For the 10th SWIP Ireland Conference (2025) on ‘Ways of Knowing: Epistemologies and Pedagogies’ we invite abstracts that present philosophical reflections on ways of knowing - the multiplicity of local knowledges; the origins and transmission of knowledge; political ramifications of knowledge; the role and security of knowledge transmission in society; inequalities in knowledge distribution among individuals and groups; colonial legacies in knowledge production; differences in understanding knowledge as acquired or produced; and the nature of knowledge after the event of the Anthropocene.

Different accounts of knowledge locate its origins in experience, reason, education, intuition, experimentation, spirituality, understanding, critique, pattern making, the transcendental, and more. Some of the oldest disputes in philosophy turn on trying to provide comprehensive conditions that capture the essence of knowledge. Knowledge also has important political dimensions, and the recognition of knowledge and wisdom (or lack thereof) can be vital in determining a person’s position in society and their life opportunities.

There are ongoing dialogues on the value of situating knowledge within cultures and histories; conducting practices of transformative unlearning; developing a critical understanding of semiotic technologies; and engaging with spaces of knowing and doing that seek to disrupt technoscientific regimes.

At the level of distribution, knowledge and scholarship is under threat. Multiple crises in higher education across the world, chronic underfunding and overburdening of teachers, and changing cultures of regard for learning mean that ways of knowing are under pressure, slow scholarship is difficult, and the structures of our scholarship, teaching and service commitments are in need of interrogation and elaboration more than ever. 

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We welcome proposals from a broad range of disciplines, including both the analytic and continental traditions in philosophy, critical theory, history of philosophy, education, ethics, epistemology, aesthetics, metaphysics, ontology, political and social theory, cultural studies, literary studies, and other relevant disciplines. 

We also welcome papers which engage with the work of Professor Sandra Harding (March 29, 1935 – March 5, 2025), with a view to putting at least one parallel session together in her honour.

Inter- and cross- disciplinary perspectives are also strongly encouraged as well as proposals for co-presentations and panels. 

Deadline: September 01 2025

Item descAbstracts (max of 300 words) should be prepared for blind review and submitted in a MS Word document (with a separate cover sheet, which includes the author’s name and contact details) and emailed to: swipireland@gmail.com

This will be an in-person conference.  If there are barriers to your attendance in person please let us know.

Eligible early career researchers are also invited to indicate their interest in being considered for The Maria Baghramian Prize for excellence in philosophical research on their cover sheet.

In order to be eligible for the award, presenters must

• Indicate on their abstract cover sheet that they wish to be considered for the prize;

• Submit their full paper to SWIP Ireland (4000 words max) by  October 24 2025

• Deliver the paper at the SWIP Ireland conference;

• Identify as a woman, or as a trans or gender non-conforming person;

• Be either a postgraduate student in philosophy or be within 5 years of completion of their PhD and not yet hold a permanent academic post.ription

• Call for Abstracts Opens: June 19 2025

• Abstract Submission Deadline: September 01 2025

• Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: September 12 2025

• Registration Opens: September 15 2025

• Publication of Draft Conference Programme: October 01 2025

• Confirmation of Final Conference Programme: November 03 2025

To follow

A limited number of guest accommodation has been reserved on campus at reasonable rates.  Early booking is advised and attendees can make a reservation on campus once conference registration opens.