Call for Papers for the 1st CAP Annual International Conference with the theme Agency and Embodiment, South Africa, September 2025.
Call for Papers
Theme: Agency and Embodiment
1st Annual International Conference of the Centre for African Phenomenology (CAP)
Dates: 5th and 6th September 2025
Location: University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Organizers: Rozena Maart, Rianna Oelofsen, Abraham Olivier.
The upcoming conference aims to explore the intricate relationship between the concepts of agency and embodiment through a phenomenological lens. In recent phenomenological discourse, there has been a growing discussion of how our embodied existence influences our agency, particularly in contexts of oppression, marginalization, and resistance. This discussion unfolds in various forms in a wide range of works, for instance, on enactivism, critical phenomenology, social ontology, existential philosophies, black philosophies of existence, Black Consciousness and phenomenology, Existential philosophies and the politics of the Flesh, African and Africana phenomenology and existentialism, intersectionality, relational ontology, robotics, and eco-phenomenology. This discussion invites further reflection on how our lived experiences shape our capacity for action and self-determination.
The organizers encourage submissions that investigate the intersections of agency and embodiment across various dimensions, such as social, political, and ecological contexts. The organizers are particularly but not exclusively interested in contributions that engage with the following topics:
- The impact of embodied experiences on the exercise of agency.
- Agency in the context of social justice, identity politics, and resistance movements.
- The phenomenology of embodied agency in African contexts.
- Relationships between and among the body, agency, and technology in contemporary society.
- The role of affect, emotion, and perception in shaping embodied agency.
- The relation between notions of the embodied, enactive, embedded and extended mind.
- Critical analyses of agency in relation to colonial and post-colonial experiences.
- The implications of embodiment for ethical and moral responsibility.
- Theoretical frameworks for understanding agency and embodiment in phenomenology, e.g., enactivism, critical phenomenology, African and Africana phenomenology and existentialism, robotics, intersectionality, relational ontology, and eco-phenomenology.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit a 300-word abstract for blind review to [email protected] and [email protected] Full papers should be limited to 3500-4000 words for a 30-minute presentation. Proposals for panel discussions are welcome. Deadline for Abstract
Submission: 1st June 2025. Notification of Acceptance: 15th June 2025.
Location: This conference will be held in person at the University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Online presentations will be the exception.
Conference Fees: TBA
Accommodation: Recommendations TBA