Carnap and Grice on the metaphysics of physics

Speranza

Nothing too substantial, or substantive (if that's not a metaphysical monicker I don't know what is), but I got this via S. Clark's mailing list today, and thought of sharing. It's a CFP (I'm not sending one! I think!) on 'the metaphysics of physics', which should be an interesting combo to consider.

This is what the organiser wrote -- the original e-mail is to be found in Clark's archives for the University of Liverpool:

"Very recently, and after a long hiatus, the metaphysics of physics has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance, with both philosophers and physicists addressing explicitly metaphysical questions that arise in the context of physics and the interpretation of its theories."

"As theoretical physics has achieved dramatic progress, pushing back the boundaries of our knowledge and forcing us to rethink our most fundamental concepts describing physical reality, questions about the impact of this rapid development on traditionally conceived metaphysical investigations become urgent. Does it make metaphysics irrelevant, or does it call for an altogether new metaphysics?"

"On the other hand, physics has encountered more than a few roadblocks in its fundamental endeavours, e.g. in attempts to bring gravity into the fold of the standard model. Could reconceiving the metaphysical foundations of fundamental physical theories possibly lead to a breakthrough, as some have suggested?"

"The aim of this volume is to bring together papers that address various aspects of the mutual interrelations between contemporary research in theoretical physics and the conceptual work done in analytic metaphysics. The suggested topics for the contributions to the volume include, but are most definitely not limited to, the following questions: “Are fundamental objects postulated by our physical theories (elementary particles, fields, spacetime points, etc.) individuals with intrinsic properties and well-defined identities, or perhaps relational structures with no relata?”, “What is the ontological significance of symmetries in physical theories?”, “How does spacetime emerge from the quantum phenomena?”"

"We invite original research papers on topics related to the general description of the planned volume."

---- So there you have:

I suppose the keywords then:

METAPHYSICS, METAPHYSIC, METAPHYSICAL as attached to PHYSICS.

In this instance, it seems like the prefix, 'meta-' becomes indeed ambiguous. For how would you distinguish meta-physics of physics, or a meta-physical approach to physics from simply a meta-theoretical approach to physical theory? Or something like that.

But it may do to revise the organiser's wording and reflect or elaborate on them!

The Grice Carnap conversation

Roger Bishop Jones for The City of Eternal Truth

A long time ago (it now seems), Speranza agreed to collaborate with me on a project concerned with the reconciliation of the philosophies of Grice and Carnap and with finding a way forward (philosophically) which might engage both those philosophers (as they might be if they were still active) in common enterprise.

In this joint endeavour, Speranza and I have taken on the philosophical personas of Grice* and Carnap*.
Some progress has been made, we have a draft document entitled "A Conversation between Grice and Carnap (as it might have been)", but a meeting of minds on matters of sufficient substance remains an illusive ideal.

In my own head the project is now beginning to gather momentum, and this note is to sketch some contributions which I now anticipate.

This blog was started by Speranza shortly after our collaboration began, and at roughly the same time I started the "Carnap Corner" blog, so together with Speranza's Grice Club we have three blogs one devoted to each philosopher and one perhaps to the joint enterprise.

"The City of Eternal Truth" is, of course, a phrase which Grice coined in his "Reply to Richards", and we can take it as being where Grice philosophically might like us to be, the ultimate aim of his philosophising.  I am taking it that some such ideal might also be attributable to Carnap and that a good outcome of our project would be to come up with a conception of that idea which might provide common cause for our two philosophers (both those two, Grice and Carnap, and us two Speranza and Jones).

Seeking common ground between Grice and Carnap I have been inclined to investigate the areas in which they seem at odds and to enquire whether their differences are substantive.
Many of the apparent differences (for example those enumerated by Grice as his Betes Noires) seem connected with their respective attitudes towards metaphysics, in connection with which their respective attitudes towards Aristotle might be thought illuminating.
It is this line of enquiry which has lately been the focus of my thinking.

At face value Aristotelian Metaphysics is embraced wholeheartedly by Grice and rejected out of hand by Carnap.

I have come to feel that the positions of Grice and Carnap on Aristotle might in both cases be seen as in conflict with some of their own more general philosophical principles.
One might therefore hope that discussion of these apparent conflicts might make room for common ground not otherwise apparent.

This case I hope to present in pieces, one on Carnap and Aristotle at Carnap Corner, one on Grice and Aristotle in the Grice Club, and then some kind of synthesis here in "The City".

RBJ

Carnap and Grice on logic

Speranza

This below did take place already, but it may be worth it checking out some abstracts, etc.

Cheers.

----

International conference on "Carnap on Logic", July 3 - 6, 2013

The conference is dedicated to a reevaluation of Carnap's work on logic and its philosophical applications. It will investigate different aspects of his contributions-from type theory and modal logic to inductive logic-and set them in context with his work in the philosophy of logic.

---

Invited Speakers

• Steve Awodey (Carnegie-Mellon University)
• Patricia Blanchette (University of Notre Dame)
• André Carus (Hegeler Institute)
• Richard Creath (Arizona State University)
• Catarina Dutilh Novaes (University of Groningen)
• Michael Friedman (Stanford University)
• Wolfgang Kienzler (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena)
• Sebastian Lutz (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität)
• Erich Reck (UC Riverside)
• Florian Steinberger (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität)
• Pierre Wagner (University Paris)
• Richard Zach (University of Calgary)

---

The conference is generously supported by the German Research Council (DFG), the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through a Humboldt Professorship.

The Grice Annual Lectures

Speranza

I wish Grice had them. But of course, he has them every year when a lecturer uses 'implicature' in his lectures.

O. T. O. H., there's the annual Carnap lectures [sic in plural].

Below.

Cheers,

----

 

 

 

Rudolf-Carnap-Lectures

 

Rrom the online site:

"[t]he Rudolf-Carnap-Lectures are an annual event started by Prof. Dr. Albert Newen from the Institute of Philosophy II at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany in 2008."

 

"The Lectures provide a platform for distinguished scholars to present their work in the form of several talks on their preferred topic."

 

"The focus is usually on the areas of Philosophy of Mind, Language or Science."

 

"In turn, graduate students interested in these topics get the chance to engage in extensive discussion and get in touch with state-of-the-art research."

 

"In addition, some of them have the chance to present their own work on related topics during a graduate conference, based on a peer review process."

"The lecture series is dedicated to the philosopher Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970) who was born in Barmen (today: Wuppertal) which is not far from Bochum."

 

"He studied Philosophy, Mathematics and Physics in Jena and Freiburg, amongst others with Gottlob Frege, and is one of the main representatives of Logical Empiricism."

Prior Carnap-Lecturers include Shaun Gallagher (Memphis), Alva Noë (Berkeley), John Perry (Stanford) [who contributed to PGRICE], David Papineau (London), Tim Crane (Cambridge) & Katalin Farkas (Budapest) (see Archive).

Forthcoming Carnap Lectures 2014

From March 10-12, 2014, the next RCL will be presented by Prof. Daniel C. Dennett (Tufts University).

[who spells 'Gricean', rightly, as 'Griceian', I believe]

"Dennett is going to give several lectures in the context of a Graduate Conference with Student presentations on aspects of his work incl. Intentionality, Consciousness, Free Will, Evolution and Religion."

Daniel C. Dennett is Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University in Medford (Massachusetts).

More details to be announced soon.

 

 

INFLUENCE OF THE AUFBAU ON GRICE --

Speranza

Well, this below is rather influence ON the Aufbau.

For the record then, there is a

Call for participation:

Influences on the Aufbau.

To be held at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, LMU
Munich

01-03 July 2013

http://www.carnapsaufbau13.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/index.html

The workshop should cover all varieties of influences on Carnap’s seminal
work, with the inclusion of the influences of

Frege
Russell
Husserl,
the neo-Kantians
Dilthey, and
the Dilthey-school

but also the
influences of less well-known philosophers such as

Vaihinger,
Gätschenberger,
Driesch, Dingler,
and others.

Invited speakers:


Andre Carus (Hegeler Institute)
Hans-Joachim Dahms (University of Vienna)
Michael Friedman (Stanford University)
Thomas Mormann (University of San Sebastian)
Matthias Neuber (University of Tübingen)
Alan Richardson (UBC Vancouver)
Guillermo E. Rosado Haddock (University of Puerto Rico)
Thomas Ryckman (Stanford University)
Clinton Tolley (UC San Diego)
Thomas Uebel (University of Manchester)
Paul Ziche (University of Utrecht)


in order to register please contact Christian Damböck
(christian.damboeck@univie.ac.at)

the program and abstracts as well as practical information on the venue
etc. can be found online:

http://www.carnapsaufbau13.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/index.html

Grice at Ruhr -- On the concept of structure in Grice and Carnap --

Speranza

The Rudolf Carnap Lectures -- not necessarily about Carnap (although cfr. talk below by Guido).

Cfr. Grice's William James lectures not really about James ("Logic and Conversation")
and his "John Dewey" lecture, and his "Paul Carus" lectures, and so on.

Still, Ruhr is the most charming place to hold the Carnap lectures, and I'm pleased to think Grice would be invited!


Cheers,

Speranza

-----


Rudolf Carnap Lectures and Graduate Conference
Institute of Philosophy II,
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
May 21-23, 2013

David J. Chalmers (ANU/NYU)
"Structuralism, Space, and Skepticism"

David J. Chalmers is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Director
of the Center for Consciousness at ANU and Professor of Philosophy and
Co-Director of the Center for Mind, Brain and Consciousness at NYU.

He will be presenting new material in a series of lectures, developing and
extending themes from his recent book "Constructing the World" (OUP 2012).

Tuesday 21st

10.30-12.30 David Chalmers: Lecture 1, tba

12.30-14.30 Lunch Break

14.00-14.45

Guido Del Din (Padua):

On the concept of structure in 

Carnap‘s ,Der logische Aufbau der Welt‘ 

14.45-15.30 Benjamin Andrae (Munich School of Philosophy):

Chalmers, Russell, and 

Whitehead on Epistemology and Acquaintance

15.30-16.00 Coffee Break

16.00-16.45 Robert Smithson (Carolina): Conceptual vs. metaphysical grounding

18.00-20.00 David Chalmers: The Matrix as Metaphysics (public lecture, HGA 30)

20.30 Dinner

Wednesday 22nd

10.00-12.00 David Chalmers: Lecture 2, tba

12.00-14.00 Lunch Break

14.00-14.45 Inga Vermeulen (Sheffield): Verbal disputes, but not about words

14.45-15.30 Dusko Prelevic (Belgrade): Scrutability of Truth and Continuum Hypothesis

15.30-16.00 Coffee Break

16.00-16.45 Antonella Mallozzi (The Graduate Center, CUNY): Scrutability and negative facts

19.00 Dinner 

Thursday 23rd

10.00-10.45 Jonathan Mai (Heidelberg): Two problems with Chalmers‘ Structuralism

10.45-11.00 Coffee Break

11.00-13.00 David Chalmers: Lecture 4, tba

13.00 Lunch and End

Further information about these and past Carnap Lectures, the Venue and
Travel information: http://www.rub.de/philosophy/carnaplectures/Home.html

Organization:
Prof. Dr. Tobias Schlicht, Prof. Dr. Albert Newen
Institute of Philosophy II
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Germany

Prof. Dr. Tobias Schlicht

Institut für Philosophie II

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Universitätsstr. 150, GA3/29

44780 Bochum

www.tobiasschlicht.com

The Carnap Idiom, The Grice Idiom -- Look For A Neutral One

--- by JLS, of the Grice Club

---- WON'T SAY a 'common one', because a common idiom may not ring the right sort of bell.

But when discussing what Grice calls the 'longitudinal unity of philosophy', Grice notes that one obstacle in its perception is the dating of 'idioms'. Some idioms date: they become old-fashioned. New ones are fangled, and so on ad infinitum.

---

The idea occurred to me, after the heroic attempts by Jones in "Grice Club" to turn to some Carnapian 'common' lingua franca the latest Gricean novelties.

Jones proposed:

----- for 'meaning', qua noun. As when we say, "The meaning of this". What is this? What is 'meaning' for Carnap? What was meaning for Grice?

When it comes to Carnap one has to give a lot of credit to his mother tongue. Or something.

Strawson/Stroud's bio of Grice -- Carnap's bio of Carnap

Speranza

Enters Dummett

Speranza

---

Dummett has described metaphysics

Perspectives on Carnap and Grice

Speranza

“Perspectives on Carnap” A one day workshop
University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)
10th June 2013 (10am-1pm / 2pm-3:30pm) - Room Arts 3.03

S P E A K E R S:

FIRST LECTURE:

KAMMER QUENTIN (University of Bordeaux 3 – SPH)

"Goodman’s Reading of the Aufbau"

---- Interesting. I wish we could present something on Grice's Reading of the Aufbau!
Goodman is a fascinating philosopher.

----

SECOND LECTURE:

KUUSELA OSKARI (University of East Anglia)
Resolving the Dispute between Ideal and Ordinary Language Approaches

----- This is fascinating. Indeed, one should trace who the first philosopher was who made the distinction. I THINK it was Cicero! (I once came across something like the Latin expression for "ordinary language" in his writings!). In fact, if there is ONE feature that distinguishes Carnap and Grice is this.



THIRD LECTURE:

WAGNER HENRI (University of Bordeaux 3 – SPH)
Quine on Carnap’s Conception of Logic
----- This is of course one of R. B. Jones's interests, as he seems fascinated, as Grice and myself are, with the personality of this Harvard professor of logic: Quine. I'm PRETTY sure that P. F. Strawson's motivation for HIS conception of logic is best understood as an answer to Quine in "Methods of Logic" (vide Strawson, "Intro" to "Philosophy of Logic", Oxford readings in Philosophy). And we know Grice's conception is a reply to Strawson!

--

Co-organized by the Universities of East Anglia and Bordeaux 3 - SPH:
Kuusela Oskari (UEA)
Uçan Timur (UEA – University of Bordeaux 3)



THE “PERSPECTIVES ON CARNAP” A ONE DAY WORKSHOP WILL BE FOLLOWED ON JUNE 11th BY A ONE DAY WORKSHOP “WITTGENSTEIN/PHENOMENOLOGY”.

Grice and Carnap, Carnap and Grice

Speranza

We should explore.


“Perspectives on Carnap” A one day workshop



University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)
10th June 2013 (10am-1pm / 2pm-3:30pm) - Room Arts 3.03


S P E A K E R S:

KAMMER QUENTIN (University of Bordeaux 3 – SPH)
Goodman’s Reading of the Aufbau

KUUSELA OSKARI (University of East Anglia)
Resolving the Dispute between Ideal and Ordinary Language Approaches

WAGNER HENRI (University of Bordeaux 3 – SPH)
Quine on Carnap’s Conception of Logic



Co-organized by the Universities of East Anglia and Bordeaux 3 - SPH:
Kuusela Oskari (UEA)
Uçan Timur (UEA – University of Bordeaux 3)



THE “PERSPECTIVES ON CARNAP” A ONE DAY WORKSHOP WILL BE FOLLOWED ON JUNE 11th BY A ONE DAY WORKSHOP “WITTGENSTEIN/PHENOMENOLOGY” (SEE ON PHILOS-L).