27.–28. June 2024. Insights through Metaphor. Metaphors, Pictures, and Epistemic Values, University of Konstanz (with Jacob Hesse).​

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It is undeniable that metaphors have an aesthetic dimension. Traditionally, this aesthetic aspect was either emphasized while the epistemic value of metaphors was at the same time diminished or the aesthetic dimension was neglected in order to emphasize the epistemic value of metaphors. At our conference, we want to ask if the aesthetic dimension of metaphors can also strengthen and contribute to the epistemic value of metaphors. To investigate this question we also plan to take into account the relation between metaphors and pictures. It can, for example, be asked to what degree metaphors have pictorial quality. Furthermore, some authors argue that there are genuine visual metaphors. In this context it can be discussed which special properties (if any) metaphors gain when the are realized visually. Further questions are: Can the epistemic value of metaphors be explicated by recourse to the epistemic value of images or pictures? How exactly does the aesthetic relate to the epistemic value in images and metaphors? Which epistemic values can art and aesthetic objects in general have? Is there a genuine epistemic value of metaphors at all? Which value can metaphors and analogies have for science and (scientific) understanding in general? The conference will address these and related questions from the perspective of epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, linguistics, psychology, art history and media theory.

 

Speakers:

Robyn Carston (University College London),

Roman Frigg (London School of Economics and Political Sciences),

Michalle Gal (Shenkar College),

Dedre Gentner (Northwestern University),

Jacob Hesse (Ruhr University Bochum),

Till Julian Huss (University of Europe for Applied Sciences),

Nikola Kompa (University of Osnabrück),

Alice Murphy (LMU Munich),

Marius Rimmele (University of Zurich).

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Program: pdf-file

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20.-21. October 2022. The Acquaintance Inference – Linguistic and Philosophical Perspectives. Interdisciplinary Conference, University of Konstanz  (with Natasha Korotkova).

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The proposed interdisciplinary confernce (linguistics and philosophy), to take place at the University of Konstanz on October 20-21, 2022, is devoted to the Acquaintance Inference, a phenomenon whereby utterances with certain expressions are only felicitous when the speaker has firsthand experience with the object of the predication. For example, we typically call an item “tasty” "or beautiful"  only if we have tried or seen/heard it. This fact raises questions about (a) the epistemological and metaphysical source of the Acquaintance Inference, (b) the nature of linguistic expressions that give rise to it, and (c) properties of such discourses more broadly. Several recent accounts, developed within linguistics and philosophy, address those questions. Each account has important consequences as to how we theorize about knowledge, evidence and speech acts in relation to predicates like “tasty” or "beautiful". However, rarely have been both philosophical and linguistic aspects of the problem examined together as a whole. The proposed conference seeks to redress this by bringing together leading experts on the topic from both disciplines. Its goal is to foster a dialogue that will reconcile different approaches and that will help better understand the acquaintance phenomenon at the intersection of epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, formal semantics and formal pragmatics. 

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Speakers: 

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Pranav Anand (Linguistics Department, University of Santa Cruz)

Jochen Briesen (Philosophy Department, University of Konstanz/FU Berlin)

Fabrizio Cariani (Philosophy Department, University of Maryland)

Alexander Dinges (Philosophy Department, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg) [cancelled]

Katharina Felka (Philosophy Department, University of Graz)

Elsi Kaiser (Linguistics Department, University of Southern California)

Christopher Kennedy (Linguistics Department, University of Chicago)

Natasha Korotkova (Linguistics Department, University of Konstanz)

Dilip Ninan (Philosophy Department, Tufts University)

Hazel Pearson (Linguistics Department, Queen Mary University of London)

Malte Willer (Philosophy Department, University of Chicago)

Julia Zakkou (Philosophy Department, University of Bielefeld) [cancelled]

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Program & Abstracts: 

https://natasha-korotkova.github.io/ai2022-program.html

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Program: pdf-file 

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Poster/Program: pdf-file

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Supported by: German Research Foundation (DFG).

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Contact: jochen[dot]briesen[at]uni-konstanz[dot]de

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10/ 2022. Aesthetic Testimony – Systematic and historical perspectives. Conference, University of Konstanz (with Achim Vesper). More information: here.

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08/2022 Art, Knowledge and Art Mediation. Symposium. documenta 15, Kassel (with Jelena Toopeekoff). More information: here.

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11/2019  Talking Morality – Moral Terms, Slurs, and Hybrid Expressvism. Workshop, University of Konstanz (with Stefan Fischer)

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06/2017  Kant and the Power of Imagination. Workshop, Freie Universität Berlin (with Dina Emundts) 

 

07/2015  Epistemic Consequentialism. Conference, University of Konstanz (with Anna-Maria Eder) 

 

2014–2016  Early Lunch Philosophy, Lecture Series, University of Konstanz (with Verena Wagner)

 

06/2013  Beauty is valid only for human beings – Kant's Aesthetics in the Critique of Judgment. Workshop, University of Konstanz (zusammen mit Dina Emundts)

 

12/2012  Im Zweifel für den Zweifel? – Neue Arbeiten zum Skeptizismus. Conference, University of Konstanz

 

05/2012  A Passion for Reason, Kant-Workshop with Paul Guyer (Brown University), University of Konstanz (zusammen mit Dina Emundts)