La connaissance dans le monde moderne

Scientiae: Disciplines of Knowing in the Early Modern World

Call for Papers

16-19 May 2018

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Minneapolis, USA

The Programme Committee for the 7th Annual Scientiae Conference invites submissions for individual papers or special panels on the disciplines of knowing in the early modern world (roughly 1400-1800), to be held at the University of Minnesota, 16-19 May 2018.

The major premise of the Scientiae Conference series is that knowledge during the early modern period was pre-disciplinary, involving complex mixtures of theories, practices and objects, which had yet to be separated into their modern ‘scientific’ configurations. Although centred on attempts to understand and control the natural world, Scientiae addresses natural philosophy, natural history, and the scientiae mixtae within a wide range of related fields, including but not restricted to Biblical exegesis, medicine, artisan practice and theory, logic, humanism, alchemy, magic, witchcraft, demonology, divinatory practices, astronomy, astrology, music, antiquarianism, experimentation and commerce. The conference and the sessions are interdisciplinary and intended to foster debate, one of Scientiae’s defining values.

While the Programme Committee welcomes proposals for 20-25 minute papers from any disciplinary perspective, we would like to encourage submissions that seek to examine modes of early modern knowledge formation and application that cross traditional national, geographic, linguistic or intellectual borders.

For 2018, we would also like to invite proposals for a series of special 2-hour interdisciplinary panels. These should be organised by theme and include three speakers and a commentator who treat the issue from different disciplinary perspectives.

The Program Committee welcomes sessions that present the scholarship of members at various stages of their careers. However, graduate student speakers must be advanced students who have completed coursework, examinations, and much of their dissertation research, and expect to defend their dissertations in the next two years.

Individual papers should include a 250-word abstract and a 1-page CV. Panel proposals should consists of a single 250-word description of the theme under discussion, and three 100-word outlines of how each paper will contribute to this theme, and from what discipline/angle.

Email proposals to: scientiaeminnesota [at] gmail.com

Deadline: 25 November 2017.