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Call for Publications Theme: Ernst Cassirer's Philosophy of Symbolic Forms Subtitle: The Method of Culture Publication: Edited Volume Deadline: 15.5.2018 __________________________________________________ Over the course of the last decade, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in scholarship on Ernst Cassirer. Publications have been dedicated both to specific aspects of the Philosophy of Symbolic Forms and Cassirer’s philosophy of culture, as well as to encompassing assessments of his work as one of the most significant contributions to the intellectual landscape of the twentieth century. This revival was certainly boosted by the advancement of the Hamburger Ausgabe, in particular the Nachgelassene Werke und Schriften. Such a renaissance in Cassirer scholarship warrants a careful investigation into the methodologies and systematic significances of his contribution. Our project aims to cast light on how, and to what extent, his approach to identify and criticize the various symbolic functions represents a constitutive method of discovery and criticism of all symbolic forms: from language to myth and knowledge, from religion to art and science. Such cultural forms share a symbolic origin whose constitution Cassirer describes in normative terms. Cultural forms are thus understood as the necessary expressions of the human spirit that result from the function of symbolic formation. All symbolic forms are cultural forms insofar as they have been structured and determined according to a unique activity that cannot be reduced to its results. Said differently, if symbolic forms constitute human culture, these forms are in turn grounded by the same law of symbolic formation, albeit their constitutive idea is different. It is our contention that Cassirer’s encompassing perspective on culture owes its possibility to a unique and fruitful method that still awaits its concrete formulation (and critique). With this focus, we also intend to explore the interaction between the symbolic forms, as sensible significations of ideas and values. This perspective brings one particular conundrum to the fore: Philosophy itself (as the reflection on this method) is at the same time immersed in symbolic formation, as any symbolic form is. So, the question is: how can philosophy take up a function of symbolic formation? In our volume, we plan to discuss the theoretical basis and the overall method of his works, which form the cornerstone of his philosophical proposal, and highlight its influence on the contemporary philosophical debate on human culture. Hence, we welcome papers that address the concept of method in Cassirer’s philosophy of symbolic forms from a variety of perspectives. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: - the tension between symbolic function and symbolic forms - the hierarchy among symbolic forms, and possible ways of ordering them - philosophy of symbolic forms as a philosophy of culture - the status and role of basis phenomena (Urphänomene) - the relationship between mimesis and poiesis, as well as between ergon and energeia - the genesis of language - whether, why and to what extent art can be considered as a symbolic form Editors: Anne Pollok (University of South Carolina, USA) and Luigi Filieri (University of Pisa, Italy) Publisher: Edizioni ETS, Pisa, funded by the Fondazione Silvestro Marcucci Confirmed invited contributors: F. Capeilléres, M. Ferrari, P. Keller, S. Luft, L. Patton, B. Recki, S. Truwant, T. Viola Abstracts should be between 4,000-7,000 characters including spaces (the respective papers must not exceed 35,000 characters including spaces and notes). All anonymized abstracts should be sent (.docx and .pdf format preferred) to apol...@sc.edu and l.filie...@gmail.com by 15 May 2018. Notes of acceptance will be sent out by 15 July 2018. The final papers are due by 1 December 2018. Contact: Dr. Anne Pollok, Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 USA Email: apol...@sc.edu __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __________________________________________________
