Leibniz's Theodicy: Context and Content (Notre Dame, 2010)Call for Papers deadline is February 1, 2010.
Leibniz’s Theodicy: Context and Content, held on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the publication of Leibniz’s Theodicy aims to explore this seminal work, the only book length treatise published by Leibniz in his lifetime. The conference will explore its contents, its fit within the Leibnizian corpus, its broader historical context, and its subsequent reception and impact. However, unlike typical conferences focused on a publication anniversary, this conference will also explore how the views expressed fit into the larger intellectual landscape of the period, standing as it does at crucial crossroads: the waning of the post-Reformation, the maturing of the Scientific Revolution, the dawning of the Enlightenment, and the maturing (or some might say implosion) of the rationalist philosophical framework introduced in the early seventeenth century. As a result, papers will focus both on Leibniz and the text of the Theodicy as well their relation to these broader themes.
Confirmed Speakers (as of December 1, 2009*):
- Robert Adams (UNC-Chapel Hill)
- Maria Rosa Antognazza (King's College London)
- Jan Cover (Purdue University)
- Daniel Garber (Princeton University)
- Jonathan Israel (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University)
- Nicholas Jolley (University of California-Irvine)
- Christia Mercer (Columbia University)
- Michael Murray (Franklin and Marshall College)
- Donald Rutherford (University of California-San Diego)
- Robert Sleigh (University of Massachusetts-Amherst)
- Tad Schmaltz (University of Michigan)
*This list is not final. Other speakers may be added in the coming months.
The conference will be held on September 16-18, 2010 at the University of Notre Dame. The event is organized by Samuel Newlands and Michael Rea, in association with the Leibniz Society of North America. It is also the North American counterpart to the French and German Theodicy conferences occurring earlier in 2010. It is sponsored by the Center for Philosophy of Religion, with generous support from the John Templeton Foundation.
All events are open to the public, though conference registration is required. Registration details will be available soon, as well as a list of confirmed speakers. There will be keynote addresses, invited speakers and commentators, and a special graduate student workshop.
There are also several fully-funded slots for additional presenters; see the Call for Papers for details.
