CFP 2019 Douglas MacDonald Conference on the Life and Work of Josiah Royce, His Colleagues and Students

Call for Papers

2019 Douglas MacDonald Conference on the Life and Work of Josiah Royce, His Colleagues and Students

Dates:
October 18-20, 2019

Location:
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Keynote Speakers:
Professor Cheryl Misak, University of Toronto
Professor Jackie Kegley, California State University at Bakersfield

Submissions:

The Josiah Royce Society and the Philosophy Department at Vanderbilt University announce the 2019 Douglas MacDonald Conference on the life and work of Josiah Royce, his colleagues and students.

This special conference seeks to explore the richness and diversity of American philosophy. The Conference Committee accordingly invites submissions on any aspect of the life and work of Josiah Royce, his colleagues and students. Submissions dealing with Royce’s colleagues, such as William James and George Santayana, or his students, such as W. E. B. DuBois and T. S. Eliot, are most welcome, as are those dealing with some aspect of Royce’s own life and work.

Submissions should be approximately 3,000 words.

Please prepare your submissions for anonymized review and e-mail them to michael.brodrick AT gmail.com by March 1, 2019.

Statement on the Death of John J. McDermott

October 1, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

I write to you with a heavy heart to acknowledge the passing of Professor John J. McDermott.

McDermott was a giant in the field of American philosophy, a founding member of the Josiah Royce Society and its President for two years. His The Basic Writings of Josiah Royce, first published in 1969 by the University of Chicago Press and reissued in 2005 by Fordham University Press, almost single-handedly brought Royce’s philosophy back to prominence after a long period of neglect. McDermott’s brilliant introduction to the Vanderbilt University Press edition of Royce’s The Philosophy of Loyalty has become the classic introduction to the text. These landmark achievements barely begin to scratch the surface of McDermott’s matchless contribution to Royce studies.

Those of us who were fortunate enough to know John personally know that there was much to admire about him. There was his indefatigable work ethic, his keen pedagogical instinct, his unmistakable presence in a room or behind a podium and his massive intellectual and moral courage.

Those who were close to John will also recall his near-boundless generosity, his irrepressible sense of humor and his deep devotion to family and friends. With that devotion he allowed neither time nor space to interfere. Even at a distance, whether over the phone or when reading a short note from him sent through the mail, one felt that he really cared.

Philosophers of McDermott’s legendary stature are few and far between, but rarer still are those individuals whose example inspires us to become better and whose love touches our lives deeply. John was one of those irreplaceable individuals.

I know that I speak for many in the Royce Society when I say that I will always remember the fine example that John set for us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this sad and painful time.

Very truly yours,

Michael Brodrick

Michael Brodrick, PhD

Josiah Royce Society President

Arkansas Tech University

CFP: JRS at 2019 Central APA

Josiah Royce Society Meeting at the American Philosophical Association Central Division Meeting, February 20-23, 2019, Denver, Colorado.

The Royce Society will hold an affiliated group meeting at the APA Central Meeting in Denver, February 20-23, 2019. We now open a Call for Papers. Papers on the work of Josiah Royce, his influence on other thinkers, and his relevance to contemporary issues are welcomed. Papers from junior scholars and advanced graduate students are encouraged.

This session will include two or three paper presentations and possibly brief commentary on each presentation. Papers should be able to be read in c. 25 minutes (c. 3000 words).

Please prepare your paper or abstract for anonymous review, and attach a separate document with the paper title, author name, and contact information.

Full program information must be submitted by October 1, 2018. Thus, the deadline for submission of papers is midnight, Friday, September 7, 2018. Submissions are to be emailed to depfeife@iupui.edu. Decisions on which papers are accepted will follow in seven to ten days.

Grass Valley and the Philosopher

New from Robin Friedman:

Grass Valley and the Philosopher

One of the greatest things about American communities is that they create and foster a surprising amount of diversity. Take, for instance, the rough and tumble pioneer community captured in Claudine Chalmers’ Grass Valley. A combination of rare images of the Grass Valley, California community and Chalmers’ own commentary and discussion, Grass Valley shows how much there is to be learned from studying local communities.

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Navigation/Community/Arcadia-and-THP-Blog/May-2018/Guest-Post-Grass-Valley-and-the-Philosopher