----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- Quarrels, Polemics and Controversies An international conference organised by THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR INTELLECTUAL HISTORY Trinity College, Cambridge, UK 21-24 July 2001 The intellectual world offers an ideal of tolerance, brotherhood and peace; far from being mere rhetoric, such an ideal was and is instrumental in many projects and their realisations. Nevertheless, from Antiquity to the present day, no field of knowledge, no area of learning, no discipline has escaped quarrels, polemics or controversies during its formation or diffusion. These quarrels have generated an enormous bibliography, but there is no modern, comprehensive study of this phenomenon. This conference offers a forum for a general enquiry into quarrels as a major form of the expression and organisation of knowledge. What, it will ask, have been the status, place and functions of quarrels in the intellectual world? Important axes for such an enquiry might include the following: 1. HISTORIOGRAPHY AND DISCOURSE. Studies in this area may include research on: ancient works reporting or describing quarrels; concepts of polemics, quarrels, controversies, etc.; the vocabulary used in describing and reporting quarrels; the discursive modes used in works about quarrels; why people wrote about quarrels; how a quarrel becomes an historiographic object. 2. MODES AND FORMS. Topics may include: the dynamics of a quarrel (from the initial outbreak to its conclusion; internal and external elements); difference of names and of forms; rituals; the place and role of violence (verbal, psychological or physical); specific "literary" genres produced or linked to quarrels (e.g. pamphlets, satires, etc.) 3. POWER-GAMES AND STAKES. Studies may be based on: quarrels as an expression of power; as a means of controlling a discipline or an institution; the role of national and nationalistic claims; priorities; personal pride and glory; financial or economic stakes. 4. ACTORS AND JUDGES. Questions in this area may include: how are parties in a quarrel formed (individuals, groups, followers, partisans, backers etc.)? What kind of division and re-composition of the cultural and intellectual milieu is involved? Who defines or resolves the issue of a quarrel? What are the roles of peers, learned institutions (e.g. academies, university boards), external institutions (e.g. law courts)? 5. ORDERS OF KNOWLEDGE. This may include studies on: debates over the positive or negative role of quarrels; quarrels and "tradition"; quarrels and "official science"; quarrels and truth; quarrels and authority; quarrels as contributing to the definition of a field; polemic and proof; quarrels and ethics; theoretical or philosophical examination of the epistemological status of quarrels. Papers may draw on quarrels in any cultural field, European or non- European, throughout history, including present-day topics. We welcome papers that engage with at least one of the topics raised above. This list, however,is neither prescriptive nor authoritative, and we are happy to consider proposals for other kinds of analysis. Please contact the organisers (addresses below) for further queries. We wish to emphasise, nevertheless,that we expect contributions to extend beyond a purely narrative account of a particular controversy. Interested scholars from any field are welcome. We particularly encourage proposals from younger scholars, for whom a limited number of residential grants will be available. Proposals for papers and panels Papers may be in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish; English résumés will be provided by the speakers. The conference will be organised in 90- or 120-minute sessions. Each session will have a moderator or chair and at least 30 minutes for general discussion, which will offer a crucial platform for debate and analysis. Proposals for a panel should include the names of 3-4 speakers and of the moderator; and a summary of each paper. Proposals for an individual contribution should be an outline (1-2 pages) for a 20- minute talk. Please state clearly institutional affiliation and address, and preferred method of communication (postal/fax/email). Organisers FRANÇOISE WAQUET, 36 rue de la Glacière, 75013, Paris, France [log in to unmask] (no attachments) EDOARDO TORTAROLO, [log in to unmask] (attachments accepted as RTF or TXT files) Deadline for Proposals: 31 December 2000 ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]