Conference Poster (download pdf) Image and Imagination:International Conference on Paul Ricoeurand Philosophy for Our Time May 28-29, 2025 Department of Philosophy at Soochow UniversityRicoeur Research Center/Centre de recherches ricoeuriennes On May 28-29, 2025, the Department of Philosophy …
19th ANNUAL SOCIETY FOR RICOEUR STUDIES CONFERENCE November 6-8, 2025 Fordham University New York City, New York, USA Theme: “Hermeneutics of Global Justice in the Polycrisis” Keynote speakers (to be announced) CALL FOR PAPERS (in English …
On May 28-29, 2025, the Department of Philosophy at Soochow University and the Ricoeur Research Center (Ricoeur Research Center/Centre de recherches ricoeuriennes) will host the International Conference on Paul Ricoeur and Philosophy for Our Time at Soochow University’s Waishuangsi Campus (Rooms B015 …
The Fonds Ricœur is delighted to announce the 8th Edition of its Summer Workshops, which will take place in Paris from June 16 to June 20, 2025. This year’s theme is The Course of Recognition. …
18th ANNUAL SOCIETY FOR RICOEUR STUDIES CONFERENCEOctober 24-27, 2024 The University of Chicago Divinity SchoolChicago, Illinois, USA “Imagination and Metaphor: Paul Ricoeur at Chicago, 50th Anniversary” Keynote Speakers (confirmed): William Schweiker (University of Chicago)Annemie Halsema (Vrije …
Image and Imagination: International Conference on Paul Ricoeur and Philosophy for Our Time
May 28-29, 2025
Department of Philosophy at Soochow University Ricoeur Research Center/Centre de recherches ricoeuriennes
On May 28-29, 2025, the Department of Philosophy at Soochow University and the Ricoeur Research Center (Ricoeur Research Center/Centre de recherches ricoeuriennes) will host the International Conference on Paul Ricoeur and Philosophy for Our Time at Soochow University’s Waishuangsi Campus.
This conference is organized in response to the March 2024 publication edited by George H. Taylor, Jean-Luc Amalric et al., featuring Paul Ricoeur’s lectures at the University of Chicago Divinity School, which have now been published as Lectures on Imagination and its French translation, Paul Ricoeur, L’Imagination—Cours à l’Université de Chicago.
Keynote Speakers
Olivier Abel, founding member and former Executive Director of the Fonds Ricoeur, and Professor Emeritus at the faculté de théologie protestante de Montpellier
George H. Taylor, founding President of the Society for Ricoeur Studies, and Professor Emeritus of Law at University of Pittsburgh
Professor Kuan-Min Huang (Reseach Fellow and Director of the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica)
Jean-Luc Amalric (Université de Nîmes, CPGE Arts et Design, CRAL, EHESS, France), the French translator of Lectures on Imagination
Michael Johnson, current President of the Society for Ricoeur Studies, Concordia College, USA
The conference will also feature presentations by distinguished Taiwanese scholars, including Wen-Sheng Wang (Professor Emeritus, National Chengchi University) and Yun-Ping Sun (National Central University), whose contributions to Ricoeur studies in Taiwan are significant.
International Participants
Leovino Garcia, former Senior Dean, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
Gonçalo Marcelo, University of Coimbia, Portugal
Geoffrey Dierckxsens, Head of the Interdisciplinary Research Lab for Bioethics, Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague
Tomoaki Yamada, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan
Jonghyuk Chang, Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies
Ying-Lin Yeh, China Graduate School of Theology, Hong Kong
Conference Organization
This conference is jointly organized by:
Hsueh-I Chen, Graduate Institute of European Cultures and Tourism, National Taiwan Normal University
Ming-Yeung Chang, Department of Religious Studies, Fu Jen Catholic University
Cristal Huang, Ricoeur Research Center, Department of Philosophy, Soochow University
We extend our special thanks to National Science and Technology Council, R.O.C., Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, Fondation Taïwan-Française pour la Culture et l’Éducation, and FULIN Culture & Art Foundation for their co-sponsorship.
Contact Information
For further inquiries, please contact: Dr. Cristal Huang image.imagination.ricoeur.taiwan@gmail.com
The Society is offering an early submission deadline to those who require early notification of acceptance to apply for professional development funding and/or travel expenses from their home institutions. Submissions received by April 15, 2025 will receive notification of acceptance by April 30, 2025. All other submissions must be received by May 15, 2025, with notification of acceptance by May 31, 2025.
Conference Theme
The theme of the 2025 conference, “Hermeneutics of Global Justice in the Polycrisis,” invites critical reflection on the role of hermeneutics in addressing the multiple, intersecting crises of our contemporary moment. As human communities navigate through what has been termed a “polycrisis”—where ecological, social, political, and technological disruptions converge and amplify each other—hermeneutical approaches offer essential tools for understanding and responding to these complex challenges.
Paul Ricoeur’s work, with its emphasis on interpretation, narrative, recognition, and the critical mediation between explanation and understanding, provides valuable resources for addressing the current landscape of political polarization, climate change, global inequality, and technological transformation. The conference aims to explore how hermeneutical approaches can help us navigate through what Ricoeur called the “conflict of interpretations” that characterizes our public discourse around pressing issues of global justice.
We welcome papers that consider questions such as: How might hermeneutics help us address the crisis of trust in institutions and expert knowledge? In what ways can Ricoeurian concepts of recognition, attestation, and practical wisdom inform more just approaches to climate action and global inequality? How do narratives of technological progress—whether utopian or dystopian—shape our understanding of human agency and self-efficacy in an increasingly AI-driven society? What resources does hermeneutics offer for meaningful dialogue across deep political and cultural divides?
Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
Hermeneutics as a resource for bridging divides in politically polarized societies
The role of narrative in shaping our understanding of global environmental crises
Ricoeur’s concepts of recognition, translation, and hospitality in addressing North-South inequalities
The hermeneutics of testimony and memory in confronting historical injustices
The critique of technological rationality and its impact on human agency
Interpretive approaches to understanding AI ethics and governance
The hermeneutics of trust and institutional legitimacy in a “post-truth” era
The promise and perils of transhumanism from a hermeneutical perspective
Ricoeur’s concept of the “capable human being” in the context of technological mediation
Interpretive approaches to understanding sustainable development and climate justice
Hermeneutics of suspicion and systemic injustice
We further welcome submissions that address the influence of Ricoeur’s thought inside and outside of philosophy, in all those disciplines where his work has application. We particularly welcome proposals that relate Ricoeur’s thought to current issues and themes, such as the environmental crisis, healthcare crisis, postcolonial studies, ecological challenges, or the challenges of democracy that we face today.
We also encourage submissions that explore Ricoeur’s philosophy and/or hermeneutics in relation to specific applied areas of practice in real life, such as: architecture, intersectionality, anti-oppression, education, economics, environmental concerns, artificial intelligence, digital technology, digital humanities, law, feminist philosophy, literature and literary theory, music, art, narrative medicine, nursing, medical humanities, biomedical ethics, translation, politics, trauma studies, peacebuilding, social media, etc. For more ideas, see the Hermeneutics in Real Life project website (https://www.hinrl.org) and resources page (https://www.hinrl.org/resources).
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
We welcome submissions in the following formats. Papers and panels can be submitted in English, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, or Spanish, by email to Héctor Acero Ferrer (HAceroFerrer@icscanada.edu):
Individual papers. Please submit an abstract of approximately 300-500 words without any author-identifying information. In your email, please include the paper’s title, the author’s name, institutional affiliation, mailing address, and email address.
Panel proposals. Please submit a brief description (300-500 words) of the panel topic, the names of the panel members, and, as a separate document, the abstracts for each presentation (300-500 words). Please include the panel’s title along with the panel members’ names, institutional affiliations, mailing addresses, and email addresses.
Book panels on recent monographs or edited volumes focusing on Ricoeur’s thought. Proposals should follow the instructions for regular panel proposals.
Book discussions of primary texts by Ricoeur. Proposals must identify a moderator, the text selection, and a sketch of guiding questions or talking points for participants.
NEW SCHOLAR AND GRADUATE STUDENT SUBMISSIONS:
New scholars and graduate students are encouraged to send in paper abstracts (300-500 words) around the theme of the conference, or any other theme related to the work of Paul Ricoeur. If you are in this category, we ask that you include “New Scholar/Graduate Submission” in the subject line of your submission email.
This year the Society for Ricoeur Studies plans to offer partial financial support for travel for graduate students attending the conference in person. After the proposals are reviewed, we will ask for graduate students needing travel support funds to apply for them.
FEES:
Participation in the conference requires membership in the Society for Ricoeur Studies and payment of the conference fee (for both in-person or online participation). Members must be in good standing (i.e. paid current on their membership fees) to present at the Society’s conference (whether in-person or online). Membership dues are valid from September 1 to August 31. Members who paid membership dues at last year’s conference will remain in good standing until August 31, 2025. If your membership dues are not currently up-to-date, you can pay them through PayPal on the Society’s website (http://www.ricoeursociety.org/). N.B. you do not need to have a PayPal account to pay via PayPal. Conference fees can be paid using the same method.
ONLINE PARTICIPATION:
This year’s conference will be held and conducted in person, but we will also make room for a limited number of proposals for online participation in the conference. The schedule may include a few fully online sessions. In addition, we anticipate having one or two rooms with technology enabling some hybrid panel sessions. If you are submitting your proposal for consideration in one of the online or hybrid sessions, please indicate this in your submission.
EARLY ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE: April 15, 2025 (Notification by April 30, 2025) REGULAR SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 15, 2025 (Notification by May 31, 2025)
SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: SRS vice-president Héctor Acero Ferrer (HAceroFerrer@icscanada.edu). Abstracts and panel proposals accepted for conference presentations will be published on the Society’s website prior to the conference. If you prefer not to have your submission published there, please inform Héctor in your submission email.Abstracts and panel proposals will be blind reviewed by a committee. Notification of acceptance will be given via email by May 31, 2025.
La Société propose une date limite de soumission anticipée pour ceux qui ont besoin d’une notification d’acceptation précoce afin de demander un financement pour leur développement professionnel et/ou leurs frais de déplacement auprès de leurs institutions d’origine. Les soumissions reçues avant le 15 avril 2025 recevront une notification d’acceptation avant le 30 avril 2025. Toutes les autres soumissions doivent être reçues avant le 15 mai 2025, avec une notification d’acceptation avant le 31 mai 2025.
Thème de la conférence
Le thème de la conférence 2025, « Herméneutique de la justice globale dans la polycrise », invite à une réflexion critique sur le rôle de lherméneutique dans l’approche des crises multiples et interdépendantes de notre époque contemporaine. Alors que les communautés humaines naviguent à travers ce qui a été qualifié de « polycrise » — où les perturbations écologiques, sociales, politiques et technologiques convergent et s’amplifient mutuellement — les approches herméneutiques offrent des outils essentiels pour comprendre et répondre à ces défis complexes.
L’œuvre de Paul Ricœur, avec son accent sur l’interprétation, le récit, la reconnaissance et la médiation critique entre l’explication et la compréhension, fournit des ressources précieuses pour aborder le paysage actuel de polarisation politique, de changement climatique, d’inégalité mondiale et de transformation technologique. La conférence vise à explorer comment les approches herméneutiques peuvent nous aider à naviguer à travers ce que Ricœur appelait le « conflit des interprétations » qui caractérise notre discours public autour des questions pressantes de justice globale.
Nous accueillons les communications qui considèrent des questions telles que : Comment l’herméneutique pourrait-elle nous aider à aborder la crise de confiance dans les institutions et les connaissances expertes ? De quelles façons les concepts ricœuriens de reconnaissance, d’attestation et de sagesse pratique peuvent-ils informer des approches plus justes de l’action climatique et de l’inégalité mondiale ? Comment les récits du progrès technologique — qu’ils soient utopiques ou dystopiques — façonnent-ils notre compréhension de l’agentivité humaine et de l’auto-efficacité dans une société de plus en plus dirigée par l’intelligence artificielle? Quelles ressources l’herméneutique offre-t-elle pour un dialogue significatif à travers de profondes divisions politiques et culturelles ?
Les sujets potentiels comprennent (sans s’y limiter) :
L’herméneutique comme ressource pour combler les divisions dans des sociétés politiquement polarisées
Le rôle du récit dans la formation de notre compréhension des crises environnementales mondiales
Les concepts de reconnaissance, de traduction et d’hospitalité de Ricœur dans l’approche des inégalités Nord-Sud
L’herméneutique du témoignage et de la mémoire dans la confrontation des injustices historiques
La critique de la rationalité technologique et son impact sur l’agentivité humaine
Les approches interprétatives pour comprendre l’éthique et la gouvernance de l’intelligence artificielle
L’herméneutique de la confiance et de la légitimité institutionnelle dans une ère « post-vérité »
Les promesses et les périls du transhumanisme dans une perspective herméneutique
Le concept ricœurien de « l’homme capable » dans le contexte de la médiation technologique
Les approches interprétatives pour comprendre le développement durable et la justice climatique
Herméneutique du soupçon et injustice systémique
Nous accueillons également les soumissions qui abordent l’influence de la pensée de Ricœur à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur de la philosophie, dans toutes les disciplines où son travail a des applications. Nous accueillons particulièrement les propositions qui relient la pensée de Ricœur à des questions et thèmes actuels, tels que la crise environnementale, la crise sanitaire, les études postcoloniales, les défis écologiques ou les défis de la démocratie auxquels nous sommes confrontés aujourd’hui.
Nous encourageons également les soumissions qui explorent la philosophie et/ou l’herméneutique de Ricœur en relation avec des domaines spécifiques de pratique appliquée dans la vie réelle, tels que : l’architecture, l’intersectionnalité, l’anti-oppression, l’éducation, l’économie, les préoccupations environnementales, l’intelligence artificielle, la technologie numérique, les humanités numériques, le droit, la philosophie féministe, la littérature et la théorie littéraire, la musique, l’art, la médecine narrative, les soins infirmiers, les humanités médicales, l’éthique biomédicale, la traduction, la politique, les études sur le traumatisme, la consolidation de la paix, les médias sociaux, etc. Pour plus d’idées, consultez le site Web du projet Hermeneutics in Real Life (https://www.hinrl.org) et la page de ressources (https://www.hinrl.org/resources).
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DIRECTIVES DE SOUMISSION :
Nous accueillons les soumissions dans les formats suivants. Les communications et les panels peuvent être soumis en anglais, français, allemand, portugais, italien ou espagnol, par courriel à Héctor Acero Ferrer (HAceroFerrer@icscanada.edu) :
Communications individuelles. Veuillez soumettre un résumé d’environ 300-500 mots sans aucune information permettant d’identifier l’auteur. Dans votre courriel, veuillez inclure le titre de la communication, le nom de l’auteur, l’affiliation institutionnelle, l’adresse postale et l’adresse électronique.
Propositions de panels. Veuillez soumettre une brève description (300-500 mots) du sujet du panel, les noms des membres du panel et, dans un document séparé, les résumés de chaque présentation (300-500 mots). Veuillez inclure le titre du panel ainsi que les noms des membres du panel, leurs affiliations institutionnelles, leurs adresses postales et leurs adresses électroniques.
Panels sur des livres récents, monographies ou volumes édités portant sur la pensée de Ricœur. Les propositions doivent suivre les instructions pour les propositions de panels réguliers.
Discussions de livres sur des textes primaires de Ricœur. Les propositions doivent identifier un modérateur, la sélection du texte, et une esquisse des questions directrices ou des points de discussion pour les participants.
SOUMISSIONS DES NOUVEAUX CHERCHEURS ET ÉTUDIANTS DIPLÔMÉS :
Les nouveaux chercheurs et les étudiants diplômés sont encouragés à envoyer des résumés de communications (300-500 mots) autour du thème de la conférence, ou tout autre thème lié à l’œuvre de Paul Ricœur. Si vous êtes dans cette catégorie, nous vous demandons d’inclure “Soumission Nouveau Chercheur/Étudiant Diplômé” dans la ligne d’objet de votre courriel de soumission.
Cette année, la Society for Ricoeur Studies prévoit d’offrir un soutien financier partiel pour les déplacements des étudiants diplômés qui assisteront à la conférence en personne. Une fois les propositions examinées, nous demanderons aux étudiants diplômés ayant besoin de fonds de soutien pour leurs déplacements d’en faire la demande.
FRAIS :
La participation à la conférence nécessite l’adhésion à la Society for Ricoeur Studies et le paiement des frais de conférence (pour la participation en personne ou en ligne). Les membres doivent être en règle (c’est-à-dire avoir payé leurs cotisations à jour) pour présenter à la conférence de la Société (que ce soit en personne ou en ligne). Les cotisations d’adhésion sont valables du 1er septembre au 31 août. Les membres qui ont payé leurs cotisations lors de la conférence de l’année dernière resteront en règle jusqu’au 31 août 2025. Si vos cotisations ne sont pas actuellement à jour, vous pouvez les payer via PayPal sur le site Web de la Société (http://www.ricoeursociety.org/). N.B. vous n’avez pas besoin d’avoir un compte PayPal pour payer via PayPal. Les frais de conférence peuvent être payés en utilisant la même méthode.
PARTICIPATION EN LIGNE :
La conférence de cette année se tiendra et se déroulera en personne, mais nous laisserons également de la place à un nombre limité de propositions pour une participation en ligne à la conférence. Le programme pourrait inclure quelques sessions entièrement en ligne. De plus, nous prévoyons d’avoir une ou deux salles équipées de technologies permettant des sessions de panel hybrides. Si vous soumettez votre proposition pour considération dans l’une des sessions en ligne ou hybrides, veuillez l’indiquer dans votre soumission.
DATE LIMITE DE SOUMISSION ANTICIPÉE : 15 avril 2025 (Notification avant le 30 avril 2025) DATE LIMITE DE SOUMISSION RÉGULIÈRE : 15 mai 2025 (Notification avant le 31 mai 2025)
ENVOYER LES SOUMISSIONS À : Vice-président de la SRS, Héctor Acero Ferrer (HAceroFerrer@icscanada.edu). Les résumés et propositions de panels acceptés pour les présentations à la conférence seront publiés sur le site Web de la Société avant la conférence. Si vous préférez que votre soumission n’y soit pas publiée, veuillez en informer Héctor dans votre courriel de soumission. Les résumés et propositions de panels seront examinés à l’aveugle par un comité. La notification d’acceptation sera donnée par courriel avant le 31 mai 2025.
On May 28-29, 2025, the Department of Philosophy at Soochow University and the Ricoeur Research Center (Ricoeur Research Center/Centre de recherches ricoeuriennes) will host the International Conference on Paul Ricoeur and Philosophy for Our Time at Soochow University’s Waishuangsi Campus (Rooms B015 and B013).
Conference Theme
Image and Imagination International Conference on Paul Ricoeur and Philosophy for Our Time (In English)
May 28-29, 2025
Department of Philosophy at Soochow University Ricoeur Research Center/Centre de recherches ricoeuriennes
This conference is organized in response to the March 2024 publication edited by George H. Taylor, Jean-Luc Amalric et al., featuring Paul Ricoeur’s lectures at the University of Chicago Divinity School, which have now been published as Lectures on Imagination and its French translation, Paul Ricoeur, L’Imagination—Cours à l’Université de Chicago.
Olivier Abel, founding member and former Executive Director of the Fonds Ricoeur, and Professor Emeritus at the faculté de théologie protestante de Montpellier
George H. Taylor, founding President of the Society for Ricoeur Studies, and Professor Emeritus of Law at University of Pittsburgh
Professor Kuan-Min Huang (Reseach Fellow and Director of the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica)
Jean-Luc Amalric (Université de Nîmes, CPGE Arts et Design, CRAL, EHESS, France), the French translator of Lectures on Imagination
Michael Johnson, current President of the Society for Ricoeur Studies, Concordia College, USA
The conference will also feature presentations by distinguished Taiwanese scholars, including Wen-Sheng Wang (Professor Emeritus, National Chengchi University) and Yun-Ping Sun (National Central University), whose contributions to Ricoeur studies in Taiwan are significant.
International Participants
We are pleased to welcome esteemed international scholars, including:
Leovino Garcia, former Senior Dean, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
Gonçalo Marcelo, University of Coimbia, Portugal
Geoffrey Dierckxsens, Head of the Interdisciplinary Research Lab for Bioethics, Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague
Tomoaki Yamada, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan
Jonghyuk Chang, Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies
Ying-Lin Yeh, China Graduate School of Theology, Hong Kong
Conference Organization
This conference is jointly organized by:
Hsueh-I Chen, Graduate Institute of European Cultures and Tourism, National Taiwan Normal University
Ming-Yeung Chang, Department of Religious Studies, Fu Jen Catholic University
Cristal Huang, Ricoeur Research Center, Department of Philosophy, Soochow University
We extend our special thanks to National Science and Technology Council, R.O.C., Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, Fondation Taïwan-Française pour la Culture et l’Éducation, and FULIN Culture & Art Foundation for their co-sponsorship.
We warmly invite all interested scholars to follow and participate in this event.
For submission:
Please send the information of Name, Affiliation, topic and 300 words abstract by March 31, 2025, Taiwan time, to:
By April 1, we will announce the result of submission.
Before April 30, we will post the conference program, and registration information (no registration fee. Participants need to arrange the travel and accommodation).
Contact Information
For further inquiries, please contact: Dr. Cristal Huang image.imagination.ricoeur.taiwan@gmail.com
The Fonds Ricœur is delighted to announce the 8th Edition of its Summer Workshops, which will take place in Paris from June 16 to June 20, 2025. This year’s theme is The Course of Recognition.
Call for Papers
The Course of Recognition 8th Edition of the Fonds Ricœur’s Summer Workshops Paris June 16-20, 2025
Please kindly note : This year’s workshops coincide with the 20th anniversary of Paul Ricœur’s passing. On this occasion, a series of additional conferences and gatherings will be organized alongside the workshops by Olivier Abel and Azadeh Thiriez-Arjangi. This week promises to be full of enriching events. If possible, we encourage you to plan to stay in Paris for the entire week to fully enjoy these exceptional activities.
Call for abstracts on the following topics (English only):
Dialogues: Ricoeur and Kant, Hegel, Arendt, Honneth, Bourdieu, Amartya Sen, Boltanski, and Henaff, etc.
Recognition and Gratitude
Mutual Recognition in the Social World
Misrecognition: Causes and Consequences
From Recognition and Forgiveness to Reconciliation
Recognition as a Moral Imperative
The Role of Institutions in Facilitating Recognition
Temporal Dimensions of Recognition
The Relationship Between Autonomy and Recognition
Recognition and the Limits of Empathy
Instructions: Please submit your abstracts (600- 1000 words) and your detailed bibliography by March 15th, 2025 to atelierricoeur@gmail.com Notification of acceptance will be sent out prior to March 22, 2025. Registration will open March 31, 2025.
Important: Submissions can be provided in French or English – depending on the chosen subject area of investigation. Themes noted in English will consider paper submissions in English only. Similarly, thematic areas noted in French will accept paper submissions in French only.
Le Prix excellence des Ateliers d’été du Fonds Ricœur For this 8th edition of the Fonds Ricœur’s summer workshops, La Fondation Goélands is once again awarding a prize for the best workshop paper. All young scholars, doctoral and post-doctoral students can apply for this award. To be eligible for the award, please send us your full paper by May 31, 2025 (midnight Paris Time Zone). The winner will receive 1000 euros from the Fondation Goélands, and will be invited to publish his or her paper in the Études Ricœuriennes / Ricœur Studies Journal.The workshops will be co-organized by the Fonds Ricœur, the Centre de recherches sur les arts et le langage (CRAL-EHESS), and the Society for Ricoeur Studies.
The Society for Ricoeur Studies (http://www.ricoeursociety.org/) is pleased to announce the theme of the 2024 annual conference is “Imagination and Metaphor: Paul Ricoeur at Chicago.” The host and co-sponsor of this year’s conference is the Divinity School of the University of Chicago (https://divinity.uchicago.edu/).
Special screening at the 18th Annual Society for Ricoeur Studies Conference
“Filmic Metaphor: Narrative and the Cinematic Imagination” ANUJA: A Short Film(2024)
Directed by Adam J. Graves (Metropolitan State University of Denver) A special screening of the film followed by a discussion with the director Friday, Oct. 25 at 8:30 pm | Cobb Hall (C307) https://www.anujathefilm.com/
Reserve your seat for the screening using Eventbrite ticketing link above. The screening is free and will be open to the public, but we are pleased to offer Eventbrite ticketing to reserve your seats in advance. The Film Studies Center’s 100-seat screening room in Cobb Hall (C307) features large-screen projection capabilities for various digital and film formats, promising an excellent viewing experience. Seating is limited, so we encourage you to take advantage of the early ticketing option to reserve your seat.
We invite conference participants and attendees to a pre-screening Pizza Dinner (Friday, Oct. 25, 7:00-8:00 pm) in Swift Commons after the Nuveen Lecture by Hans Joas (Friday, Oct. 25, 5:30-7:00 pm). We will have gourmet pizzas and salads catered by Pizza Capri in Hyde Park. Registration and pre-payment is required.
The Society for Ricoeur Studies (SRS) is pleased to announce a special screening and discussion of Anuja: A Short Film during our 2024 annual meeting in Chicago. The film is written and directed by longtime SRS member Adam J. Graves. This special event offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of Paul Ricoeur’s philosophy of imagination, cinematic storytelling, and social justice themes.
The screening will be held on Friday evening at 8:30 pm at the University of Chicago’s Film Studies Center, which has generously agreed to sponsor this event. Following the film, there will be a discussion with Adam Graves, providing attendees the occasion to engage directly with the filmmaker about his work.
Anuja tells the story of two sisters working in Delhi’s garment industry. When nine-year-old Anuja is offered the chance to attend an elite boarding school, she faces a dilemma that forms the narrative’s core. The film explores themes of child labor, education, and familial responsibility in contemporary India.
Adam Graves, Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University of Denver, brings his background in South Asian studies and philosophy to this project. Developed in collaboration with Salaam Baalak Trust, a nonprofit organization that provides education and opportunity to thousands of Delhi’s street children, Anuja aims to present an authentic portrayal of life as a child laborer in the global textile economy. Graves is the founding director of the Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry, a public humanities center that explores the relationship between philosophy, film, literature and history.
The short film features Sajda Pathan, a resident of a Salaam Baalak Trust home, in the lead role. Pathan’s personal experience as a former street child adds a layer of authenticity to her performance. The cast also includes newcomer Ananya Shanbhag and veteran actor Nagesh Bhonsle.
Anuja has already gained recognition on the festival circuit. It premiered at the 24th annual deadCenter Film Festival and won Best Live Action Short at the HollyShorts Film Festival. With this win at HollyShorts, one of the select group of Oscar-qualifying festivals, Anuja automatically becomes eligible for Academy Award consideration in the three shorts categories.
Of particular interest to SRS members will be Graves’ attempt to translate Ricoeurian concepts of metaphor, narrative, and the imagination into visual storytelling. The film employs visual metaphors and a non-linear narrative structure that reflects Ricoeur’s ideas of “narrative identity” and “refiguration.” Through its cinematic techniques, Anuja invites viewers to actively interpret and engage with the world it depicts.
This screening presents an excellent opportunity for our society to examine how Ricoeur’s philosophical ideas can be applied to and explored through film. It also allows us to support and celebrate the work of one of our members in bringing these concepts to a broader audience.
All attendees of the 2024 annual meeting are invited to join us for this special event on Friday, Oct. 25 at 8:30 pm. The screening of Anuja promises to be both an engaging cinematic experience and a springboard for thoughtful discussion on the application of Ricoeurian philosophy to visual media and cinematic art.
Upcoming presentation: The book will be featured in a special panel session at our 18th Annual Meeting of the Society for Ricoeur Studies, October 24-27, 2024. Join us Friday morning, Oct. 25, to hear the editors and contributors discuss the book. (Details below)
Special offer: Enjoy a 30% discount on both hardcover and ebook editions when ordering directly from Rowman & Littlefield. Use special discount code LXFANDF30 at checkout. (See discount flyer below).
Interested in exploring this new contribution to Ricoeur scholarship? Visit the Rowman & Littlefield website to learn more and order your copy.
Refiguring the Sacred: Conversations with Paul Ricoeur, edited by Joseph A. Edelheit, James F. Moore, and Mark I. Wallace presents an opportunity for Ricoeur scholars to reflect and engage on Ricoeur’s religious ideas, nearly 20 years after his death. This collection uses the twenty-one papers collected by Mark I. Wallace in Paul Ricoeur’s Figuring the Sacred, translated by David Pellauer, as its primary resource. Contributions by several significant Ricoeur scholars prompt questions which initiate new conversations almost 30 years after its original publication. Ricoeur’s life-long engagement with texts illuminates his embrace of the sacred, as well as his significant thinking and writings on religious imagination, theology, the Bible, hope, and praxis—all ideas which require more reading and reflection in order to refigure of our understanding of Ricoeur. Wallace brings two additional essays that could not be included in his original collection and explains why they remain essential to our understanding of Ricoeur. Refiguring the Sacred demonstrates the foundational multidisciplinary scholarship inherent in the interfaith dialogues through which Paul Ricoeur embodied the Sacred.
Friday, Oct. 25, 10:30 am (CDT) in-person and hybrid (Zoom)
This plenary session at the University of Chicago Divinity School will highlight the recent publication Refiguring the Sacred: Conversations with Paul Ricoeur (Lexington Press, 2024), edited by Joseph A. Edelheit, James F. Moore, and Mark I. Wallace. The volume complements the 1995 anthology Figuring the Sacred: Religion, Narrative, and Imagination (Fortress Press) that collected many of Ricoeur’s essays on religion and biblical hermeneutics in the 1970s-80s written during his years at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The new volume offers fresh perspectives on Ricoeur’s hermeneutical philosophy of religions and the enduring legacy of his approach and seeks to continue the conversation. The panel, featuring the book’s editors and contributors, will explore Ricoeur’s insights on religious language, biblical interpretation, and imagination, examining their relevance to contemporary issues of faith, praxis, meaning, interfaith dialogue, and experiences of evil and trauma. The session aims to stimulate discussions on Ricoeur’s interdisciplinary approach to religion and its significance for current debates in religious and philosophical studies. Panelists include Joseph A. Edelheit (St. Cloud State University), James F. Moore (Valparaiso University), Mark I. Wallace (Swarthmore College), Stephanie Arel (Fordham University), Steven Kepnes (Colgate University), Dan R. Stiver (Jesse C. Fletcher Seminary), George H. Taylor (University of Pittsburgh), and Timo Helenius (University of Turku, Finland).
The book is appearing simultaneously in an English version by the University of Chicago Press and in a French translation published by Éditions du Seuil.
Our gratitude goes out to the Ricoeur family, without whom this publication would not have been possible.
Read the special announcements by George H. Taylor for the English Edition and Jean-Luc Amalric for the French translation (links below).
The Hermeneutics in Real Life project (hinrl.org), in association with the Society for Ricoeur Studies (ricoeursociety.org), is excited to announce a Call for Papers for the Environmental Humanities Congress: Indiana Dunes in the Calumet, to be held from June 19-22, 2025. The purpose of this Call for Papers is to invite graduate students to participate in a competitive awards program for research projects focused on environmental justice and ecological resilience in the Indiana Dunes and Calumet Region on Lake Michigan. A Research Resources page has been set up to point researchers to the large quantity of publicly available research on the conference theme. Although the Congress is an interdisciplinary event, our great hope is that hermeneutic scholars will make a major showing at the Congress and become a central part of the interdisciplinary conversation. Please see the wealth of hermeneutically inflected research themes for possible paper topics on the Congress website.
As many as twenty $750 honoraria will be awarded to support the presentation of graduate student research at the Congress. Research paper proposals can be submitted to the Competition from now until November 1, 2024. Award announcements will be made December 1, 2024. To apply, graduate students should submit an extended abstract (450-600 words) and a carefully constructed bibliography in a single PDF document to jarthos@iu.edu. Details on submission guidelines are contained in the Call for Papers. We also invite you to visit the conference website to sign up for event notifications.
This is an exceptional opportunity for graduate students to engage in place-based, interdisciplinary research that contributes to the growth of environmental humanities and hermeneutical studies. We strongly encourage all interested graduate students to submit their proposals and be part of this exciting event!
The Call for Papers (Abstracts) for the 2024 Fonds Ricœur’s Summer Workshops has been extended to March 31, 2024.
The call for proposals for the 7th Edition of the Fonds Ricoeur’s Summer Workshops on Memory, History, Forgetting co-organized this year with the CRAL (EHESS), the Society for Ricoeur Studies and the Dublin City University is now online. Workshops will be held from June 24 to 28th, 2024 in Dublin.
