Call for Abstracts
I. SciPhiHan Student Conference, Leibniz University Hannover
Science and Philosophy – Shared History, Diverging Paths?
The question of the relationship between philosophy and science is as old as the respective practices themselves. In recent debates, however, it may seem as if both have grown out of sync, talking past each other, often with little or no respect for each other’s realm and method, their arguments and positions.
The first edition of the SciPhiHan Student Conference provides the opportunity to discuss a wide range of approaches regarding the relationship between science and philosophy, their history and future direction, all brought forward by you! We welcome your perspective and look forward to your abstract (max. 500 words) for a 20-minute talk you would like to present at our conference, to be submitted by 31.05.2025.
Both Bachelor and Master students are eligible for submission. The conference will take place in person at the Leibniz University Hannover on the 25th and 26th of July 2025. Each participant will have a 30-minute slot at their disposal, which will consist in a 20-minute presentation + a 10-minute Q&A session. Talks can be given in either English or German, though English is strongly preferred. We can provide financial support for international participants (travel expenses and accommodation). For more information about funding, please contact us at: team@sciphihan.de.
We invite you to send us an abstract for one of the three following sections:
I. Historical and Comparative Analysis
TThis section will examine the relationship between philosophy and (the) science(s), their emergence, differing methods, and potential decline, across different historical periods, including, but not limited, to the Western canon from ancient to contemporary philosophy.
Participants who are interested in non-Western traditions (such as Islamicate or Buddhist philosophy) may submit a paper that does not correspond to the periodisation mentioned above.
II. Philosophy of the Sciences
This section will address key thematic areas in contemporary philosophy of scientific fields, e.g. philosophy of biology, philosophy of physics, philosophy of the social sciences. These contributions should focus on the relationship between philosophy and one defined scientific field, and/or on the different methodologies and characteristics of the philosophy of the hard sciences vs the philosophy of the soft sciences.
III. Meta-Reflection on the Relationship between Philosophy and Science
This section will explore the respective roles, boundaries, and evolving relationship between philosophy and science, as well as emerging intersections between them.
All talks should relate to the broader discipline of history and philosophy of science in some way, such as the problem of demarcation and accounts of the division of labour between philosophy and science, if such accounts are even possible and/or plausible at all.
Submission
The abstract may be written in English or German.