[Discussion] TZVETAN TODOROV

[gonul@bilkent.edu.tr]

CALL FOR PAPERS 

FIRST INTERNATIONAL TZVETAN TODOROV CONFERENCE IN 
HONOUR OF HIS 65TH BIRTHDAY 

‘Tzvetan Todorov and the Future of the Human Sciences’ 

24–27 June 2004 

Bakhtin Centre, University of Sheffield, UK 

Tzvetan Todorov, who has gradually emerged as a leading 
intellectual figure in Europe, has consistently refused enclosure in 
established disciplines, and has approached human experience 
from a variety of angles. The clarity of his style and accessibility of 
his thought enhance the unifying perspective he has adopted within 
the human sciences. A growing trend in the humanities today 
consists, precisely, in questioning the boundaries erected between 
the various disciplines of the human sciences and in addressing 
the need for research in the humanities to develop in new 
directions. It is our belief that critical theory should provide the 
platform for this debate rather than remaining at a ‘theoretical 
second remove’ and commenting only after the fact. It therefore 
appears imperative to create a forum for discussion of the works 
and thought of Tzvetan Todorov in a manner that would bridge the 
divides between academic disciplines, considering that Todorov is 
an outstanding exemplar of what has been achieved in overcoming 
disciplinary boundaries, and of the potential that still remains for 
doing so. 

The conference proposes to assess the position and contribution of 
Tzvetan Todorov’s thought to the human sciences and to evaluate 
the potential of his concept of ‘critical humanism’ as an alternative 
to theory. Therefore, the conference seeks to bring together 
scholars from various disciplines who engage with Todorov’s work 
and to foster cross-disciplinary thought in the humanities (critical 
theory, literature, history, philosophy, philosophical anthropology, 
semiotics…) with a view to publishing at least one thematically 
focused volume of articles. 

TZVETAN TODOROV will give a public lecture in the French 
Embassy Lecture Series on 26 June 2004 and will participate in a 
roundtable with the conference participants on 27 June. 

Keynote speakers include: 
Stoyan ATANASSOV (University of Sofia) on ‘Todorov or the 
Dialogical Self at the Crossroads of Cultures’; 
Frances FERGUSON (Johns Hopkins University) on ‘Tzvetan 
Todorov on Narratives and Societies’; 
Eugene GOODHEART (Brandeis University) on ‘Todorov, Berlin, 
Kolakowski and Me’; 
Robert ZARETSKY (University of Houston) on ‘Uncommon 
Histories: An Evening with Jean-Jacques Rousseau at the Drury 
Lane Theatre’. 

Papers addressing one or more of the following areas will be 
especially welcome: 
-cross-disciplinarity as the future of the human sciences 
-critical humanism: new form of humanism or well-tempered 
liberal humanism? 
-literature as privileged medium for understanding human 
experience 
-ethicalapproaches to history 
-‘exemplary narrative’ as an original contribution to critical 
theory 
-Todorov’s contribution to holocaust studies 
-Todorov as European intellectual 
-historical and/or contemporary sources of or influences on 
Todorov’s thought (for ex. Rousseau, Constant, Bakhtin, 
Ferry, …) 
-crossing cultures: translating Todorov, Todorov in 
translation, etc. 

Papers addressing other issues related to the general aims of the 
conference and proposals for panels (see guidelines below) are 
encouraged. 

Papers will be organised in panels of 3 lasting 90 minutes. Each 
paper should last 20–25 minutes (maximum) in order to leave 
adequate time for discussion. 
Advance posting of abstracts, or even full papers, on the 
conference websiteis envisaged. 

Publication: 
A selection of the papers presented will be considered for 
publication in a special issue of The Canadian Review of 
Comparative Literature. 

Abstracts: 
Please send 300-word abstracts by e-mail attachment in RTF or 
Word format to k.zbinden@sheffield.ac.uk by 30 September 2003. 
Proposals for panels 
should include title of panel, names and institutional affiliations of 
chair and three panellists with abstracts and name of discussant if 
appropriate. 

Please consult the conference website for updated information at 
{ HYPERLINK "http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A- 
C/bakh/homeconf.html" }http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A- 
C/bakh/homeconf.html 
and address any query to the conference organisers (Karine 
Zbinden and David Shepherd): by e-mail 
(mailto:k.zbinden@sheffield.ac.uk or 
mailto:d.g.shepherd@sheffield.ac.uk) or by post to: 

Tzvetan Todorov Conference 
Bakhtin Centre 
Arts Tower, fl. 8 
University of Sheffield 
Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. 

Please pass on this information to anybody you know who may 
be interested. 





********************** 
Dr Karine Zbinden 
SNF Research Fellow 
Bakhtin Centre 
Arts Tower, floor 8 
Western Bank 
University of Sheffield 
SHEFFIELD S10 2TN, G.B. 
ph. 0044 (0)114 222 7412 
fax ph. 0044 (0)114 222 7416 
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/bakh/zbinden.html 
http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/bakh/todorov.html