What is the current state of scholarship regarding the thematisation of hospitality in political theory/science/philosophy, and what can we learn about it from other social scientists (sociology, historian, etc.)? 

Argument

“Hospitaliy Now (!)” has two significations: one, what is the current state of scholarship regarding the thematisation of hospitality in political theory/science/philosophy?  While work continues apace on hospitality all around the world, some of the key texts—one might think of Of Hospitality by Jacques Derrida, or the work of Seyla Benhabib—are now some years old, and it seems useful to assess where the current thinking is at, both taking into account and moving beyond these canonical texts on the subject.

The second signification is the ever-present urgency around questions of hospitality.  Whether it be the sans-papiers in France or across Europe, and the people drowning on their way to Lampedusa, or asylum-seekers drowning in the Indian Ocean between Indonesia and Australia, the ethics of hospitality dominate political agendas, especially in developed nations. The questions press upon us, the call of the vulnerable arrest our attention, as if they cried out: hospitality now!

• Richard Kearney, Charles B. Professor in Philosophy at Boston College will deliver the keynote address.

The goal of this conference is to enlarge the conversation beyond the boundaries of political science, and invite scholars from disparate fields who are nevertheless working on the same question—be they political theorists, philosophers, sociologists, historians, and so on.  We wish to extend an academic hospitality on this topic.  

Publications may follow in a special issue of Hospitality and Society.

Submission Information

Submission deadline: April 21, 2014

Submission procedure: An abstract (between 300 and 500 words) of the proposal should be sent to hospitalitynow2014@gmail.com in PDF format, prepared for blind review. Please also send a separate document, mentioning your name, the title of your proposal, and your institutional affiliation.

For any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at: hospitalitynow2014@gmail.com

Scientific Committee

• Benjamin Boudou, Phd, Postdoctoral fellow (Sciences Po/CERI)
• Nathan Bell, PhD candidate (Monash University)