LINGUIST List 14.3309

Mon Dec 1 2003

Calls: Historical Ling/USA; Philosophy of Lang/Belgium

Editor for this issue: Andrea Berez <andrealinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. dianne.jonas, 8th Diachronic Generative Syntax Conference
2. Nathalie.Gontier, Evolutionary Epistemology, Language and Culture

8th Diachronic Generative Syntax Conference 
Short Title: DIGS VIII 

Date: 24-Jun-2004 - 27-Jun-2004
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
Contact: Dianne Jonas
Contact Email: digs8bloch.ling.yale.edu 
Meeting URL: http://bloch.ling.yale.edu/~digs8 

Linguistic Sub-field: Historical Linguistics 
Call Deadline: 01-Feb-2004 

Meeting Description:

DIGS VIII will be held June 24-27 2004, at Yale University. The theme
of the conference is syntactic variation and change. Further
information is available at http://bloch.ling.yale.edu/~digs8

CALL FOR PAPERS

Call Deadline: 01-Feb-2004


8th Diachronic Generative Syntax conference - DIGS VIII
June 24-27, 2004 
Yale University

Conference theme: Syntactic variation and change

Invited speakers:

Jan-Terje Faarlund (University of Oslo) 
Alice Harris (Stony Brook University) 
Alison Henry (University of Ulster at Jordanstown)
Paul Kiparksy (Stanford University)
John Whitman (Cornell University)
David Willis (University of Cambridge)

The 8th Diachronic Generative Syntax conference (DIGS VIII) will be
held at Yale University on June 24-27 2004. The conference is hosted
by the Department of Linguistics.

Conference email: 	digs8bloch.ling.yale.edu
Conference website:	http://bloch.ling.yale.edu/~digs8

SUBMISSION DEADLINE. Feb. 1st, 2004. Notification will be sent in
mid-March.

SUBMISSION DETAILS. The focus of the meeting will be on syntactic
variation and change. Abstracts related to the theme of the meeting
are invited for 30-minute talks (20 minutes for presentation + 10
minutes for questions and discussions).

Abstracts must be limited to 2 pages and may be submitted
electronically (Word, .rtf, or .pdf formats only) to
digs8bloch.ling.yale.edu. Please include �EurooeDIGS VIII
Abstract�Euro in the subject line and the title, author's name,
affiliation and e-mail address in the body of the message.


Alternatively, 5 copies (4 anonymous and 1 with author�Euro(tm)s name
and affiliation) of a 2-page abstract should be sent to the following
address:

DIGS VIII 
Department of Linguistics
Yale University
PO Box 208366
New Haven, CT 06520-3866
U.S.A

Evolutionary Epistemology, Language and Culture 
Short Title: EELC 

Date: 26-May-2004 - 28-May-2004
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Contact: Nathalie Gontier
Contact Email: Nathalie.Gontiervub.ac.be 
Meeting URL: http://www.vub.ac.be/CLWF/eelc 

Linguistic Sub-field: Philosophy of Language 
Call Deadline: 01-Feb-2004 


Meeting Description:

Evolutionary Epistemology, Language & Culture (EELC)
3-day Congress - May 26-28, 2004
Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels - Belgium
 
Congress' website: http://www.vub.ac.be/CLWF/eelc

The main theme of the Congress is to investigate the origin and
evolution of language and/or culture from within Evolutionary
Epistemology.

Evolutionary Epistemology, a term first coined by Donald T. Campbell,
is a fast growing field within philosophy of science which focuses
mainly on the evolution of evolutionary mechanisms (the EEM-programme)
and the evolution of evolutionary theories (the EET-programme), a
distinction made by Michael Bradie and William Harms. The main idea of
this discipline is that we should take Darwin seriously (Michael
Ruse), emphasizing the importance of natural selection in the
investigation of the origin and evolution of our cognitive abilities
such as language, culture or science.

Because of recent developments within biology, the time has come
however, to not only take Darwin seriously, but to also investigate
the possibilities other evolutionary theories, such as systemstheory,
theories about self-organization, punctuated equilibrium,
symbiogenesis, insights in the homeobox, �Euro� can bring to the
field.

The nature/nurture debate within anthropology has cleared room for an
investigation in the diverse learning strategies and practices used by
members of different cultures and the time has come to ask how these
cognitive learning abilities interact with and evolved out of our
biological cognitive capacities.

Therefore, the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science and the
Centre Leo Apostel, both of the Free University of Brussels, organize
a 3-day congress on Evolutionary Epistemology, Language and
Culture. The conference 's main aim will be to bring together scholars
working on (the origin and evolution of ) language and/or culture from
within the framework of Evolutionary Epistemology, especially
EEM. Preference will be given to those abstracts that formulate
criticisms towards modularity, universal selection theories and
universal Darwinism, but nevertheless adhere to an evolutionary view
to study language and culture.

Invited Speakers
* Franz Wuketits (Institute for Philosophy of Science - University of
Vienna) 
* Tim Ingold (Department of Anthropology - University of
Aberdeen) 
* More tba

Program Committee: Nathalie Gontier, Jean Paul Van Bendegem, Diederik
Aerts

Important dates

Abstract deadline: February 1, 2004
Notification of Acceptance: March 1, 2004
Registration Deadline: May 1, 2004
Conference: 26 - 28 May, 2004
Call for abstracts

The language of the conference lectures will be English.

We welcome philosophers, linguists, anthropologists, psychologists,
biologists, etc. to submit an abstract. Presentations must be
directed to an interdisciplinary audience.

Topics include but are not limited to: 
* General Evolutionary
Epistemology (EE), especially EEM, implemented in (the origin,
variation, evolution of) language and/or culture 
* Nonadaptive EE 
*language evolution 
* cultural evolution 
* EE and systems theory, self-organization, punctuated equilibrium,
Symbiogenesis, homeogenes, etc.
* EE and learning strategies or cultural practices, implemented in
(the origin, variation, evolution of) language and/or culture
*(criticisms towards) the units/levels of selection debate in general
or implemented in the origin and/or evolution of language

Preference will be given to abstracts that formulate criticisms
towards Memetics, Modularity, Universal Selection theories and
Universal Darwinism, but nevertheless adhere to an evolutionary view,
especially systemstheory, for the study of language and/or culture.

Submission of abstracts

One-Page abstracts (including diagrams, references, etc. are now
solicited for 30 minutes presentations (+ 15 minutes
discussion). Please use a 12 pt. font and the page should have 2,5 cm
margins al around. The text should be single-spaced.

In the head of the abstract please give: Author(s) name(s), title of
the abstract, affiliation of the author(s) (in brief, one line),
e-mail address of the author(s), max. 5 keywords.

Send your abstract in pdf-file, MS Word document or plain text as an
attachment to Nathalie.Gontiervub.ac.be. In the subject of the mail,
please write ''Abstract EELC 2004''. Deadline for submitting:
February 1, 2004.

Proceedings

Proceedings of the congress lectures will be arranged in the
scientific journal Foundations of Science.


Scientific refereeing committee

* Franz Wuketits (Institute for Philosophy of Science - University of
Vienna)
* Jean Paul Van Bendegem (Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science -
Free University of Brussels)
* Diederik Aerts (Centre Leo Apostel - Free University of Brussels)
* Hendrik Pinxten (Department of Comparative Science of Cultures -
University of Ghent)
* Francis Heylighen (Centre Leo Apostel - Free University of Brussels
* Piet Van de Craen (Department of Linguistics - Free University of
Brussels)
* Nathalie Gontier (Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science - Free
University of Brussels)

More tba.