- News - Philosophy bulletin board

Reminder: Daniela Dover, "No Promises: Beauvoir on Time, Agency, and Freedom" - PACE/KiC Metaphilosophical Talk Series

by Sebastian Horvat

Dear all, This is a kind reminder for tomorrow's talk of the PACE/KiC Metaphilosophical Talk Series by Daniela Dover, UCLA Title: No Promises: Beauvoir on Time, Agency, and Freedom (see abstract below) Date: January 29th, 2026 (Thursday) Time: 16:45-18:15 Location: Hörsaal 2H, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG), 2. Stock - Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien Abstract: Most people nowadays, especially in the Anglophone world, first encounter Simone de Beauvoir through her 1949 magnum opus the Second Sex. But in a conversation with a biographer near the end of her life, Beauvoir mentioned only two books as particularly important for understanding her oeuvre. These were her two book-length works of moral philosophy, Pyrrhus and Cineas, from 1944, and Toward an Ethics of Ambiguity, from 1947. These works have until very recently received very little philosophical attention, often being treated as mere background to The Second Sex. Yet we argue that they lay the groundwork for a genuinely novel, promising, and systematic moral theory that parallels but also radically transforms Kant’s approach to moral theory in the Groundwork. In this paper, we explore several of that theory's more surprising implications, including that our ordinary practice of promising is morally suspect. We look forward to seeing you! Best wishes, The PACE/KiC organising team https://pace.phl.univie.ac.at/ https://www.knowledgeincrisis.com/

4 months, 2 weeks

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Knowledge in Crisis: Alexandre Lefebvre Talk on 30 January at 3pm

by Paulina Sliwa

Dear All, at 3pm on Friday 30 January (next week), we will be hosting Alexandre Lefebvre, who is Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sydney. His talk will take place at 3pm in 'Hörsaal 3F' on the 3rd floor of NIG. Details are below. The Good Life State: Politics After Liberalism Alexandre Lefebvre (University of Sydney) Liberals keep making a mistake about the non- and post-liberal turn. The usual story is that regimes like Orbán's Hungary, Xi's China, Putin's Russia, Modi's India, and MAGA America are held together mainly by the ugly goods of politics: money, patronage, resentment, and cynical leaders gaming a duped public. Some of that is true. But it doesn't explain why these projects feel vital to supporters, why they endure, and why liberals keep acting surprised. This talk argues that many of these regimes are better understood as ruling through the good life. They're not only anti-liberal. They're positive, teleological, and willing to use the state's tools—policy, institutions, incentives, and cultural power—to shape citizens' virtues, attachments, and habits of feeling. After the talk, we will go to dinner at Rebhuhn, so please let us know if you would like to join so I can make a booking. I very much hope to see many of you there! All the Best, Alex --- Univ-Prof. Paulina Sliwa Professor of Moral and Political Philosophy Director of Training, FWF Cluster of Excellence "Knowledge in Crisis" Institute of Philosophy University of Vienna

4 months, 3 weeks

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Daniela Dover, "No Promises: Beauvoir on Time, Agency, and Freedom" - PACE/KiC Metaphilosophical Talk Series

by Sebastian Horvat

Dear all, The PACE and KiC Projects cordially invite you to the next talk of the Metaphilosophical Talk Series by Daniela Dover, UCLA Title: No Promises: Beauvoir on Time, Agency, and Freedom Date: January 29th, 2026 (Thursday) Time: 16:45-18:15 Location: Hörsaal 2H, Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG), 2. Stock - Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien We look forward to seeing you! Best wishes, The PACE/KiC organising team https://pace.phl.univie.ac.at/ https://www.knowledgeincrisis.com/

4 months, 3 weeks

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Konferenz: „Denkfiguren von Individuum und Masse“, 6.-7. Februar 2026, Universität Wien

by philosophie＠univie.ac.at

Guten Tag! Wir möchten Sie über die folgende Veranstaltung informieren, die von Dissertant*innen am Institut für Philosophie organisiert wird: -----Original Message----- From: Peter Schneider <peter.schneider(a)univie.ac.at> Sent: Friday, January 16, 2026 11:05 AM To: news(a)lists.philo.at Subject: Konferenz: „Denkfiguren von Individuum und Masse“, 6.-7. Februar 2026, Universität Wien „Denkfiguren von Individuum und Masse“ 6.–7. Februar 2026 Universität Wien, NIG Hörsaal 3B Von Revolutionär*innen geliebt, von Liberalen gefürchtet, von Kulturkritiker*innen bemitleidet – die Masse bleibt eine Provokation. Sie gilt als politische Kraft, die ebenso gefürchtet wie als Hoffnungsträgerin beschworen wird. Dem gegenüber steht das Ideal des autonomen Subjekts, das philosophische, politische und kulturelle Debatten bis heute prägt. Zunehmend rückt dabei die Frage in den Fokus, unter welchen Bedingungen Selbstbestimmung möglich ist und welche Grenzen ihr gesetzt sind. Die interdisziplinäre Konferenz widmet sich diesen Fragen aus historischen und systematischen Perspektiven. Zur Diskussion stehen Modelle sozialen Zusammenhangs, ethische Konzepte des Einzelnen und ideologiekritische Reflexionen über das „Wir“. Keynote-Speaker: Markus Brunner (Sigmund Freud Privatuniversität Wien) Stephanie Graf (Freie Universität Berlin) Jonas Oßwald (Universität Wien) Link zum vollständigen Programm: <https://ucloud.univie.ac.at/index.php/s/m46xcKzkdiTDKXJ> https://ucloud.univie.ac.at/index.php/s/m46xcKzkdiTDKXJ

4 months, 3 weeks

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Podiumsdiskussion "Dynamiken des Neuen: Was ist Innovation und wer treibt sie an?"

by philosophie＠univie.ac.at

Guten Tag! Wir möchten Sie über die folgende Veranstaltung informieren, bei der Eugenia Stamboliev, Projektmitarbeiterin an unserem Institut, mitwirkt: Veranstaltung <https://www.postgraduatecenter.at/offene-weiterbildung/offene-weiterbildung /kaiserschild-lectures/innovation/anmeldung-podiumsdiskussion-innovation/> Dynamiken des Neuen: Was ist Innovation und wer treibt sie an? Details zur Veranstaltung: Podiumsdiskussion "Dynamiken des Neuen: Was ist Innovation und wer treibt sie an?" Zeit: Mittwoch, 28.01.2026, 18.00-19.30 Uhr Ort: Ateliertheater, Burggasse 71, 1070 Wien mit Elisabeth Unterfrauner (Scientific Director & CEO, Zentrum für Soziale Innovation (ZSI)), Eugenia Stamboliev (Institut für Philosophie, Universität Wien) und Georg Russegger (Director, LBG Open Innovation in Science Center). Moderation: Lena Yadlapalli, Leiterin APA-Science Inhalt: Innovation treibt gesellschaftliche, technologische und wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. Innovative Ideen verändern, wie wir leben, arbeiten und denken, indem sie neue Wege der Gestaltung und Problemlösung aufzeigen. Doch Innovation ist mehr als technologischer Fortschritt: Sie verlangt eine tiefgehende Auseinandersetzung mit sozialen, ethischen und ökologischen Fragestellungen, um Antworten auf die entscheidenden Fragen zu finden, die unsere Zukunft prägen werden. In der Kick-Off Veranstaltung zu unserem Schwerpunkt zu Innovation möchten wir ganz grundlegend mit Ihnen diskutieren: * Was ist Innovation, wie und warum entsteht sie? * Wer treibt sie an? * Und welche Auswirkungen haben Innovationsprozesse? Hier kostenlos anmelden <https://www.postgraduatecenter.at/offene-weiterbildung/offene-weiterbildung /kaiserschild-lectures/innovation/anmeldung-podiumsdiskussion-innovation/> Vielen Dank im Voraus und liebe Grüße Lena Zauchner Lena Zauchner, BA (sie/ihr; she/her) Offene Weiterbildung Universität Wien Postgraduate Center Campus der Universität Wien Spitalgasse 2, Hof 1, Eingang 1.5.4, 1090 Wien T +43-1-4277-10832 M +43-664-817 6389 <javascript:linkTo_UnCryptMailto('ocknvq,ngpc0bcwejpgtBwpkxkg0ce0cv');> lena.zauchner(a)univie.ac.at <http://www.postgraduatecenter.at/> www.postgraduatecenter.at <http://facebook.com/postgraduatecenter> <https://www.instagram.com/postgraduatecenter.univie/> <https://www.youtube.com/PostgraduateVienna> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/postgraduatecenter/> <https://massmailer.univie.ac.at/site/postgraduatecenter/108pgc/subscribe/ar ticle/119.html> » Möchten Sie unseren Newsletter erhalten? Hier geht's zur Anmeldung!

4 months, 3 weeks

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Reminder: Martin Kusch, "Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle on Science and Relativism" - Physics meets Philosophy

by Sebastian Horvat

Dear all, This is a kind reminder for the next "Physics meets Philosophy" talk (organized in cooperation with the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information) by Martin Kusch (University of Vienna) Title: Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle on Science and Relativism (see abstract below) Date: January 21st (Wednesday) Time: 14:00-15:30 Location: IQOQI Seminar room (Boltzmanngasse 3, 2nd floor) Zoom link (for those that cannot join in person): https://univienna.zoom.us/j/62477829358?pwd=ClSjluALepJo9eqDxcrHz24QImDtu7.1 Abstract: I argue that there is a common theme in the later Ludwig Wittgenstein, in Philip Frank and Otto Neurath: that the philosophy of science needs to take seriously social-scientific perspectives on the sciences, and that such perspectives come with commitments to relativism. For more information on "Physics meets Philosophy", see https://sites.google.com/view/physphilvienna Best wishes Sebastian

4 months, 4 weeks

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Next UPSalon Stammtisch: 22.1., 19:30

by Initiative to Support Women in Academic Philosophy

Dear all, we hope that you had a great start into the new year! We are happy to announce the date, time and venue for the next UPSalon Stammtisch: Thursday, 22.1.2026, 19:30 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 December, and are happy about new people who want to join. With all the best, UPSalon

4 months, 4 weeks

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Vortrag & Workshop Feministische Epistemologien, Do 22.01.2026,

by Gerald Posselt

VORTRAG Miriam Schröder & Frieder Vogelmann: Feministische Epistemologie und Politische Theorie Do 22.01.2026 | 11:30-14:00 | Inst. f. Politikwissenchaft | 2. Stock, Hörsaal H1 BUCHWORKSHOP Feministische Epistemologien: Ein Reader. Hg. von Katharina Hoppe und Frieder Vogelmann (Suhrkamp 2024) Do 22.01.2026 | 15:30-19:00 | Inst. f. Philosophie | 3. Stock, Hörsaal 3A 15:30-15:50 | Frieder Vogelmann: Vorstellung des Buchprojekts 15:50-16:15 | Sonja Riegler: Einführung 16:15-17:00 | Miriam Schröder: "Situierung als identitätskritische Praxis. Donna Haraways Intervention in die Wissenschaften" 17:00-17:30 | Kaffeepause 17:30-18:15 | Luise Meck: "Skalierte Definitionsmacht. Hermeneutische Ungerechtigkeit und Nichtwissen bei Miranda Fricker" 18:15-19:00 | Lilly Mehlhorn: "Eine Geografie des Denkens. Eurozentrismus als organisierte Ignoranz nach Linda Martín Alcoff" Organisation: Gerald Posselt, Sonja Riegler & Sergej Seitz Die Workshop-Texte werden auf Anfrage gerne zugeschickt: gerald.posselt(a)univie.ac.at<mailto:gerald.posselt@univie.ac.at> Mit besten Grüßen Gerald Posselt ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: PD Dr. Gerald Posselt Department of Philosophy |University of Vienna Universitätsstr. 7 | 1010 Vienna FWF Project Politics of Truth<https://language.univie.ac.at/projects/> "Politik und Aphasie: Zur Polarität von Metapher und Metonymie", in: Zeitschrift für Praktische Philosophie 12 (1), 2025, 369-398. https://doi.org/10.22613/zfpp/12.1.16 "Aporias of Truth and Politics: Arendt, Foucault, and the Practice of Truth-Telling." Genealogy+Critique 11 (1), 2025, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.16995/gc.17038

5 months

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TEAP – Ø. Linnebo “Non-instantial generality: What it is and why we need it”

by Ludovica Conti

Dear all, I am pleased to announce a new seminar series titled Themes from Early Analytic Philosophy. Themes from Early Analytic Philosophy is an online seminar series organized by Michele Contente (Czech Academy of Sciences), Ludovica Conti (University of Vienna), and Caterina Sisti (University of Turin). The aim of the series is to bring together scholars whose work addresses topics central to the early analytic tradition, is inspired by the work of major philosophers in this tradition, or offers historically grounded reconstructions of the contributions of key figures. The upcoming semester's theme is “Generality and Generalisations”. You can find more information here: https://sites.google.com/view/themeseap – we plan to update the website regularly. We are delighted to invite you to our first talk on Friday 16 January, 11-13 am (CET), at the following link: https://univienna.zoom.us/j/5880778120?pwd=sagYfjPsE7DV8IfbFzNEZSpfkK3UYz.1. Øystein Linnebo (University of Oslo) – Non-instantial generality: What it is and why we need it What features of reality are responsible for the truth of a universal generalization? The orthodox answer proceeds via the instances of the generalization. Everything is F because a is F, b is F, and so on, plus (perhaps) the fact that these are all the objects. I show that the orthodoxy needs to be supplemented with (wholly or partially) non-instantial explanations. E.g., we can explain why everything crimson is red or why every object has a singleton set without invoking any instances of these generalizations. Although non-instantial generality is familiar from mathematical intuitionism, I divorce the idea from the intuitionistic philosophy and show how it can be put on a robustly realist footing (say, in terms of Finean essences). With non-instantial generality on board, all the truths of intuitionistic (but not classical) first-order logic turn out to have a trivial truthmaker. The talk will describe the truthmaker analysis of non-instantial generality developed in my “Generality explained”. Some more recent developments will also be discussed, especially an extension of my analysis of non-instantial generality to the framework of metaphysical grounding, as well as some applications of the analysis in philosophy and the foundations of mathematics. Hope to see you online! Ludovica Conti

5 months

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REMINDER: Call for Applications - Summer School on Global Health - Vienna July 2026

by Wiener Kreis Gesellschaft

*Summer School* *Call for Applications * *(Deadline: February 15, 2026)* ** *24^th univie: summer school – Scientific World Conceptions (USS-SWC)* *GLOBAL HEALTH*** *Vienna, July 6-10, 2026* *https://summerschool-ivc.univie.ac.at/* ** *Course Description* ‘Global health’ has attracted wide attention. This program will explore this interdisciplinary topic from a variety different but interrelated perspectives. First, global health reveals significant health disparities: but what causes these, and which disparities are unjust and demand redress? How types of social oppression – such as, racism and heterosexism – relate to health injustices will be explored, alongside investigating the contentious role of advocacy in public health. Second, global health reveals dilemmas between individual rights and communal benefits. For example, clinical trials funded by Western pharmaceutical companies benefit and exploit participants in low-income countries; measures to control the spread of Covid-19 protected and restricted individuals; and international differences in assisted dying legislation largely depend on how much a jurisdiction values individual autonomy. Such dilemmas are viewed through a philosophical bioethics/public health ethics lens. Third, global health will be explored from a sociological and humanistic perspective, emphasizing how health is shaped by global interdependencies, power relations, and cultural meanings. Moving beyond biomedical paradigms, the sociology of health can highlight the social, political, and epistemological dimensions of illness, care, and inequality. In addition, Graphic Medicine as an innovative visual and narrative approach to representing experiences of vulnerability and global crisis, will be introduced. *Topics*will be selected reflecting participants’ interests and may include: ·History of efforts to account for what causes public health disparities, and what makes a disparity an injustice/inequity in need of intervention ·Efforts to theorize how various types of social oppression relate to health injustices and the amelioration of those injustices ·Role of advocacy in public health, including limits on the roles of public health experts in crafting social policies around issues such as immigration and climate change ·Ethics of clinical trials by Western pharmaceutical companies that take place in low-income countries ·Justification for liberty-limiting measures to control the spread of Covid-19 around the globe ·International differences in forms of assisted dying and which, if any, are justifiable. ·The conceptual evolution from Public Health to One Health and Planetary Health, focusing on how sociological approaches reframe health as a relational and systemic phenomenon ·Postcolonial and decolonial perspectives, questioning how global health reproduces colonial hierarchies and epistemic injustices ·Visual storytelling: how comics and graphic narratives contribute to understanding emotional labour, care, and social inequality in health ** ** *Lecturers*: *Stephen Holland (University of York)* Stephen Holland is a Professor in the Departments of Philosophy and Health Sciences, University of York. Stephen’s main research interests are in ethics, including moral and political philosophy, bioethics, and public health ethics. As well as numerous articles, he is the author of ‘Bioethics: A Philosophical Introduction’ and ‘Public Health Ethics’, both published by Polity, and ‘Ethics and Governance of Public Health Information’, published by Rowman & Littlefield. He is currently working on a book on assisted dying, due to be published by Polity next year. *Veronica Moretti (University of Bologna)* Veronica Moretti is an Associate Professor at the University of Bologna and a member of the University Bioethics Committee. Her main research interests lie in the field of creative and participatory methods within the sociology of health and illness, and in the intersections between technology and human practices, with a specific emphasis on digital health theories. She is co-coordinator of the ESA Research Network 22 Sociology of Risk and Uncertainties, a board member of the European Society for Health and Medical Sociology (ESHMS), and one of the founders of Graphic Medicine Italia. Her latest publication, The Social Genre of Comics (Palgrave, 2025), investigates how comics can function as a social and epistemological genre within the humanities and social sciences. ** ** ** *Sean A. Valles (Michigan State University)* Sean A. Valles, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Michigan State University Center for Bioethics and Social Justice and Director of Learning Environment for the College of Human Medicine. Dr. Valles is a philosopher of health specializing in the ethical and evidentiary complexities of how social contexts combine to create patterns of inequitable health disparities. His work includes studying the challenges of responsibly using race and ethnicity concepts in monitoring health disparities, scrutinizing the rhetoric of the COVID-19 pandemic as an ‘unprecedented’ problem that could not be prepared for, and examining how biomedicine meshes with public health and population health. Dr. Valles is author of the 2018 book “Philosophy of Population Health: Philosophy for a New Public Health Era.” He is also co-editor of the Oxford University Press book series "Bioethics for Social Justice.” Dr. Valles received his PhD in history and philosophy of science from Indiana University Bloomington. ** *Application form and further information*: https://summerschool-ivc.univie.ac.at/application/ <https://summerschool-ivc.univie.ac.at/application/> USS-SWC operates under the academic supervision of an International Program Committee of distinguished philosophers, historians, and scientists. Its members represent the scientific fields in the scope of USS-SWC, make contact to their home universities and will also support acknowledgement of courses taken by the students. The annual summer school is organised by the Institute Vienna Circle of the University of Vienna. https://wienerkreis.univie.ac.at/ <https://wienerkreis.univie.ac.at/> Find information about our exchange programme with Duke University (North Carolina) here: https://international.univie.ac.at/en/international-cooperation/university-… <https://international.univie.ac.at/en/international-cooperation/university-…> *Inquiries:* __ _Administrator:_ Zarah Weiss Institute Vienna Circle Alser Straße 23/32 1080 Wien summerschool.ivc(a)univie.ac.at <mailto:summerschool.ivc@univie.ac.at> _Scientific director:_ Georg Schiemer Institute Vienna Circle Alser Straße 23/32 1080 Wien georg.schiemer(a)univie.ac.at <mailto:georg.schiemer@univie.ac.at>

5 months

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2026

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