U.S. Intellectual History Blog

Comment – And Yet Another CFP: "Ideas Changing History" (NYC, Sept. 2007)

Dear USIH Readers,

It is with some reluctance that I post another Call For Papers here. My hesitation comes at awkward time, however, as the topic of the conference below should be of interest to intellectual historians.

Nay, my reluctance comes from the fear that everyone will see USIH as just another focused outlet for things already posted at H-Ideas. I haven’t explicitly discussed this with the fellow editors here, but I can say with some force, I believe, that we do not want that to be the case.

For me it’s taking some time to wrench my mind to the kind of writing that can forward the cause of U.S. intellectual history. I’ve developed a comfort level with what I do at History and Education, but it’s taking longer than I hoped to think as a USIH blogger.

Please be paitent with all of us as we build momentum.

Yours,

Tim Lacy

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Call for Papers

“Ideas Changing History”
2007 Conference
Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA)
Graduate Program in International Affairs, The New School
New York, NY (USA)
16-20 September 2007

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Keynote speakers will include: Anthony Appiah, Sir Richard Jolly, Martha Nussbaum, Hilary Putnam, and Amartya Sen.

Special conference theme: Ideas Changing History

The special theme of the conference will be on the spread of ideas and their social impact.

‘The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else.’ (Keynes)

As the famous quote by Keynes reflects, breakthrough ideas in economics and political philosophy can change history, but what are the processes that shape their spread? Ideas spread and have impact through three channels: academia, government policy and social movements. What has been the experience of progressive ideas in the past and what are the prospects for human development and capability approach in
shaping development policy? What is the likely intellectual trajectory of capability and human development?

Aims of the conference and program

The purpose of this conference is to promote high quality research and innovations in policy and practice. The conference will bring together researchers and practitioners engaged in leading work on human development and capability
approaches to development.

As in previous years, this conference program will include the key themes of Human Development and Capability, including: (i) philosophical foundations; (ii) measurement methods; (iii) conceptual and theoretical issues; and (iv) policy applications. These should relate to the broad range of basic concerns including poverty and inequality, democracy and public action, freedom, justice, human rights,
and the challenges of globalization.

To address the special theme, the conference program will include diverse studies in intellectual history and development policy that address issues of: (i) intellectual
freedom in academic institutions; (ii) economics in universities; (iii) the recent trajectory of development economics; (iv) human development and social movements; (v)
democracy and social movements; (vi) human development and development policy; and (vii) institutions and ideas.

Submissions of papers and panels for consideration

Proposals are invited for papers and panels on both the special conference theme and the broader theme of human development and capability approach.

Submissions for papers should be sent as follows:

Abstracts of papers of 300-500 words (except as noted below), including an explanation of the paper’s relation to the human development and capability approach and up to five keywords, along with your name, affiliation, contact information and short bio.

Submissions for panels are welcome. Panels would consist of four papers or a roundtable discussion with 3-4 speakers. A panel proposal should contain:
– Title and description of the theme of the panel in up to 400 words
– Titles, authors and abstracts of the papers (each of up to 400 words)
– Names, affiliations and short bios of the proposed speakers
– Name and contact information of the panel organizer

Travel support

There will be a limited number of travel support for students and scholars from developing countries. To be considered, you must send a letter requesting travel support together with a full paper with the abstract by deadline of March 30.

Timetable for submissions

Proposals to be sent before March 30, 2007
Full papers to be submitted by July 30, 2007
Application for travel support to be submitted by March 30, 2007
Proposals to be sent by email to: [email protected]

Organization

Programme Committee: Martha Nussbaum (Chair), Sabina Alkire, Jonathan Bach, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Reiko Gotoh, Siddiq Osmani, Ingrid Robeyns, Martin Van Hees.

Conference Director: Sakiko Fukuda_Parr
Conference Coordinator: Sabrina Quaraishi
New School Committee Chair: Michael Cohen

Contact:

Sabrina Quaraishi
The New School
Graduate Program in Intl Affairs
66 West 12th St, Office 616,
New York, NY 10011
Tel: 212-206-3524 ext. 2453
Fax: 212-924-1292
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.capabilityapproach.com