Dear Colleagues,

This is slightly off the path for many here, but those who
work with culture theory and philosophy with find this
an interesting venue and an opportunity to meet interesting
colleagues from other fields.

Best regards,

Ken Friedman


--

CFP:

PHYSIOGNOMY OF ORIGIN:
Multiplicities, Bodies and Radical Politics

A 3-day international conference at the 
University of Sydney, 5th ^Ö 7th May 2005

Keynote speakers: Antonio Negri, Adriana Cavarero

http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/rihss/origin.html

This conference brings together two key figures 
in the contemporary reconsideration of the 
concept of origin. Radical theorist and activist, 
Antonio Negri has introduced a materialist 
perspective on the concept of origin through his 
investigations of constituent power and 
multitudes. Italian feminist philosopher, Adriana 
Cavarero has been engaged in reconceiving origin 
through the thought of sexual difference, an 
ethics of embodiment and more recently, the 
politics of vocal expression.

In conversation with Negri and Cavarero, this 
conference reflects on the question of the 
physiognomy of origin. What forms does the 
concept of origin take as it progresses and 
changes? How does its changing character affect 
the constitution of life? What are the historical 
and (bio)political conditions of the 
transformation of origin? What are the sites of 
precariousness and potentiality to which this 
progression gives rise? How does the materiality 
of the origin disclose its inner character? And 
how does the concept of origin inform a 
conception of the human, in both its material and 
normative modes? Does embodiment necessarily 
entail a return to origin, or does the 
genealogical focus on conditions of emergence 
allow for alternative ways of understanding 
embodiment? In what ways can a democratic 
politics configure the social body to allow for 
diversity to take shape and qualify the powers of 
origin?

Call for papers:

"Physiognomy of Origin" is an interdisciplinary 
conference and invites papers from perspectives 
such as political theory, philosophy, 
anthropology, cultural studies, geography, 
European (and Italian) studies, sociology, 
literature, art history and theory, communication 
and performance studies, political economy, and 
gender studies. The event is also open to 
non-academic participants whose practice 
(creative and/or political) relates to the broad 
themes of the conference.

Submission abstracts should be approximately 300 
words long, clearly describing the topic and aims 
of the paper. If your abstract is directed toward 
one of the themed panels, please indicate this 
clearly with the title of the panel. Your 
abstract should also include a biographical note, 
indicating current institutional affiliation and 
research/practice interests. Please also indicate 
whether audio-visual equipment will be required.

Themes to be addressed may include:

^Õ biopolitics and potentiality
^Õ sovereignty and states of exception
^Õ constituent and constituted power
^Õ labour mobility, political movements, and exodus
^Õ creative labour and cognitive capitalism
^Õ democracy and forms of life
^Õ materiality and corporeality
^Õ the politics of the voice
^Õ biotechnology, genetics, and kinship
^Õ modernity, multiple modernities and temporality
^Õ metaphysics and post-metaphysical thought

In addition to open panels, submissions are also 
requested for two themed panels:

1. The first panel is entitled "Moods of 
Modernities", and is led by Andrew Benjamin. This 
panel addresses issues such as: temporalities of 
modernity, the time of bodies, times of lived 
experience, the time of moods.

2. The second panel is entitled "Spinoza and 
Politics", and is led by Genevieve Lloyd. This 
panel explores the bearing of Spinoza's 
philosophy on contemporary political issues, 
Australian and international. Potential topics 
include: changing attitudes to borders, refugees 
and asylum seekers, issues of "origin" and 
"belonging" in the relations between 
non-indigenous and indigenous peoples, and issues 
of rights, freedom and "security" after September 
11.

The final date for the submission of abstracts is: 10th January 2005.

Please direct all submissions and enquiries to: 
[log in to unmask]

Further information will be made available on the conference website:

http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/rihss/origin.html

Organising Committee:

Paolo Bartoloni (Italian Studies, University of Sydney)
Craig Browne (Sociology, University of Sydney)
Catherine Mills (Philosophy, University of New South Wales)
Brett Neilson (Centre for Cultural Research, University of Western Sydney)
Timothy Rayner (Philosophy, University of Sydney)
Robert Sinnerbrink (Philosophy, Macquarie University)