The School of Economics and Management (ISEG-UTL) and the SOCIUS research centre at the Technical University of Lisbon and the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (ICS-UL) are organising the 18th Biennial International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology (SPT), which will be held July 4 – 6, 2013, at the ISEG-UTL. On the early evening before, July 3 from 3-7 pm, the conference will also co-host a special corporate workshop.
The SPT 2013 theme is Technology in the Age of Information. A main aim of the conference is to encourage debate on the cultural, social, economic, political and ethical implications of advances in information and media technology. Digital networks and computerized technological systems have enlarged the domain of human technological action and responsibility, which raises new questions about the impacts of globalization and of the expanding information economy on the public and cultural spheres. A challenge facing the philosophy of technology and STS disciplines is to reflect upon our changed human condition and propose new ways to think through the quandaries technologies generate.
Reflecting on the emergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs), several questions may be raised: How do our lives change in an information society? What role do ICTs play in culture, politics, or social revolutions? How do ICTs shape the global economy? What new challenges do ICTs present to the public sphere and to individual privacy? How do ICTs affect human cognition and aesthetic sensibilities? How are ICT converging with nano and biotechnologies? Do ICTs stimulate ideas of new technological utopias? Many other topics can be addressed and are welcome!
As in previous SPT conferences, contributions from a variety of disciplines are encouraged. Bringing together scholars and practitioners from a wide spectrum of fields, who focus on understanding the relationship of technology and the human condition is a goal of the conference. Showcasing contributions from philosophers, social scientist, natural scientists, engineers, and policy makers, SPT conferences provide lively and thought-provoking interdisciplinary discussion.
English is the official language of the conference.
The list of tracks outlined below is suggestive of the topics that will be considered, but does by no means restrict them:
1 – ICTs 1: globalization, informational economy, and commodification
2 – ICTs 2: control, discrimination, and surveillance
3 – ICTs 3: Webs, imaginaries, and utopias
4 – ICTs 4: new media, public sphere, and democracy
5 – ICTs 5: politics, alternatives and revolutions,
6 – Consumption and mobile lifestyles
7 – Informatics, nano- and bio-technological convergences
8 – Materiality and immateriality in the digital era
9 – Information and aesthetics
10 – Reflective practice and the ethics of complex, sociotechnical systems
11 – Philosophy of engineering and design
12 – Phenomenology and technology
13 – Ethics, politics, and the good life
14 – Environment, sustainability, and risks
15 – Technology, gender, and culture
16 – Technological Innovation
17 – Technology and critical thinking
18 – Philosophy of technology and social sciences
19 – Technology for sustainability, social justice, and the well-being of everyone
SUBMISSIONS
****NEW DEADLINE****
Abstracts should be submitted in English by February 28, 2013. They must be between 500 and 750 words in length (references excluded) and submitted via email as embedded plain text or an attachment in RTF, WORD, or PDF format. Abstracts will be subject to blind refereeing. They should include the name(s) of author(s), affiliation(s), contact details and the paper title. They should also contain the number and name of the track to which the abstract is submitted. If an abstract does not seem to fit with any topic, simply note that with the submission. All submissions are welcome, and authors should not feel constrained by the topics.
Identification information will be then removed during the review process. For this reason, abstracts should not contain author-identifying references.
Proposals for panels should also be submitted by February 28, 2013. They will also be refereed. Panel proposals must be between 500 and 1,000 words in length, they much include a brief description of the general topic and an outline of the issues to be addressed, as well as a short biography of all the panelists.
Notification of acceptance for all submissions will be no later than March 15, 2013.
All submissions should be sent by email in Word or rtf format to spt2013@iseg.utl.pt
(write “[your last name] SPT abstract OR Panel” in the subject line).
More information about the conference at http://www.spt2013.com
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Pierre Musso (Rennes 2 University and Télécom Paris Tech)
Nathalie Heinich (CNRS and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales)
Hermínio Martins (University of Oxford and Institute of Social Sciences, Univ. Lisbon)
Hugh Lacey (Swarthmore College and University of São Paulo)
IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline to submit abstracts and panel proposals is February 28, 2013.
Notification of Acceptance will be no later than March 15, 2013.
Conference is on July 4-6, 2013.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Corporate Workshop
With the topic, Connecting Technology and Responsibility, this corporate workshop will unite SPT 2013 and CEPE 2013 conferences participants in a stimulating debate with ICT companies regarding the potential ethical quandaries that their products raise. The corporate workshop will be held on July, 3rd, 2013, from 3 to 7 p.m. at ISEG. The keynote speaker of this Workshop will be Professor Simon Rogerson, De Montfort University, UK. Professor Rogerson will speak about his research on computing and social responsibility.
CEPE 2013 conference is hosted by UAL, July 1-3, 2013 with the topic Ambiguous Technologies: Philosophical Issues, Practical Solutions, Human Nature. CEPE is an important worldwide forum that debates ICT philosophical issues in society through the lens of information and computer ethics. See CEPE important dates for abstracts/papers at: http://www.cepe2013.com/
Important Note 1: To be a participant at this Corporate Workshop, you must be registered for SPT 2013 or CEPE 2013 conferences.
Important Note 2: Participants who attend both conferences will have reduced fees. More information about registration fees will soon be available on the conference website.