CALL FOR PAPERS
TECHNOLOGY IN THE AGE OF INFORMATION
18th International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology
ISEG, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal
July 4-6, 2013
Special Corporate Workshop July 3, 2013
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 scientists, natural scientists, engineers, and policy makers, SPT conferences provide lively and thought-provoking interdisciplinary discussion.
The list of tracks outlined below is suggestive of the topics that will be considered, but does by no means restrict them:
- ICTs 1: globalization, informational economy, and commodification
- ICTs 2: control, discrimination, and surveillance
- ICTs 3: Webs, imaginaries, and utopias
- ICTs 4: new media, public sphere, and democracy
- ICTs 5: politics, alternatives and revolutions
- Consumption and mobile lifestyles
- Informatics, nano- and bio-technological convergences
- Materiality and immateriality in the digital era
- Information and aesthetics
- Reflective engineering and systems (Co-sponsored with Forum Philosophy, Engineering, and Technology; and Council of Engineering Systems)
- Philosophy of engineering and design
- Phenomenology of technology
- Ethics, politics, and the good life
- Environment, sustainability, and risks
- Technology, gender, and culture
- Technological Innovation
- Technology and critical thinking
- Philosophy of technology and social sciences
Submissions
Abstracts should be submitted by February 1, 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.
Authors of accepted abstracts are kindly invited to submit full versions of their papers (8,000-10,000 words) until May 31, 2013, for publication in a digital support (Pen Drive or CD-ROM) to be distributed to conference attendees. This Pen Drive/CD-ROM will also include the abstracts.
Proposals for panels should also be submitted by February 1, 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 8, 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 and Plenary Sessions: TBA
Important Dates
Deadline to submit abstracts and panel proposals is February 1, 2013.
Notification of Acceptance will be no later than March 8, 2013.
Deadline to submit final papers is May 31, 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.