Why are historians and philosophers alike seemingly so uninterested in the philosophy of history? Has the postmodern influence in the field effectively sidetracked fundamental concerns of interest to practitioners of historiography and philosophers of related topics?
A new anthology seeks answers through a critique of the prevalent anti-realism in the field. The Poverty of Anti-realism: Critical Perspectives on Postmodernist Philosophy of History (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2023, Open Access), edited by IFIKK’s Tor Egil Førland and Branko Mitrović (NTNU), challenges philosophers of history to make themselves relevant to practitioners and philosophers by leaving anti-realist perspectives behind. The editors’ ambition is to generate debate about the purpose and orientation of the discipline, as well as its usefulness, from scholars working within and outside the field.
In connection with the publication of the book, and to stimulate debate, the editors have invited an international cadre of scholars to a two-day conference at the University of Oslo to explore the following:
- Colligatory concepts
- Truth and evidence in historiography
- The causes of philosophers’ and historians’ contemporary uninterest in the philosophy of history and its possible remedies
Keynote speakers are Jouni-Matti Kuukkanen (University of Oulu), Behan McCullagh (La Trobe University) Aviezer Tucker (Harvard University / University of Ostrava), and Geoffrey Roberts (Royal Irish Academy).
Speakers include Jonas Ahlskog, David Černín, Giuseppina D’Oro, Roberto Gronda, Helge Jordheim, Matthew Kinloch, Hannah Van Reeth, Tyson Retz, Fredrik Thue, and Václav Zheng, as well as contributors to the book: Adam Timmins, Ian Verstegen, and Veli Virmajoki.
The conference will be introduced by the editors, Tor Egil Førland and Branko Mitrović. The latter will open the conference with a discussion of one of the leading concepts of the book, “anti-realism.” Cathrine Holst will provide concluding comments and reflections.
Please see the full programme here.
Paper abstracts and contributors’ biographies can be downloaded here.
If you'd like to attend the conference, please sign up here. The conference will be streamed and a link will be forwarded if you sign up for online attendance.
Questions can be directed to conference manager Henrik Olav Mathiesen (henriom@uio.no) and conference organizer Tor Egil Førland (t.e.forland@ifikk.uio.no).