American and European Values X

AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN VALUES ANNIVERSARY COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS OF PREVIOUS EDITIONS

AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN VALUES PHILOSOPHY IN THE TIME OF ECONOMIC CRISIS 17-21 SEPTEMBER 2014

Jacquelyn Kegley It has been my great pleasure to have participated in five of the American and European Values Conference: the ones on Royce, Dewey, Mead, and Rorty and I cochaired both the Royce conference and the one on Democracy (…).

Director, Helen Louise Hawk Honors Program, Chair, CSUB Academic Senate CSU Outstanding Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Bakersfield

The American and European Values conferences, in my judgment, have made valuable contributions to the philosophical community as well as to those of other disciplines. They have furthered understanding and serious critical dialogue on major figures in classical American philosophy and have done so from both an international and cross-disciplinary perspective. The conference on democracy and the current one on the crisis continued this serious dialogue across disciplines and on an international scale. The books produced from the conferences are valuable resources to the scholarly world.

William L. McBride

Immediate Past President of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

I participated in the American and European Values conferences devoted to Charles S. Peirce (2007) and Josiah Royce (2008). The opportunity to meet and interact with both European and American colleagues, discussing a wide range of problems in these special areas of inquiry, was invaluable exposure to the exciting work that is being done around the world. Some of the relationships we formed at these meetings continue to this day. The volumes of essays that resulted from these conferences (one of which I co-edited) provide a uniquely valuable perspective on these American thinkers.

Herta Nagl-Docekal

University of Vienna, Austria

It is with gratitude that I am looking back on the international conferences on "American and European Values" in which I participated in the years 2008 and 2009. While the focus of my own research does not lie in the field of American Pragmatism, I did benefit very much, indeed, from these conferences on Josiah Royce and John Dewey. The high academic standard of the papers presented there, and the vivid discussions shaped by a great variety of approaches, have corroborated my general Impression that American pragmatism is of great relevance for the contemporary discourse on a wide field of issues, ranging from aesthetics through ethics, moral philosophy, political theory, and philosophy of religion. One can only hope that this series of conferences will be continued for many years!

Ludwig Nagl

University of Vienna, Austria

A great merit of the Opole `American and European Values Conferences´ is that one of its early meetings focussed on Josiah Royce, an important but neglected Harvard philosopher, who – due to the relevance of his thought for communitarianism, neo-pragmatism, and philosophy of religion - deserves to be rediscovered and extensively debated in contemporary philosophy. The Opole Royce conference was - to my knowledge - the first European international gathering focussing exclusively on Royce. Its result is the important book Josiah Royce for the Twenty-First Century. Historical, Ethical, and Religious Interpretations´ (edited by Kelly A. Parker and Chris Skowronski), Lexington Books 2012.

Kelly Parker

Director, Environmental Studies Program. Professor of Philosophy, Environmental Studies, & Liberal Studies, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI

I participated in the American and European Values conferences devoted to Charles S. Peirce (2007) and Josiah Royce (2008). The opportunity to meet and interact with both European and American colleagues, discussing a wide range of problems in these special areas of inquiry, was invaluable exposure to the exciting work that is being done around the world. Some of the relationships we formed at these meetings continue to this day. The volumes of essays that resulted from these conferences (one of which I co-edited) provide a uniquely valuable perspective on these American thinkers.

Alicia Garcia Ruiz

American and European Values: "An annual meeting with plurality, debate and commonalities that keep alive philosophy and periodically renew its public relevance" University of Barcelona, Spain

Núria Sara Miras Boronat

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Barcelona, Spain

My experience and memories from the Conferences in Opole are extremely positive. I have enjoyed the discussions with my colleagues coming from all over the globe and the hospitality of the host University. For me, the fact that distinguishes the Conference series in Opole is that the number of speakers is not excessive, what allows a real philosophical conversation, and that the topic is always approached from a plurality of perspectives, what allows a really enriching philosophical conversation. In all these years I have had the feeling to be part of a philosophical community that understands plurality and enrichment as one of its conditions of possibility and encourages young scholars like me to pursue his or her philosophical investigations. Happy 10th Anniversary and Long Life to the Opole Conferences!

* I think that your philosophical series is fantastic! Not only the diversity of the topics, but also the standard of the lectures and discussions. I can only congratulate you!

Alexander Kremer, Szeged University, Hangary * The American and European Values Conference advances research in philosophy and deepens personal and institutional relationships by forging important intellectual and personal connections across multiples borders and languages. The occasion of its tenth anniversary is a mark of its success in this large undertaking. John J. Stuhr, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and American Studies, and Chair, Department of Philosophy, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

* I remember the Santayana conference being exceptionally well organized, well attended, and in a lovely setting. Well worth the journey and then some. Glenn Tiller, President of Santayana Society, A&M University, Texas

I think of it as one of the best adventures we’ve had. For me it was a time to get to know folks who work in the field of Royce/American philosophy - and who are usually too far flung to meet to talk. It was like “coming home” in a far-away place. Bette Manter, Curry College, USA * My warmest congratulations for the tenth edition of American and European Values conference. The tenacious and intelligent work of Chris Skowronski has been able to establish in Opole a vibrant international venue for a fruitful intellectual dialogue between America and Europe. Jaime Nubiola, University of Navarra, Spain * The American and European Values conference series, and the numerous important books the series has yielded, is of tremendous value and advances international scholarship in a way that is unprecedented. My understanding is that the continued institution owes its existence to the tireless work and vision of Chris Skowronski and his students and colleagues. Among the many things they do each year to bring these conferences and books to fruition, they deserve greatest praise for constructing a truly diverse, international atmosphere of dialogue. Matthew Flamm, Rockford College

* Congratulations on the tenth edition of your conference series. I only attended once (in 2008), but the event I participated in was without doubt one of the most pleasant experiences in my academic career so far. So I’m happy to send you some feedback, feel free to quote from it. I experienced the conference series – both as an attendant and as a reader of the volumes that ensued – as being truly integrative, i.e. as integrating a variety of theoretical perspectives and topics. That already is very hard to find in present day scholarly events. The AEV-conferences feature excellent scholarship as well as an outstanding discursive atmosphere. The organization is always flawless and the hospitality just fantastic. David P. Schweikard, University of Münster, Germany * As for the American and European Values conferences, they seem to me to be an exceptional meeting-point for American and European scholars to discuss and exchange views on contemporary philosophical issues. I really appreciate the way they put together leading figures and young scholars in a friendly, communicative environment. The conferences make you feel that intellectual interests on both sides of the pond are very much closer than one should expect from people coming from so different academic and cultural milieus. Angel Faerna, Unversity Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain