4th Biennial Purdue Philosophy and Literature Graduate Conference

“Truth, Thought, and Technology”

October 2012

Philosophers from ancient Greece to the present have explored technology’s relation to truth. Whether that exploration has been undertaken as part of a broader investigation of nature or causality, or whether it has been couched in terms of an ethical self-development, technology is never far from the concerns of philosophers. Similarly, writers of fiction have thematized technology and its cultural consequences. Writers ranging from Samuel Butler to Aldous Huxley to David Foster Wallace have reacted to technological change with varying degrees of alarm. As technology continues to proliferate and impact private, social, and political life across the world, philosophical and literary attempts to clarify the relation between truth, thought, and technology are as pressing as ever.

We invite graduate students of all disciplines to submit papers pertaining to technology’s impact on how we think about truth today. Papers should be prepared for blind review and submitted to truthandtechnology2012@gmail.com. Submissions should include a separate document including (1) name of submitter, (2) paper title, (3) contact information, and (4) an abstract of 75-150 words.

Papers should not exceed 3000 words and should be prepared for a 20 minute panel presentation, to be followed by a formal question and answer period.

The deadline for submissions is June 1st, 2012.