KJSNA has moved to a new server: https://www.karljaspers.us

if you are not redirected to the current Call for Papers, please click here: www.karljaspers.us/papercall.html

Call for Papers 2019

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2019 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Pacific Division (Vancouver, Canada): April 17-20, 2019

International Relations and Philosophy in a Global Age

KJSNA cordially invites proposals for presentations that explore international relations in the context of globalization. The aim is to open up a conversation and dialogue about the potential limits but also opportunities for political theorizing. This meeting aims at embodying an enduring component related to Karl Jaspers' philosophy: the necessity of reorganizing patterns of political, social, and religious thought, values, and conduct in light of current political challenges and situations (especially in the context of globalization). We invite papers from a variety of philosophical and humanistic perspectives and welcome the integration of Jaspersian concepts such as, for example liberality, conservative liberalism, or humanistic psychology.

Topics may include (but are not limited to) consideration of the following:
• The impact of globalization on political philosophy
• Reflections on Axial Age dynamics to address globalization
• Alternatives to liberalism or socialism as guidelines for human government
• The role of humanistic psychology in a globalized world
• The impact of technology for population management

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program co-chairs by September 15, 2018. Earlier submissions are appreciated:

Dane Sawyer and Helmut Wautischer .

Notification of placement will take place by November 20, 2018.

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2019 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Central Division (Denver, CO): February 20-23, 2019

Humankind as Historical Beings
Karl Jaspers and José Ortega y Gasset

KJSNA cordially invites proposals for presentations that discuss the philosophy of history in the work of Jaspers and Ortega, focusing on humankind as historical beings. The meaning of "historical beings" is the subject for discussion. Jaspers argued, "Man is not history as a natural being, but as a spiritual being." Ortega argued, "we have no nature, only history." Clearly, history is fundamental to humans for both of these European philosophers (who were born in the same year). Thoughtful historical scholarship requires philosophizing about history. In Jaspers' view, our spiritual historicity is, in fact, our nature. In Ortega's broader perspective, our general historicity is, in fact, our nature. The role of history is central to both thinkers for understanding human existence.

Topics may include (but are not limited to) consideration of the following:
• What it means to be "historical beings"
• What is "natural" about our historicity; the relationship between history and nature
• Jaspers' and Ortega's stance on dualism in view of the idea that our history is our nature
• How is the historical record itself historical
• Where do Jaspers and Ortega coincide, how are they different?

Presentations are limited to a maximum of 20 minutes, with emphasis on dialogue, since the event will be videotaped and an edited version of the recording will be posted online. All participants are encouraged to submit their final, edited papers for consideration to be published in Existenz. All contributors are welcome regardless of membership. A registration fee of $25.00 applies for all who are not an active member in the Karl Jaspers Society of North America.

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program chair:

Marnie F. Binder by September 1, 2018. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will take place by November 20, 2018.

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2019 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Eastern Division (New York, NY): January 7-10, 2019

Joint Session of the Karl Jaspers Society of North America
and
The International Society for Chinese Philosophy

ISCP and KJSNA invite critics to join our Author-Meets-Critics session discussing Eric S. Nelson's Chinese and Buddhist Philosophy in Early Twentieth-Century German Thought (Bloomsbury: 2017).

From Bloomsbury: "Through a series of case studies from the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, Eric Nelson focuses on the reception and uses of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in German philosophy, covering figures as diverse as Buber, Heidegger, and Misch. He argues that the growing intertextuality between traditions cannot be appropriately interpreted through notions of exclusive identities, closed horizons, or unitary traditions. Providing an account of the context, motivations, and hermeneutical strategies of early twentieth-century European thinkers' interpretation of Asian philosophy, Nelson also throws new light on the question of the relation between Heidegger and Asian philosophy."

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program co-chairs:

Paul Boshears and Mario Wenning by May 31, 2018. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will be communicated by July 31, 2018.

Cosmopolitanism and Intercultural Communication

KJSNA cordially invites proposals for presentations that explore the relationship between cosmopolitanism and intercultural communication in the existential tradition. Potential paper topics include (but are not limited to):

• Cosmopolitanism and human existence
• Cultural as well as intercultural challenges in the contemporary world
• Jaspers' conception of axial age civilizations in light of his world philosophy
• Limit situations and intercultural communication
• Existential transcendence and immanence in intercultural dialogue
• The elaboration of the relationship between Orient and Occident by Jaspers or other thinkers in the existential tradition

Presentations are limited to a maximum of 20 minutes to allow for sufficient dialogue. All contributors are welcome regardless of membership. A registration fee of $25.00 applies for all who are not active members in the Karl Jaspers Society of North America.

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program chair:

Mario Wenning by June 30, 2018. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will be communicated by July 31, 2018.

Call for Papers 2018

As a FISP member Society,
the Karl Jaspers Society of North America will host panels

in conjunction with the XXIV World Congress of Philosophy
August 13–20, 2018
Beijing, China

World Congress Theme: "Learning To Be Human"

The Congress will include sessions to the theme, Jaspers in a Global Context. The purpose of these sessions is to discover possibilities in Karl Jaspers' work for thinking about such philosophies, histories, and cultures that emerged in different periods and locations as well as to reflect on their interrelationship, and to provide a forum for international Jaspers Societies and individual Jaspers scholars to contribute to the World Congress.

The following presentation topics are particularly welcome:

* Intercultural Communication—intercultural comparisons and productive engagements between East and West, world philosophy, the unity of humanity as opposed to totalitarian thinking
* The Atomic Bomb and World Peace—the challenges of the nuclear age and philosophical justifications for pacifism
* Transcendence and Immanence—the influence of transcendence and immanence on the practice of cultural criticism, human existence and transcendence, the relationship between conceptions of transcendence and universalistic conceptions of morality
* Perspectives on Asian Philosophy and Asian Influences on Jaspers—the interpretation of themes in Confucius, the Buddha, Laozi, or Nagarjuna from perspectives informed by existential philosophy as well as the influence of Asian philosophers on Jaspers thought
* Concepts of Self and Humanity—Jaspers' view of self and humanity in comparison and contrast with East Asian views of self and humanity, the relationship between self, humanity and the cosmos
* Guilt and Responsibility—existential and historical guilt in different cultural contexts, guilt versus shame cultures, responsibilities derived from guilt, guilt and conscience

The early deadline for submitting paper proposals is September 15, 2017. An extended deadline for submitting paper proposals ends on January 10, 2018. Proposals received after these deadlines may be considered if space permits. Please send a title and an abstract of no more than 200 words with the subject Jaspers in a Global Context to the program chair, Ruth Burch, burch@karljaspers.net.

A preliminary list of participants is posted at http://www.karljaspers.us/conferinternational.html.

Registration for the World Congress is explained at http://wcp2018.pku.edu.cn/yw/registration/index.htm

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2018 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Central Division (Chicago, IL): February 21-24, 2018

Joint Session of the Karl Jaspers Society of North America
and
the Gabriel Marcel Society

The content of the joint session is broadly construed, but with an eye toward contributions that draw from, or are indebted to, the work of Karl Jaspers and Gabriel Marcel. Differences and similarities of these two philosophers are discussed in view of existentialism and politics. Contributions that integrate current political realities are especially encouraged.

Presentations are held to a maximum of 20 minutes presentation time, with emphasis on dialogue, since the event will be videotaped and an edited version of the recording will be posted online. All participants are encouraged to submit their final, edited papers for consideration to be published either in Marcel Studies or in Existenz. All contributors are welcome regardless of membership. A registration fee of $25.00 applies for all who are not an active member in either the Gabriel Marcel Society or the Karl Jaspers Society of North America.

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program chair:

Jill Graper Hernandez by September 15, 2017. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will take place by November 20, 2017.

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2018 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Pacific Division (San Diego, CA):
March 28 - April 1, 2018

Truth, Communication, and Free Speech: Jaspers and the University

Conference organizers cordially invite proposals exploring various aspects or problems directly related to Jaspers' works on existentialism, politics, and the role of universities. Contributions that integrate current political realities are especially encouraged.

Presentations are held to a maximum of 20 minutes presentation time, with emphasis on dialogue, since the event will be videotaped and an edited version of the recording will be posted online. All participants are encouraged to submit their final, edited papers for consideration to be published in Existenz. All contributors are welcome regardless of membership. A registration fee of $25.00 applies for all who are not an active member in the Karl Jaspers Society of North America.

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program chair:

Helmut Wautischer by September 15, 2017. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will take place by December 10, 2017.

Call for Papers 2017

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2017 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Pacific Division (Seattle, WA): April 12-15, 2017

Contemporary Perspectives on Philosophical Mysticism

Mysticism is often considered to rely on immediate intuition and a union with the divine. As a consequence, mystical approaches are taken to affirm privileged experiences and to contradict rationality and secular reasoning. This panel is dedicated to rethinking these assumptions and to present contemporary perspectives on philosophical mysticism. Contributions will pursue questions such as: what is philosophical mysticism and how can it be justified? What are the epistemic and/or ethical implications of mysticism? What is the relationship between different forms of mysticism? Authors to be discussed include, but are not limited to, Plotinus, Eckhart, Kant, Wittgenstein, Jaspers, Murdoch and Tugendhat.

Presentations should be held to 20 minutes max in presentation time, however, extended versions of the presentations will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Please send your working title and a brief abstract (200 words) to the program chair:

Mario Wenning by October 10, 2016. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will take place by October 20, 2016.

Central Division (Kansas City, MO): March 1-4, 2017

Jaspers, Reason, and Rationality

Karl Jaspers, in his discussions of Periechontology (cf. Ontology), makes a distinction between reason (Vernunft) and understanding or intellect (Verstand). Leonard Ehrlich, Edith Ehrlich, and George B. Pepper note in their collection, Karl Jaspers: Basic Philosophical Writings (Humanities Press 1994), that for Jaspers the Encompassing of Being presents itself to us in two primordially different modes. Jaspers characterizes reason as the bond of all modes of the Encompassing, or, again, as the bond within us. "Unity and openness are, for Jaspers, a motive rather than an actualization, and it is the motive of reason…as the motive of unity, [reason] becomes the task for man to effect unity. The task is informed by man's awareness of the multiplicity and disunity, defined by the challenges of one's historic situation and animated by the freedom of Existenz engaged in its actualization" (p. 178).

In light of the issues and debates surrounding the feasibility, necessity, and cost of immigration—as well as the developed world’s responsibility or non-responsibility for events in the developing world—the Karl Jaspers Society of North America (KJSNA) will host panels dedicated to working through rationality and global thinking in the light of Karl Jaspers' thought. Questions include: Are Western models of reason and understanding (the Intellect or rationality) universally applicable? Can Jaspers' concept of "loving communication" apply between parties with contrasting worldviews? Is there a motive toward unity in our modes of reasoning or rationality that is common to both religious fundamentalisms and progressive liberalisms? Is rationality compatible with freedom?

Proposals may address any of these or related questions, and should be 200 words in length. Presentations should be held to 20 minutes max in presentation time, however, extended versions of the presentations will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Please send your working title, brief abstract (150 words), a short biographical statement (ca. 50 words), and telephone/email contact to the program chair:

Daniel Adsett by August 15, 2016. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will take place by October 30, 2016.

Call for Papers 2016

Scheduled in conjunction with the 2016 meetings of the
American Philosophical Association

Eastern Division (Washington, DC): January 6-9, 2016
Pacific Division (San Francisco, CA): March 30 - April 3, 2016

Transcendence and Film

These panel sessions will be devoted to a discussion of the ways in which the existentialist and phenomenological theme of "transcendence" permeates film. We are especially interested in the ways that film illustrates the limits of human understanding and the interruption of human consciousness and life. This will include the analysis of film shots and film scenes that are not governed solely by the logic of the dialogue and narrative but also by cinematic elements (music, cinematography, montage, acting performance, etc.) that help to create moments of psychological, existential, and/or spiritual illumination for film characters as well as for the audience. Papers may thereby explore the intersections between psychology and philosophy. Papers that concentrate on the work of one or more film directors with existentialist or phenomenological leanings are particularly helpful. Also, the KJSNA especially welcomes papers that incorporate relevant existentialist concepts from the philosophy of Karl Jaspers, e.g., limit situations, Existenz, encompassing, transcendence, ciphers of transcendence, and existential communication.

Presentations should be held to 20 minutes max in presentation time, however, extended versions of the presentations will be considered for publication in Existenz. The journal will consider requests for direct publication of suitable papers in cases where conference appearance is not possible.

Please send your working title, brief abstract (150 words), a short biographical statement (ca. 100 words), and telephone/email contact to the program chairs:

For Eastern Divison to David Nichols with copy Kevin Stoehr by June 10, 2015. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

For Pacific Division to David Nichols with copy Kevin Stoehr by September 8, 2015. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Notification of placement will take place as follows:
September 2015 for Eastern Division (Washington, DC)
December 2015 for Pacific Division (San Francisco, CA)

Call for Papers 2014-2015

Scheduled for the 2015 Pacific Division meeting of the
American Philosophical Association (Vancouver, Canada)

Philosophy, Psychopathology, and Neuroscience:
Contemporary Empirical & Interpretative Issues and Debates

The 2013 centennial anniversary of Karl Jaspers’ General Psychopathology (GP) has brought significant attention to Jaspers scholarship, including  publications (One Century of Karl Jaspers' General Psychopathology, eds. Giovanni Stanghellini and Thomas Fuchs, OUP), national conferences (Philosophy and Psychiatry: The Next Hundred Years, CfP, St Catz Colloquium, Oxford, United Kingdom, July 2013), and international philosophical debates (Centennial Celebration of Jaspers' General Psychopathology, World Congress of Philosophy, Athens Greece, August 2013).  Recent developments in neuroscience, for example the use of fMRI brain imaging techniques pose ongoing questions about the relevance of Jaspers' GP to issues and debates raised by empirical and interpretive psychiatry as well as psychotherapy. Mind reading and mental surveillance, neural alteration of morality and neuroethics, the medicalization of sexual orientation and human feelings, new understandings of vegetative consciousness, and the sociality of human consciousness. Focal points include but are not limited to: What is living and what is dead in the GP in relation to contemporary developments in neuroscience, psychopathology, psychotherapy and related disciplines? Do developments in neuroscience and contemporary reception of the GP vindicate psychobiological approaches? What are the hermeneutical limits of evidence-based medicine and what role will Verstehen play in contemporary clinical and diagnostic and classificatory practices (DSM-V)?

Submissions are welcome from philosophers, clinicians, scientists and others with experience and or interest in contemporary neuroscience and mental health issues and debates. Post-docs and graduate students are encouraged to participate.

Please send your working title, brief abstract (200 words), a short biographical statement (ca. 100 words), and telephone/email contact to: Helmut Wautischer with copy Gregory J. Walters by September 1, 2014. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Selected papers will be presented at the Pacific Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in Vancouver, Canada: April 1-5, 2015. Presentations should be held to 20 minutes max in presentation time, however, extended versions of the presentations will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Notification of placement will take place by November 2014.

Scheduled for the 2014 Eastern Division meeting of the
American Philosophical Association (Philadelphia, PA)

Philosophy, Psychopathology, and Neuroscience:
Contemporary Empirical & Interpretative Issues and Debates

The 2013 centennial anniversary of Karl Jaspers’ General Psychopathology (GP) has brought significant attention to Jaspers scholarship, including  publications (One Century of Karl Jaspers' General Psychopathology, eds. Giovanni Stanghellini and Thomas Fuchs, OUP), national conferences (Philosophy and Psychiatry: The Next Hundred Years, CfP, St Catz Colloquium, Oxford, United Kingdom, July 2013), and international philosophical debates (Centennial Celebration of Jaspers' General Psychopathology, World Congress of Philosophy, Athens Greece, August 2013).  Recent developments in neuroscience, for example the use of fMRI brain imaging techniques pose ongoing questions about the relevance of Jaspers' GP to issues and debates raised by empirical and interpretive psychiatry as well as psychotherapy. Mind reading and mental surveillance, neural alteration of morality and neuroethics, the medicalization of sexual orientation and human feelings, new understandings of vegetative consciousness, and the sociality of human consciousness. Focal points include but are not limited to: What is living and what is dead in the GP in relation to contemporary developments in neuroscience, psychopathology, psychotherapy and related disciplines? Do developments in neuroscience and contemporary reception of the GP vindicate psychobiological approaches? What are the hermeneutical limits of evidence-based medicine and what role will Verstehen play in contemporary clinical and diagnostic and classificatory practices (DSM-V)?

Submissions are welcome from philosophers, clinicians, scientists and others with experience and or interest in contemporary neuroscience and mental health issues and debates. Post-docs and graduate students are encouraged to participate.

Please send your working title, brief abstract (200 words), a short biographical statement (ca. 100 words), and telephone/email contact to: Gregory J. Walters with copy to Helmut Wautischer by May 15, 2014. Earlier submissions are appreciated.

Selected papers will be presented at the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in Philadelphia: December 27-30, 2014. Presentations should be held to 20 minutes max in presentation time, however, extended versions of the presentations will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Notification of placement will take place by October 2014.

Call for Papers 2013-2014

Scheduled for the 2014 Pacific Division meeting of the
American Philosophical Association (San Diego, CA)

Jaspers and Heidegger on the Art of Vincent Van Gogh

We invite proposals for papers that compare Jaspers and Heidegger with respect to their analyses of Vincent van Gogh. Special priority will be given to proposals pertaining to the “world” of the artist or his work. For instance, papers may address any of the following questions, or questions within the same topical range: How do Jaspers and Heidegger take van Gogh to illustrate what it means to belong to a world? What is the significance of Jaspers focusing more on the artist’s world and Heidegger focusing more on the world of the artwork itself? What might the world of van Gogh’s work tell us about transcendence? How do Jaspers and Heidegger take van Gogh to illustrate the transformative power of art for the world that encompasses us? How might the different perspectives of these philosophers, or the life and work of van Gogh himself, inform the future of art interpretation, especially with respect to world?

Selected papers will be presented at the Pacific Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in 2014 (San Diego: April 14-19, 2014), and will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Send one-page proposals (200 words) to the program chair listed below by May 31, 2013.  Earlier submissions are appreciated.

David P. Nichols

Notification of placement will take place by August 2013.

Scheduled for the 2014 Central Division meeting of the
American Philosophical Association (Chicago, IL)

Jaspers and Heidegger on the Art of Vincent Van Gogh

We invite proposals for papers that compare Jaspers and Heidegger with respect to their analyses of Vincent van Gogh. Special priority will be given to proposals pertaining to the “world” of the artist or his work. For instance, papers may address any of the following questions, or questions within the same topical range: How do Jaspers and Heidegger take van Gogh to illustrate what it means to belong to a world? What is the significance of Jaspers focusing more on the artist’s world and Heidegger focusing more on the world of the artwork itself? What might the world of van Gogh’s work tell us about transcendence? How do Jaspers and Heidegger take van Gogh to illustrate the transformative power of art for the world that encompasses us? How might the different perspectives of these philosophers, or the life and work of van Gogh himself, inform the future of art interpretation, especially with respect to world?

Selected papers will be presented at the Central Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in Chicago: February 26-March 1, 2014 and will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Send one-page proposals (200 words) to the program chair listed below by May 31, 2013.  Earlier submissions are appreciated.

David P. Nichols

Notification of placement will take place by August 2013.

Call for Papers 2012-2013

Scheduled for the 2013 Pacific Division meeting of the
American Philosophical Association (San Francisco, CA)

Philosophical Faith, The Future of Humanity, and Posthumanism

This session is organized around the question of “Post-Humanism,” in other words focused on the second part of the recently published KJSNA collection that celebrated its 30th Anniversary, Philosophical Faith and the Future of Humanity (Springer, 2012). “The Future of Humanity” will address the questions of “Post/Trans/Meta Humanity.” Our invitation or “call for papers” is therefore directed to scholars who are concerned with the dramatic changes taking place in technology and the redefinition of what it means to be human. This includes the “Singularity” hypothesis of Ray Kurzweil, the exponential evolution of neuroscience and bio-technology and their implications for human identity. Attention may also be given to what many regard as being the current “crisis” in the humanities or Geisteswissenschaften as traditionally understood as a result of these developments, and the triumph of the social sciences in the displacement of the humanities in a liberal arts education.

Selected papers will be presented at the Pacific Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association (San Francisco: March 27-31, 2013), and will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Send proposals (less than 500 words) to both members of the program committee listed below by June 30, 2012.

Alan M. Olson
Helmut Wautischer

Notification of placement will take place by September 2012.

Scheduled for the 2012 Eastern Division meeting of the
American Philosophical Association (Atlanta, GA)

Arendt, Heidegger, Jaspers, and Nietzsche

We cordially invite proposals (150 words) exploring various aspects on on topics and/or problems directly related to Jaspers' works on existentialism and phenomenology, and related later philosophical works. Conference organizers also welcome topics and/or problems bearing on the relevance of Jaspers’ understanding of philosophy and psychology for contemporary scholarship and scientific research.

Selected papers will be presented at the Eastern Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in Atlanta: December 27-30, 2012 and will be considered for publication in Existenz.

Send one-page proposals (150 words) to both members of the program committee listed below by May 1, 2012.

Lydia Voronina

Notification of placement will take place by July 2012.

Seventh International Jaspers Conference

in conjunction with the XXIII. World Congress of Philosophy
August 4 –10, 2013, Athens, Greece

"Philosophy as Inquiry and Way of Life"

The International Association of Jaspers Societies invites members of the international community of scholars to participate in the Seventh International Jaspers Conference. The Conference focuses, though not exclusively, on

(1) the Centennial celebration of Jaspers' General Psychopathology,
(2) Karl Jaspers' Philosophy as Inquiry and Way of Life,
(3) Karl Jaspers and Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)

For inquiries and paper submissions clearly indicate in the subject line one of the three topics: "General Psychopathology," "Jaspers Way of Life," or "Jaspers & Arendt."

Send correspondence about "General Psychopathology" to the program co-chairs Michael Schwartz and Gregory J. Walters at gp@karljaspers.net

Send correspondence about "Jaspers Way of Life" to the program co-chairs Alan M. Olson and Gregory J. Walters at office@karljaspers.net