Metaphors in Philosophy
Symposium organized by the Centre for Philosophy of Culture
University of Antwerp
Wednesday, May 20th 2009
Room R.008
Although philosophy has always insisted on clear and rational argumentation, philosophers seem not to be able to do without metaphors and figurative language. The Wörterbuch der philosophischen Metaphern, edited in 2007 by R. Konersmann, has uncovered this area in a systematic way. It testifies to the actuality and importance of the reflection on metaphors in philosophy, and on the relation between philosophical concepts and their roots in prephilosophical language.
Contemporary linguistics, literary theory, communication science, psychology etc. show great interest in metaphor in general. It is no longer considered a mere rhetorical ornament, but, on the contrary, a central phenomenon in language, thought, culture and science. In philosophy too, different theories of metaphor in general have been developed.
The symposium will not focus on the theory of metaphor in general (in linguistics, literary theory or philosophy), but more specifically on the role of metaphors in philosophy. Blumenberg may serve as a background reference. However, the scope of the symposium is wider than Blumenberg’s metaphorology, and includes various approaches to metaphors in philosophy from the perspective of the philosophy of culture and the history of philosophy.
Keynote speaker
Ralf Konersmann (University of Kiel)
Other speakers will include Benjamin Biebuyck (University of Ghent), Alexander Roose (University of Ghent) and Walter Van Herck (University of Antwerp).
The language of the symposium is English. The keynote lecture will be held in German.
Paper presentations
Scholars are invited to give a short presentation of their research on the subject of the symposium (20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of discussion).
Publication
The organizing committee plans to edit a book containing the selected papers of the symposium. Papers should count a min. of 6 000 words and not exceed 10 000 words. Instructions for the authors will be made available later.
Contact and information
Walter Van Herck, University of Antwerp – City Campus, Dep. Philosophy, Prinsstraat 13, B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium,
Information on hotels etc., see:
Organizing committee
Arthur Cools, Walter Van Herck and Koenraad Verrycken (University of Antwerp)
Metaphors in Philosophy: Antwerp, 20th of May 2009 ––– Paper sessions
roomR.213roomR.218room R.219room R.231
Metaphors and the historyMetaphors and philosophicalMetaphors at workMetaphysics, meta-
Of philosophydiscourse phorics, phenomeno-
logy
pres. G. Van Eekertpres. K. Verryckenpres. W. Van Herckpres. A. Cools
11:30Petra Van BrabandtEdit Anna LukacsNel van den HaakGert-Jan van der Heiden
Hume and metaphor‘Deus/Universum est sphaera infinita.’ War metaphor in philosophy Why Heidegger's Metaphors
Transformations of the Metaphorand in medical domainare no Metaphors
on the Infinite Sphere
12:00Paul Sailer-WlasitsEdward TilsonKoenraad ElstChris Bremmers
Die abwesende Gestalt innererOn Metaphor and Modernity: for a The colour spectrum as metaphorHeidegger, Levinas and the
Anschauung: KantMontaignian Reading of Blumenberg for multiplicity in Pluralistic andPlatonic reverance: the
Emanationist philosophiesmetaphor of the sun
pres. G. Vanheeswijckpres. W. Van Herckpres. K. Verryckenpres. A. Cools
14:30Virginia TassinariFrederic CossuttaSabine HillenFrans van Peperstraeten
Adorno and Celan: about the possibilityDiscourse Analysis and Living with dreams and metaphorsMetafoor bij Kant en Lyotard
of poetry after Auschwitz Philosophical Metaphors
15:00Yoni Van Den EedeFilip BuekensJoost Van DriesscheArthur Cools
Theory, Technology and Culture Fact-Creating Metaphors: The metaphor of the panorama in Conclusions
as Metaphor: The Ubiquity of Metaphorthe Institutional Accountthe study of social sciences
in the Work of Marshall McLuhan