Symposium "Constructive Engagement of Analytic and Continental Approaches in Philosophy" (April 10, 2010; SJSU)

Symposium

Theme:

Constructive Engagement of
Analytic and Continental Approaches in Philosophy

Time: 10th April 2010 (Saturday)

Place: Conference Room 285, Engineering Building, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA

The Center for Comparative Philosophy (CCP) at San Jose State University, California, USA,
has established its Workshop/Conference Series to promote and enhance the research and scholarship of comparative philosophy understood in a broad and philosophically interesting
way. The Series emphasizes critical discussion and exploration of how distinct approaches
from different philosophical traditions and/or from different styles/orientations of doing
philosophy can constructively engage each other to jointly contribute to the common
philosophical enterprise. The Series is characterized by its flexibility and sensitivity to needs
and situations: it might be a half-day workshop or a multiple-day conference; it might present a multiple-topic comprehensive forum (such as its 2009 term “California Bay-Area
‘Comparative Philosophy’ Conference”) or a conference/symposium focusing on one subject (such as its current 2010 term); it might be a local meeting or an international conference.

 

Theme:

The theme of the 2010 Term of the CCP’s Workshop/Conference Series is the constructive
engagement of analytic and Continental approaches in philosophy in the setting of
comparative philosophy understood in a broad, philosophically interesting way.

The exploration of the relation between the two is not new. What is expected to distinguish
this symposium is to explore the issue from the vantage point of comparative philosophy in the following two connections concerning coverage and strategic goal.

· Both ‘analytic’ and ‘Continental’ approaches are understood broadly: they are viewed neither merely as two local movements within the Western tradition only nor as orientations that are conceptually or intrinsically related to Western philosophy alone. Rather, though having historically developed in the Western tradition, they are understood as two general styles or orientations of doing philosophy in treating many issues and topics, whose strands and elements may manifest themselves in other philosophical traditions via distinctive resources and in philosophically interesting ways. Their engagement for the sake of mutual understanding and joint contribution to the common philosophical enterprise in such a broader setting is thus the due concern of comparative philosophy. In this way, it is encouraged that the contributions to the constructive engagement between the two are made also in terms of the relevant resources (if any) from other philosophical traditions.

· The purpose of this symposium well fits the general strategic “constructive-engagement” goal of comparative philosophy: to explore how, via reflective criticism and self-criticism, distinct modes of thinking, methodological approaches, visions, substantial points of view, or conceptual and explanatory resources (in this case, analytic approach and Continental approach) from different philosophical traditions and/or from different styles/orientations of doing philosophy, can learn from each other and jointly contribute to the common philosophical enterprise and a series of issues and topics of philosophical significance.

This symposium is to provide a forum for critical-discussion and an effective channel for the purpose of the constructive engagement of analytic and Continental approaches in philosophy as characterized above.

The speakers include (by the alphabetic order of the last names):

Hubert Dreyfus (Professor of Philosophy, University of California at Berkeley)
Dagfinn Follesdal (C. I. Lewis Professor of Philosophy, Stanford University)
John Searle (Willis S. and Marion Slusser Professor of Philosophy of Mind and Language, University of California at Berkeley)
Richard Tieszen (Professor of Philosophy, San Jose State University)

 

 

Symposium Program*

April 10, Saturday Morning

9:00-9:30

Opening Session: From the Vantage Point of Comparative Philosophy

Rita Manning (Chair, Philosophy Department, SJSU): Opening Remarks

Bo Mou (CCP Director, SJSU): “Symposium Theme Introduction: When Quine/Lewis, Heidegger, and Lao Zi Have a Get-together on Being….”

9:30-10:20

Session I: Joint Concerns of Analytic and Continental Approaches

Chair: Karin Brown (San Jose State University)

Speaker: Paul Livingston (University of New Mexico): “The Origin of Language and the Aporia of Sense: Quine and Heidegger”

10:20-10:30: Break

10:30-11:40

Session II: Feature Talk

 Chair: Purushottama Bilimoria (Deakin/Melbourne University and UC-Berkeley)

Speaker: Richard Tieszen (San Jose State University): “The Place of Science in Continental and Analytic Philosophy”

11:40-11:50: Break

11:50-13:00

Session III: Feature Talk

Chair:   Mohammad Azadpur (San Francisco State University):

Speaker: Dagfinn Follesdal (Stanford University): “Quine and Husserl”

 

13:00-13:50 Lunch

 

April 10, Saturday Afternoon

13:50-15:00

Session IV: Feature Talk

Chair: Tom Leddy (San Jose State University)

Speaker: John Searle (University of California at Berkeley): “The Background”

15:00-15:10: Break

15:10-16:20

Session V: Feature Talk

Chair: Anand Vaidya (San Jose State University)

Speaker: Hubert Dreyfus (University of California at Berkeley) “McDowell vs Merleau-Ponty: The Pseudo-Problem of Relating Mind and World”

16:20-16:30: Break

16:30-18:10

Session VI      Phenomenology, Cognitive Science and Mathematics

Chair: Carlos Sanchez (San Jose State University)

16:30-17:20
Speaker: Peter Hadreas (San Jose State University): “A Constructive Engagement between Phenomenology and Cognitive Science”

17:20-18:10    
Speaker: Chad Kidd (University of California at Irvine): “Mathematizing Phenomenology: Ontological and Methodological Mathematization”

18:10-18:20                            

Richard Tieszen: Closing Remarks

 

[* The above program, as given on 23rd March 2010, may be further updated.]

 

· All are welcome to attend the conference

· Coffee/refreshments and lunch will be served

· Registration fee: $15 (no registration fee for SJSU faculty and students)