Modernities: Radicalism, Reflexivity, Realities
The Social Theory Postgraduate Association, under the auspices of the
Ashworth Program for Social Theory at the University of Melbourne, and
in association with the Department of Philosophy at Macquarie
University, is holding an interdisciplinary conference titled
Modernities: Radicalism, Reflexivity, Realities on November 22-23 2007.
Students from related disciplines are cordially invited to participate.
Recent theories of modernity suggest that a significant shift has taken
place from simple, industrial modernity to a second (be it late, post-,
reflexive) modernity. While this thesis suggests that industrial
modernity is centred upon teleological narratives of progress,
class-based theories of collective radicalism and the hegemony of the
nation-state, the idea of second modernity is more associated with
self-reflexivity and non-structuralist agency, global economic and
political interconnections, and the delegitimation of totalising
approaches to knowledge in both science and life-world. In light of
these emerging narratives concerning modernity this conference aims to
establish a forum whereby the validity and implications of this 'second
modernity thesis,' understood as a concrete-historical shift and/or a
set of interpretive themes, can be tested and interrogated.
We welcome any 'genealogical' presentation, that is any partial (perhaps
very partial) historical tracing of an idea, thing or value, which might
shed light on the experiences, histories and theories of any number of
modernities (regional, political, artistic etc.), and which could open
up perspectives on the following questions:
*
Is second modernity, or its characteristic features, new? Or
is
it in
fact 'modern-all-too-modern'?
*
If, as in recent approaches in sociology and anthropology, we
conceptualise the self as a decentred subject, with multiple boundaries
and overlapping identities, to what forms of sociality, sociability and
unsociability might such a self correspond (e.g. network, virtual,
sub-cultural forms of society)? What is becoming of agency, autonomy,
the subject-object dualism?
*
What possibilities for political contestation are emergent or
receding
in second modernity e.g. the possibility of contestation without grand
narratives, the possibility of global social movements? Is democracy
itself becoming more or less reflexive about its institutions and
ethical-philosophical underpinnings?
*
As not only social but natural science engages in ongoing
negotiations
with the hermeneutic dimension to knowledge, what truths, axioms,
paradigms are becoming evident or less evident? What special conditions
are presented for knowledge by second modernity e.g. complexity,
contingency, non-linearity, indeterminacy, informationality?
*
How are the dimensions of second modernity reflected in
emerging
art-forms or vice versa? What changing roles or modes has aesthetic
judgement in the contemporary world?
Confirmed keynote speakers are Jean-Philippe Deranty, John Rundell and
Justin Clemens with others TBA. Please send abstracts of 200 words or
less, with name, no., and university affiliation to
l.ward2@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au by August 31 2007. For more information
see http://www.ashworth-program.unimelb.edu.au.
Dan O'Meara
Treasurer
Social Theory Postgraduate Association
UMPA
The University of Melbourne
Parkville Victoria 3010
Australia
Email: domeara@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au