CFP: Experiments and Ordinary Language Philosophy

We are inviting contributions for the conference ‘Philosophy’s Experimental Turn and the Challenge from Ordinary Language’, Berlin (Germany), June 22-24, 2022, which will form the basis for a related SI. The conference will bring together philosophers working in the ordinary language tradition, experimental philosophers, and empirically and historically-informed linguists, psychologists, and legal theorists to study how people use and interpret ordinary language in a variety of real-world contexts. The event seeks to acquire a philosophically and empirically informed understanding of

• how ordinary language philosophy poses challenges to the experimental investigation of meaning;

• how insights from ordinary language philosophy can improve the ecological validity of experimental philosophy of language;

• how, conversely, methods and findings from experimental philosophy of language can help develop theory and practice of ordinary language philosophy;

• how empirical investigation can help us understand and pursue intentionally normative enterprises with practical concerns, such as metalinguistic negotiation and conceptual engineering.

Speakers will include Avner Baz, Siobhan Chapman, Rachel Dudley, Eugen Fischer, Kathryn Francis, Martin Gustafsson, Nat Hansen, Joachim Horvath, Guy Longworth, Ángel Pinillos, David Plunkett, Kevin Reuter, Rachel Rudolph, John Schwenkler, Rachel Sterken, Justin Sytsma, Kevin Tobia, and Julia Zakkou. The conference will discuss pre-circulated papers, on the basis of authors’ 20-minute oral presentation of highlights. Abstracts (500 words, plus references) should be submitted by January 31st, 2022, via EasyChair. Decisions by end of February. Full versions of accepted papers should then be emailed to the organisers for pre-circulation, by May 31st, 2022. Accommodation costs for accepted speakers (corresponding authors) will be covered. We will endeavour to subsidise travel costs. The conference is supported by the Fritz-Thyssen Foundation. The Organisers: Eugen Fischer (e.fischer@uea.ac.uk) and Nat Hansen (N.D.Hansen@reading.ac.uk) Further information on the conference webpage.