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Call for Papers "Transdisciplinarity and the Unity of Knowledge: Beyond the Science and Religion Dialogue" 8th Annual Metanexus Conference Metanexus Institute Philadelphia, PA (USA) 2-6 June 2007 __________________________________________________ The challenge of the 21st century will be to integrate or synthesize the outcomes of the exponential growth in human knowledge into meaningful wholes. Its not that specialization needs to be overcome; its that individuals, communities, and civilization in general will need to develop the complementary means by which to appropriate and take the measure of all particular expertise. We must regain our ability, a facility, an adeptness at taking the whole into our most profound concern. One approach to a possible synthesis has been commonly known as the "science and religion dialogue." But does the science and religion dialogue really provide the much-needed intellectual and spiritual synthesis, the antidote to the sorely lacking unity of knowledge? Does such a dialogue really get us to the whole story of the whole cosmos for the whole person? Does it go far enough? Perhaps we need to consider an even richer vein in a quest for synthesis. A transdisciplinary approach to the unity of knowledge respects the various disciplines and their methodologies, even as it looks for a means for developing a rigorous higher-order appropriation of the knowledge that comes from them. It is the synthetic or integral complement to (not a replacement of) the analytic methodologies of the various sciences. It strategically considers the natural, social, and human sciences, philosophical perspectives, and even religious insights in multi-pronged approaches to theoretical and practical problems. It takes up questions that transcend the boundaries of any given body of expertise. Join us this year for the 8th annual Metanexus conference in Philadelphia, June 2-6, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania to pursue the really big questions of life, the cosmos, and humanity. Among the attendees will be more than 250 representatives of the Metanexus Global Network of multidisciplinary Local Societies from 40 countries around the world. The deadline for abstracts/proposals is 15 December 2006. Conference website: http://www.metanexus.net/conference2007 Contact: Elizabeth Kenny Program Associate Local Societies Initiative Metanexus Institute 3624 Market Street, Suite 301 Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA Tel: +1 (215) 789 2200 ext. 100 Fax: +1 (215) 789 2222 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.metanexus.net/conference2007 __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org/ Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://agd.polylog.org/cal/
