Event Title: 14th Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science
Event Dates: 07/19/2011 - 07/26/2011
Location: Nancy, France
Sponsor(s)/Host(s): Nancy University
Event Web Site: http://www.clmps2011.org
Contact E-mail: contact@clmps2011.org
Abstract Deadline: 12/31/2010
Registration Deadline: 04/30/2011
Additional Information: The 14th CLMPS is organized under the patronage of the French Republic Presidency, the UNESCO, and the French National Commission for the UNESCO. We are pleased to announce that the 14th Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science website is now open for registrations and submissions. Please register at the following address: http://www.clmps2011.org/en/registration.html The deadline for submission has changed, it is now 31 December 2010. The important dates are: Submission deadline: 31 December 2010 Notification of acceptance: 31 March 2011 Early registration deadline: 30 April 2011 You can either submit an abstract of a contributed paper or a proposal for a contributed symposium (of 3 up to 6 speakers). We would be glad if you filled the registration form until 30 September 2010 by giving a provisional title of your contribution and the subsection to which it belongs, even if your final abstract is submitted after that date. This does not commit you to anything, but would help the organizers to acquire an early idea of what to expect. The 14th Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, one of the leading congresses in its field, will be held on July 19-26, 2011, in Nancy (France). The Congress will feature more than 50 invited speakers, several plenary symposia and lectures, as well as a general program for a wider audience. For the first time in its history, the Congress presents a special topic of interest that will be the focus of a series of lectures and symposia: "Logic and Science Facing the New Technologies" The four main sections of the Congress will be: A. Logic B. General Philosophy of Science C. Methodological and Philosophical Issues of Particular Sciences D. Methodological and Philosophical Issues in Technology Invited speakers include (the list will be progressively updated on the Congress' website): Yemima Ben-Menahem (Jerusalem) Ulrich Berger (Swansea) Craig Callender (San Diego) Martin Carrier (Bielefeld) Cristiano Castelfranchi (Roma) Carlo Cellucci (Roma) Heather E. Douglas (Knoxville) Kevin Elliott (Columbia, South Carolina) Michael Friedman (Stanford) Roman Frigg (London) Etienne Grandjean (Caen) Martin Grohe (Humboldt, Berlin) Ulrike Hahn (Cardiff) Christopher Hitchcock (Caltech) Paul Humphreys (Charlottesville) Julia Knight (Notre Dame) Saul Kripke (CUNY) Hugh Lacey (Swarthmore) William Lawvere (Buffalo, New York) Hannes Leitgeb (Bristol) Tim Lewens (Cambridge) Christof L�ding (Aachen) Uskali M�ki (Helsinki) Jean-Pierre Marquis (Montr�al) Donald McKenzie (Edinburgh) Dale Miller (Ecole Polytechnique) Joe Miller (Wisconsin) Justin Moore (Cornell) Michel Morange (Paris) Alfred Nordmann (Darmstadt) Paulo Oliva (London) Dag Prawitz (Stockholm) Hans Radder (Amsterdam) Miklos Redei (London) Philippe Schlenker (Paris) Philip Scott (Ottawa) Brian Skyrms (Irvine) Patrick Speisegger (McMaster) Wolfgang Spohn (Konstanz) Simon Thomas (Rutgers) Peter Vanderschraaf (Merced) Dag Westerst�hl (G�teborg) Further details can be found on the homepage of the Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science at the following address: http://www.clmps2011.org/ Please note the option to receive by e-mail further information by signing up for the Congress newsletter at: http://www.clmps2011.org/en/newsletter.html We thank you in advance for forwarding this circular so that it can reach the widest audience possible. Gerhard Heinzmann (Chair Organizing Committee) Peter Schroeder-Heister (Chair General Programme Committee)

Event Title: History, Cognition, and Visualisation in Science: The David Gooding Memorial Meeting.
Event Dates: 09/22/2010 - 09/23/2010
Location: Bath, UK
Sponsor(s)/Host(s): University of Bath
Event Web Site: http://www.clarity-support.co.uk/DCGMM.htm
Contact E-mail: tweney@bgsu.edu, FJames@ri.ac.uk
Registration Deadline: 09/13/2010
Additional Information: A conference in memory of David C. Gooding's contribution to the understanding of science will be held. In recognition of his many contributions, papers will be given by speakers who knew David and by those whose work reflects his spirit of creative inquiry into the nature and practices of science. David Gooding (1947-2009) received his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Science from Oxford University. But his many contributions transcend any easy disciplinary boundaries. His papers and books in the history of science, philosophy of science, cognitive science, and the social studies of science brought new awareness of the nature and sources of Michael Faraday's work, and, more generally, of the role of experimentation and visualization in theory development in science. His methodological approaches pioneered and extended the use of diagrammatic representations of scientific thinking, the computer simulation of scientific thinking, and revivified historical, historical-cognitive, and philosophical approaches. We believe a conference that celebrates and extends knowledge of scientific thinking is the best memorial for this outstanding scholar and thinker. Please join us. For further details, contact the conference organizers, Frank A.J.L. James (FJames@ri.ac.uk) and Ryan D. Tweney (tweney@bgsu.edu), or visit the website

Event Title: Language as a Scientific Tool. Managing Language as a Variable of Practice and Presentation
Event Dates: 11/29/2010 - 11/30/2010
Location: Vienna
Sponsor(s)/Host(s): Institute for Culture Studies and History of Theatre, Austrian Academy of Sciences; Working Group 'History of Science', History Department, University of Vienna; Department of Political Science and Sociology, European University at St. Petersburg; English and German Departments, University of Granada
Contact E-mail: sumille@correo.ugr.es
Abstract Deadline: 03/01/2010
Additional Information: CALL FOR PAPERS \"Language as a Scientific Tool. Managing Language as a Variable of Practice and Presentation\", Vienna 29th-30th November 2010. Language has played an important and extended role in the history and philosophy of sciences, with language itself also becoming the subject of scholarship. Linguistic environments of scientists have unavoidably affected scientific research at various levels by, for instance, imposing cultural constraints and preconceptions, and by affecting the bounds of communication that structure science as social engagement. Despite the relevance of this phenomenon, insufficient historiographical and philosophical consideration has been paid to scientists' own thoughts on language as the essential medium of their practice, and as a malleable element that can be shaped to suit their goals. The aim of this conference is, thus, to consider the history of language as an object of scientific concern, whether for epistemological or semantic reasons, stemming from scientists' understanding of language as a tool for conceptualising the world, from concerns on successfully communicating within the scientific community among specialists or merely between scientists and the general public. In either case the examination of the historical circumstances that have motivated such reflection appear paramount. Language can also be considered as a consciously modelled tool for achieving definite scientific and political goals. Indeed, Bacon began his natural philosophy explicitly criticising scholastic ideas on language, which for him obscured nature instead of clarifying it. Therefore, it seemed to him that language had to be reformed and properly redefined to serve in the natural philosophic endeavour. Locke gave specific attention to language as a prior question to setting an epistemological basis to natural philosophy, in turn enforcing a separation between word and meaning that put natural philosophers in direct control over their language. This revolution in language was also one of the key points of the new science hailed by members of Royal Society such as John Wilkins, who was appointed a treatise on a new philosophical and universal language. Other voices argued that gaining explicit control over language was the only way to free it from past misconceptions. The claim that science needed to formulate a theory of language able to underwrite scientists' epistemic activity recurs right up until logical positivism. At the same time, the Renaissance witnessed the struggle between Latin and the vernacular languages as means for the written codification of knowledge. From a dominant and hegemonic position, Latin gradually ceased being the only appropriate means for learned discourse, the vernaculars taking its place. Then, language critics displayed diverse arguments intertwining language with politics. In Germany, for instance, the main argument in linguistic change at the universities was the need of the introduction of a 'new science' requiring a language distinct from scholastic Latin (Christian Wolff, Christian Thomasius), and thus not pervaded with scholastic ideas. This conference focuses on the question of how the process of linguistic change was effected, perceived, and conducted by scientists. From the field of philosophical discussions, to the field of 'language in use', it is possible to pose crucial questions such as the following: - How has science sought to manage language through philosophical conceptions or rhetorical techniques to obtain particular goals, epistemic or otherwise? To what extent have scientists engaged in linguistic argumentation to criticize competing paradigms? - Has language been considered to be perfectly manageable? How have influences from e.g. other languages been coped with? Can it be said that linguistic purism relates only to alien words, or also to changing reality such as technology or geographical discoveries? - How has the communication of science been discussed in relation to both the 'existing world' and the learned community? Has science been seen as corresponding more accurately with the 'reality' (following Herder) if written in the national language of a community? How has the communication of discoveries with other scientists been perceived if this was the case? Which were the points of conflict between perfect translatability and innate and unique features of natural languages in this respect? - In what contexts have issues of language been raised and to what ends? Is it a purely philosophically-driven debate for the purpose of articulating science, or are political and social factors (co)responsible for the crises of languages commonly used in the past? - Who were the actors of linguistic change? Did scientists/natural philosophers play only a minor role, or did the impulses and crises of used languages come from other sources? - Did scientists try to develop their own definitions of language as competing with philosophical ones? How did the endeavors for perfection of language differ among different groups? Postgraduates are particularly encouraged to submit proposals for twenty-minute papers. The language of the conference is English. The organizers plan to publish a selection of papers from this conference. Please e-mail 300-word abstracts or proposals with a brief CV to Roco Sumillera: sumille@correo.ugr.es by Monday, March 1st 2010. Further contacts: Johannes Feichtinger (Institute for Culture Studies and History of Theatre, Austrian Academy of Sciences): johannes.feichtinger@oeaw.ac.at Miles MacLeod (Konrad Lorenz Institut, Vienna): miles.macleod@kli.ac.at Ekaterina Smirnova (Department of Political Science and Sociology, European University at St. Petersburg): esmirnova@eu.spb.ru Jan Surman (History Department, University of Vienna / Center for Austrian Studies, University of Minnesota): jan.surman@univie.ac.at