, Jeffrey King has called our attention to the problem of "felicitous underspecification": felicitous uses of context-sensitive language in the absence of determinate intentions about the needed contextual supplementation. An example would be talk of a "local shop" in the absence of a determinate intention about whether we mean local-to-the-city or local-to-the-county. After discussing the problems raised by this phenomenon, I consider King's own solution and argue that it is inadequate. I then describe the solution I think is needed, which makes use of the basic ideas of Allan Gibbard's plan expressivism. According to this approach, ordinary descriptive claims like "I went to a local bar" must be understood as expressive of practical plans for the use of words, as well as ordinary beliefs. Indeterminacy amounts to practical indecision. ––––––––––––––––––––– Max Kölbel Institut für Philosophie Institutsvorstand Head of Department Professur für analytische Philosophie und Sprachphilosophie Chair of Analytic Philosophy and Philosophy of Language Philosophy as Conceptual Engagement (PACE), FWF doc.funds project https://pace.phl.univie.ac.at/ Knowledge in Crisis, FWF Cluster of Excellence project https://www.knowledgeincrisis.com/ Universität Wien Universitätsstraße 7 (NIG) 1010 Wien Austria Tel: +43 1 4277 46470 max.koelbel(a)univie.ac.at

1 month, 1 week

1
0
0 0

CFA: Summer School with Kit Fine on Decision Making under Parity

by Yannic Kappes

Dear colleagues, Benjamin Schnieder and I are organizing a summer school - please forward to anyone who might be interested in participating: The phlox research group is delighted to announce that the 2026 Hamburg/Vienna Summer School will be taught by Kit Fine (NYU). This year’s topic will be *Decision Making under Parity*. *Description* How should we do decision theory without making the assumption that preferences are linearly ordered? We shall first consider two standard approaches to this question, one in terms of approximate value and the other in terms of a range of precise values. We shall then develop our own approach, which uses the notion of an approximate difference in value between two items in place of the notion of the approximate value of a single item. The course will cover a range of philosophical and technical issues. The event will take place from Monday, July 20th to Friday, July 24th at the University of Vienna. For more information, please visit https://hamburgersommerkurs.wordpress.com *Call for attendance* We very much welcome external participants to the Summer School, though only a limited number of spaces are available. If you would like to participate, please send a registration email, attaching (i) a brief CV, and (ii) a short letter indicating how the course would benefit your work, to phlox-school (at) gmx (dot) de Registration is open until April 30th; we will notify applicants by the 10th of May. Best wishes, Yannic Kappes

1 month, 2 weeks

1
0
0 0

VO-L Ringvorlesung + Festival

by philosophie＠univie.ac.at

Guten Tag, im Namen von Arno Böhler informieren wir über folgende Veranstaltung am Institut: VO-L Ringvorlesung + Festival Philosophy on Stage (2026S) Introduction to Artistic Research and Performance Philosophy in Theory and Practice (180033 | 5 ECTS | Sprache: Englisch | Leitung: Arno Böhler) Ein integraler Bestandteil der Lehrveranstaltung ist das Festival PHILOSOPHY ON STAGE #6: Notebook of the Heart (9.–12. April 2026) im brut nordwest (Nordwestbahnstraße 8–10, 1200 Wien). Das Festival ist öffentlich zugänglich und lädt alle Interessierten herzlich ein. Eintritt frei nach Anmeldung. Weitere Informationen: brut-wien.at mdw.ac.at/the.heart

1 month, 2 weeks

1
0
0 0

Invitation: UPSalon Stammtisch - 18.3.2026 at Café Weingartner

by Initiative to Support Women in Academic Philosophy

Dear all, we hope that you are looking as much forward to the next semester as we are! We are happy to announce the date, time and venue for the next UPSalon Stammtisch: Wednesday, 18.3.2026, 19:00 at Café Weingartner (Goldschlagstraße 6). UPSalon are a group of students, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers at the department of philosophy; the initiative aims at creating a space and community in Vienna where underrepresented philosophers - such as women, trans, inter and non-binary persons, BIPOC, socioeconomically disadvantaged people, queer people, and people with disabilities - can connect on a regular basis at events and informal gatherings. We are looking forward to resuming the conversations we had at our last meeting in January, and are happy about new people who want to join. We also want to remind you that our first event of next semester, the Trans*Formations talk by Anna Klieber, will take place on Monday, 23.3., 18:30-20:00 at HS 3F, NIG. Please find the event description below and the poster attached. Looking forward to seeing you there too! With all the best, UPSalon ------ EINLADUNG zum Trans*Formations Vortrag von Dr. Anna Klieber, Cardiff University 23.3. 2026, 18:30-20:00, HS 3F „Sich einen Namen machen": trans Namensfindung und Namensgebung als subversive linguistische Praktiken Abstract: In diesem Vortrag argumentiere ich, dass geschlechtsspezifische Namensgebung eine sozio-linguistische Praktik darstellt, die Individuen im sozialen Raum _verortet_. Diese Verortungen passieren in den häufigsten Fällen entlang cis-normativer Vorstellungen zu Geschlecht: Namentliche Einteilung erfolgt entlang binärer, geschlechtsspezifischer Schemata, Benannte haben selten Entscheidungskraft über ihren Namen. In vielen Gesellschaften trägt der gegebene Name mitunter die Funktion, Geschlechtszugehörigkeit nach außen zu kommunizieren. Namensänderungen in der trans Community stellen demnach _linguistische Neuverortungen_ dar, die, angesichts der cis-normativen Namensgebungspraktiken unserer Gesellschaft, subversives Potenzial haben können. Dies wird insbesondere dann deutlich, wenn wir diese Namensgebungen aus Perspektive der trans Community selbst betrachten, jenseits des Interpretationsrahmens des cis-normativen Mainstreams. Ziel meines Vortrages ist es aufzuzeigen, dass der subversive Charakter von Namensgebung im trans Community Kontext sowohl aus der Wiedererlangung jener Autorität stammt, die Benannten normalerweise nicht zugestanden wird, als auch in einer Neuinterpretation der Einschränkungen, die von cis-normativen Namensgebungspraktiken vorgeschrieben werden. Bio: Dr. Klieber forscht in den Bereichen feministische, soziale und politische Sprachphilosophie, trans Philosophie, und Sozialepistemologie, sowie den Überschneidungen dieser Bereiche. Vor der Dozentur in Cardiff studierte Dr. Klieber an der Karl-Franzens Universität Graz (BA und MA) und der University of Sheffield (Doktorat). Nach dem Vortrag wird es ein Q & A sowie Snacks und Getränke geben! Wir freuen auch sehr auf die drei weiteren Veranstaltungen der Trans*Formations Reihe im SS 2026: Den Cognitive-Science Vortrag von Luana Pesarini (Universität Frankfurt) am 30.4.2026, eine Veranstaltung mit Fokus auf Law & Gender Mitte Mai, und im Juni einen feierlichen Semesterabschluss zum Thema Gender Euphoria, für den wir bereits Quill Kukla (Georgetown University), Eric A. Stanley (University of California, Berkeley), Luce deLire (Humboldt Universität zu Berlin) und Tris Hedges (University of Copenhagen) als Vortragende gewinnen konnten. Bei unseren früheren Veranstaltungen durften wir Luce deLire [1], Alyosxa Tudor [2], Eric Llaveria Caselles [3], Emelia Stanley, [4] Emma Heaney [5], Juliana Gleeson, [6] Gen Eickers & Sigmond Richli [7] und Jonah I. Garde [8] am Institut für Philosophie begrüßen. Wir freuen uns über die Weiterleitung dieser Einladung an Interessierte und danken Noah [9] für die Illustration am Poster! Mit lieben Grüßen, das Trans*Formations Orga Team Links: ------ [1] https://philosophie.univie.ac.at/en/news-events/nachrichten-news-events/det… [2] https://philosophie.univie.ac.at/news-events/nachrichten-news-events/detail… [3] https://philosophie.univie.ac.at/news-events/nachrichten-news-events/detail… [4] https://philosophie.univie.ac.at/news-events/nachrichten-news-events/detail… [5] https://lists.philo.at/hyperkitty/list/news@lists.philo.at/thread/GIUSVC6TO… [6] https://philosophie.univie.ac.at/news-events/nachrichten-news-events/detail… [7] https://urise.univie.ac.at/mod/booking/optionview.php?cmid=293&optionid… [8] https://lists.philo.at/hyperkitty/list/news@lists.philo.at/thread/ZUJBVRNM7… [9] https://www.instagram.com/p/DTP4qCJjFcG/

1 month, 2 weeks

1
0
0 0

KiC One-day workshop on Semantic Indecision, 5 March 2026

by Max Kölbel

Dear all, There will be a one-day workshop on Semantic Indecision next week on Thursday. Anyone interested is cordially invited to attend. The schedule, including titles and abstracts, is below. Best, Max. KiC Workshop on Semantic Indecision 5 March 2026 Room 3A, NIG, Universitätsstr 7, 3rd floor 10–11.15 Bryan Pickel, Glasgow: "Immanent Interpretation” 11.30–12.45 Emelia Stanley, Vienna: "Formalising Open Texture" lunch 14.15–15.30 Richard Lawrence, Vienna: "Sharp definitions of concepts and the chaos of experience" 15.45–17.00 Max Kölbel, Vienna: “A Conservative Approach to Semantic Indeterminacy” 17.15–18.30 John MacFarlane, Berkeley: TBA Bryan Pickel, University of Glasgow (joint work with Derek Ball, University of St Andrews): "Immanent Interpretation” Abstract: Famous arguments purport to show that all, or a substantial fragment, of language is indeterminate in meaning. According to these arguments, if a speaker uses a sentence to express a proposition in a context, then an interpreter must (in principle at least) have more evidence favouring this proposition as the correct interpretation rather than rival interpretations. These arguments appeal to the claim that the interpreter or audience does not have sufficient evidence favouring one interpretation over its rivals. We show that these arguments fail because they ignore evidence that is available to interpreters – evidence that arises from the interpreters themselves as language users. But, our aim is not merely to rebut indeterminacy arguments. We construct a research strategy—immanent interpretation—for interpreters to meet the concerns of the proponents of indeterminacy arguments. We conclude by discussing important limitations on immanent interpretation. Emelia Stanley, University of Vienna: "Formalising Open Texture" Abstract: Waismann’s (1947) notion of open texture captures a species of (non‐sorietal) semantic‐ and truth‐vagueness: that a concept can both apply and disapply to some given case, within a context of application. Noting that open texture resists characterisation in a classical framework, I present an original formalisation the notion. Using this model I then conjecture, contra Waismann, that open‐texture does not only occur in mathematics, but that it plays an indispensable role in characterising its epistemology, and particularly its resolution strategies for crises of non‐trivial disagreement. Richard Lawrence, University of Vienna: "Sharp definitions of concepts and the chaos of experience" Abstract: Frege insists that, for logical purposes, concepts must be sharply defined, and this assumption is now deeply embedded in our contemporary approaches to semantics. Yet we have lost track of one of the background assumptions of classical German philosophy which was part of Frege's reason for that insistence: the idea that experience is initially an unstructured chaos, on which we must impose structure by actively seeking to grasp concepts in thought. I will argue that this background played an important role in some of Frege's semantic ideas, and that it is worth revisiting as we try to characterize phenomena like vagueness. Max Kölbel, University of Vienna: “A Conservative Approach to Semantic Indeterminacy” Abstract: So-called "felicitous underspecification" seems to be ubiquitous. Nevertheless communication succeeds effortlessly. A number of theorists (e.g. Viebahn, MacFarlane, King and others) have made proposals as to how semanticists should model this phenomenon. Some have proposed new-fangled semantic contents to do justice to the phenomenon. Others have offered pragmatic explanations of communicative success. In this talk, I want to draw attention to a third, more conservative approach that can at least in some cases be employed to explain what is going on. John MacFarlane, University of California at Berkeley: TBA

1 month, 2 weeks

1
0
0 0

Online Session KoPhil am 27. Febr.

by philosophie＠univie.ac.at

Guten Tag! Wir möchten Sie über die folgende von Univ.-Doz. Mag. Mag. Dr. <https://ufind.univie.ac.at/de/person.html?id=13985> Hisaki Hashi organisierte Veranstaltung informieren: *** Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, Im Folgenden eine Information über die bevorstehende Veranstaltung, organisiert durch den Verein für Komparative Philosophie und Interdisziplinäre Billdung KoPhil. Online Session zum Thema Human Society and AI How is our Co-Existence possible based on Irrefutable Truth and General Good? Friday, Febr. 27th, 2026, 10:15 AM 12.00 AM Online by ZOOM univienna Organized by KoPhil Vienna with The Japan Society for Global System and Ethics for a cooperative forum between Japan and EU countries Information details please see the attached file (PDF) https:// <http://www.kophil-interdis.at> www.kophil-interdis.at Kooperation, Aktuelle Termine Mit freundlichen Grüßen KoPhil-Präsidium <http://www.kophil.at> www.kophil.at

1 month, 2 weeks

1
0
0 0

VDP Writing Evenings — Join Us Every Monday This Summer Semester

by Sebastian Aster

Dear all, As the first spring blossoms begin to appear outside, we hope our philosophical projects can grow and flourish alongside them. To help you cultivate steady writing habits and enjoy a supportive academic community, we warmly invite you to our weekly Writing Evenings. What: VDP Writing Evenings — dedicated time for focused writing and reading Who: Open to Philosophy MA, PhD, Postdocs, and anyone in between When: Every Monday, 14:00–18:00, starting 2 March 2026 Where: Room 3A, NIG, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna Registration: Not required — just come by. If you can’t make it exactly at 14:00, that’s no problem; we only ask that you join at a full hour to avoid interrupting the focused writing phases. How it works: • Focused 50‑minute writing sprints with short breaks • A regular weekly date to help you develop sustainable writing habits and a chance to meet your colleagues and develop a community • Snacks provided by the VDP Come for the structure, stay for the snacks. We look forward to writing with you throughout the summer semester. Warmly, Lukas, Raphael, Isis, Leah and Sebastian

1 month, 3 weeks

1
0
0 0

AS&P - “Abstraction, Structures and Proofs” - S. Shapiro, February 24

by Ludovica Conti

Dear all, we are pleased to announce the first talk in our online seminar series titled “Abstraction, Structures and Proofs”. Our first meeting is scheduled for 24 February at 18:00 CET, and we are honoured to begin with a talk by Stewart Shapiro (Ohio State University). If you are interested in attending, please write to ludovica.conti(a)univie.ac.at <mailto:ludovica.conti@univie.ac.at> or antpiccdarag(a)gmail.com <mailto:antpiccdarag@gmail.com> . This seminar is part of a series of events jointly organised by the University of Wien (Ludovica Conti, Georg Schiemer) and the University of Tübingen (Antonio Piccolomini d'Aragona). Further details can be found on the project website, accessible via this link: https://sites.google.com/view/wientuebingen/wien . Hope to see you online soon! Best regards, Georg and Ludovica

1 month, 3 weeks

1
0
0 0

Summer School on Trust & Cooperation (Vienna, 13-17 July, 2026): Call for Participation - Deadline March 31

by Eva Hijlkema

*Trust & Cooperation – Vienna Summer School 2026* Accepting applications until March 31! ** *Confirmed instructors:* Leah Henderson <https://lhenderson.org/> (University of Groningen), Benjamin McMyler <https://philpeople.org/profiles/benjamin-mcmyler> (University of Minnesota), Kieran Oberman <https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/kieran-oberman> (The London School of Economics and Political Science), * * *Guest speakers:* Keith Harris <https://www.knowledgeincrisis.com/people/keith-harris>(University of Vienna) more to be confirmed! *dates: *July 13–July 17, 2026** *deadline*: March 31, 2026 (see below for further details) *location*: Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG), Universitätstrasse 7, 1010 Wien, Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna <https://www.univie.ac.at/en>, Austria *Call for Participation* Over the course of five days participants will have the opportunity to engage with renowned experts in discussions on the topic of *trust and cooperation* on the interpersonal and institutional level, as well as within the contexts of *climate change* and *immigration*. Trustandcooperationhavebecomefrontandcenterissuesintoday’sworld.Thenatureofglobal challenges -fromrefugeesseekingasylumtotheecological crisesofclimatechangeandbiodiversityloss-renderscooperationevermorecrucialtoovercoming them. Key questions revolve around the nature of trust and the nature of cooperation respectively, as well as around the relationship between trust and cooperation, intersecting the fields of social and political philosophy, as well as applied ethics and political epistemology. We welcome applications from PhD students (prioritized), advanced MA students and postdoctoral researchers in philosophy and related disciplines. Participants will explore current research in these fields, attend keynote lectures, thematic discussions and interactive workshops, as well as present their own work, and receive valuable feedback from invited scholars. The goal of this Summer School is to provide doctoral students with direct access to leading researchers whose work—whether directly or indirectly—relates to these themes. *Application & Fees* We welcome applications from PhD students (prioritized), advanced MA students and postdoctoral researchers in philosophy and related disciplines. Two modes of participation are possible: 1) attendance, 2) presentation – if they would also like to give a presentation. To apply for participation, please send the following documents to Joachim Raich (joachim.raich(a)univie.ac.at): 1. Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages) 2. Statement of Purpose (no longer than 1 page), explaining the relevance of the summer school to your study, research, teaching and/or other professional work. 3. Statement of Financial Aid (optional). We can offer limited partial financial support (including the coverage of the school fees) to the participants whose home institutions cannot cover their expenses. We therefore ask the applicants who wish to be considered for funding to briefly describe their situation in the statement. 4. Abstract (optional; max. 250 words). If you would like to present your work at the summer school, please send us a short abstract of your presentation. The presentations should be related in a significant manner to the themes of trust and/or cooperation (from any philosophical perspective) and should be about 20 minutes long to leave enough time for discussions. Since the number of slots for student presentations is limited, this will help us decide on how to allocate them. The maximum number of participants at the summer school will be 25. The *summer school fee is 75 Euros*. The fee includes the student union fee of 25 Euros, which is required by Austrian law to register at the University of Vienna and to receive a certificate of completion of the summer school. Please, *submit your application by March 31, 23.59 CET*. *Contact Email: **joachim.raich(a)univie.ac.at* We will notify you of the decision by April 16. Diversity Statement *We strongly encourage applications from members of disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. * Organizing Committee *Chiara Dankl Ali Emre Benli Eva Hijlkema Joachim Raich* The VDP Summer School 2025 is funded by the Vienna Doctoral School of Philosophy (University of Vienna). Visit the website for more information! <https://philosophie.univie.ac.at/news-events/nachrichten-news-events/detail…>

1 month, 4 weeks

1
0
0 0

2026

2025

News ----- 2026 ----- April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 ----- 2025 ----- December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025

News