Phenomenological Realism Now and Then

The 5th Biennial Conference of the Network for Phenomenological Research

Call for Abstracts

28-29 July 2025, Okayama University (Okayama, JAPAN)

https://sites.google.com/view/pheno-realism2025/

 

Organisers: Genki Uemura (Okayama University), Alessandro Salice (University College Cork)

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Keynotes:

 

Edward Baring (Princeton University)

Søren Overgaard (University of Copenhagen)

Masumi Nagasaka (Waseda University)

Takeshi Akiba (Chiba University)

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Conference Description

Realist phenomenology has traditionally remained on the periphery of scholarly research. However, over the past few decades, interest in this distinctive branch of phenomenology has steadily increased. While prominent figures in realist phenomenology—such as Alfred Brunswig, Theodor Conrad, Hedwig Conrad-Martius, Johannes Daubert, August Gallinger, Moritz Geiger, Roman Ingarden, Alexander Pfänder, Adolf Reinach, Wilhelm Schapp, Max Scheler, Kurt Stavenhagen, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Gerda Walther—have received more sustained scholarly attention, the scope of research has also broadened. Efforts have been made to highlight lesser-known figures in the field, and scholars are increasingly applying realist phenomenological insights to contemporary debates across various disciplines.

 

Despite significant progress, there is still no consensus in the literature on what precisely characterises realist phenomenology as “realist.” Is “realist phenomenology” merely a rhetorical label, polemically used to differentiate this approach from other forms of phenomenology, particularly Husserl’s? If so, how can this opposition be reconciled with the fact that Husserl’s phenomenology has also been described as “phenomenological realism” (現象学的実在論/genshōgaku teki jitsuzai ron), as characterised by Tomoo Otaka, for example? Alternatively, does the term convey a deeper philosophical commitment? If so, do these diverse thinkers truly share a common commitment to metaphysical realism? And how should this commitment be defined?

 

Topics of Interest

This two-day workshop aims to illuminate the metaphysical assumptions of realist phenomenology and examine how these assumptions influence its core areas of investigation, including (but not limited to):

·         Logic

·         Metaphysics

·         Descriptive Psychology

·         Social Ontology

·         Philosophy of Action

·         Value Theory

·         Meta-ethics.

Slots are limited, and we encourage submissions that present philosophically rigorous scholarship on realist phenomenology, grounded in historical context and engaging with contemporary debates, e.g., in analytic philosophy.

 

Submission Guidelines

We invite abstracts of approximately 1,000 words to be submitted by December 15, 2024. Please send your abstract via email to phenomenological.realism.2025@gmail.com and include:

·         Your name, affiliation, current career stage

·         A concise motivation for participating in the workshop

 

About the Network for Phenomenological Research (NfPR)

This is the fifth edition of the Biennial Conference of the Network for Phenomenological Research (NfPR). The NfPR proudly looks back on four previous conferences, held at the University of Munich (2017), the Universities of Neuchâtel and Zurich (2019), the University of Liège (2021), and the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (2023). 

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We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you in Okayama!