We are delighted to announce the programme for the ‘Consonances I: Mathematics, Language, and the Moral Sense of Nature’ conference. The programme, as well as registration for the full conference and for individual days is available here.
Drawing upon the Maynooth alumnus and Irish philosopher of science Ernan McMullin’s idea of consonance (1981), this multi-disciplinary conference explores the interplay between mathematized logic, language, morality, and understandings of nature in premodern and modern eras from Western and Global perspectives. Acknowledging, though independent from, McMullin’s theological imperative, Consonances features presentations from historians of mathematics, science, philosophy, and theology which ‘retain the autonomy of each discipline […] in ways which do not fall into conflict’ (Allen, 2008, 134).
In addition to a tour of the Russell Library, and an exhibition of McMullin’s Maynooth bequest, this two-and-a-half-day conference will have 18 multi-disciplinary presentations. Confirmed speakers include:
Professor Robert Goulding (University of Notre Dame); Professor Sophie Roux (École Normale Supérieure, Paris); Dr David Albertson (University of Southern California); Dr Richard Oosterhoff (University of Edinburgh); Dr. Xiaona Wang (University of Warwick); Dr Paolo Celi (I Tatti); Dr John Gallagher (University of St Andrews); Dr Ovanes Akopyan (Ca’ Foscari); Dr Jeremy Thompson (Independent Scholar); and Isobel Falconer (University of St Andrews).
PhD and early career scholars from America, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom will also present unique research findings, while Dr David Horowitz (Golden West) will début material on the recent rediscovery of Colin MacLaurin’s student notebook, now undergoing refurbishment in the University of Glasgow’s Archives and Special Collections.
Any queries for the Consonances conference should be sent to the conference email address (consonancesconference@gmail.com).
Susan Gottlöber, Ciarán Mac an Bhaird, and Kevin Tracey
Consonances Conference Organisers