[Discussion] CFP: Peace. Esthetics of an Ethic (10/31/05; 4/27/06-4/28/06)

[gpultar@cstgroup.org]

From: Sylvain David <sdavid@alcor.concordia.ca>

CALL FOR PAPERS & ARTICLES

PEACE
ESTHETICS OF AN ETHIC

International and interdiciplinary conference
Concordia University (Montreal), Avril 27-28, 2006

Peace as a social value has, in the same manner as War, always followed human
evolution. It was, however, defined in a coherent way that is by association to
what one could call "the supreme good" much later than were the treaties of the
war, even if its previous depictions can be traced back to the state of bliss
conveyed by the myths of the creation of the world. It is during this long
invention of peace that, in the spirit of Kant, for example, appears the ideal
of perpetual peace (taken up recently by Habermas). Peace, born from a situation
of conflict, henceforth becomes an autonomous concept; with the advent of
modernity, it will be transformed into a progressive value. What remains of
peace today, in a so-called global society?

If many studies of the uses and practices of peace in the historical and
contemporary worlds have already demonstrated the complex character of the
phenomenon ­ which falls under sometimes very distinct ethics, systems and/or
political, social and cultural movements the aesthetic dimension of such a
symbol still deserves a thorough exploration. For peace is also beautiful. But
towhat point? What is the true relation governing these two entities?

Peace as the end of hostilities between men, religions, States or economic
powers has often been seen as the consequence of multiple phenomena including
the signature of a treaty, the application of a truce or the increase of
economic exchange. But it has also been seen as a reaction to the horror brought
on by massacres, which it tends to push back ad infinitum, or even as the direct
result of war and conquests.

Nevertheless, the manners of instituting, living and breaking peace remain
multiple and answer to different logics; in the same way, the depictions,
fictitious or not, of the condition of human beings living in a pacified state
or universe often vary according to particular characteristics. This especially
as the image of peace often goes beyond an instituted rapport, beyond the mere
word, and is made visible through gesture, glance, dress or posture: in short,
peace is surrounded by an ethos whose transparency and obviousness testify only
to its importance. From a multi-disciplinary point of view, this conference
wishes to bring together researchers interested in the modes of depiction of
peace, particularly insofar as the transposition of an ethical question to an
expression of an aesthetic nature in the broad sense makes it possible to
approach, from a critical perspective, the problems or benefits, for modern and
post-modern societies, of a pacified universe, one in the process of
pacification or one living in the memory of peace.

Suggested Topics

- Peace and modernity: a sociopolitical ideal of peace and harmony vs. a
philosophical and aesthetical ideal of negativity, conflict and rupture;
forms of expression and depiction;

- End of History, postmodern world, global society and peace; new aesthetics
of peace;

- Peace in literature and the arts (painting, theatre, cinema, music, dance,
etc.);

- Religious and spiritual heritage of peace; social memory of peace;
argumentation and narration;

- To see and to show peace: an iconography and its symbolic system;

- Aesthetics of the pacifist movements, from the hippies to the
anti-globalists;

- "Si vis pacem, para bellum": the paradox of a combat, of an armed struggle
for peace (this stemming from revolutionary movements as well as from powers
in place); pathos of peace;

- Representations of peace in the event of victory or defeat; staging honor,
resignation, shame, revolt, etc;

- Peace and culture (also, the correlation, posited by a certain philosophy
of history, between the idea of pacification and that of the decline of
civilization); peace as a critical element of culture.


Proposals for papers, in English or in French, must include a summary of 300
words, accompanied by a title and coordinates (name, position, University,
Department, etc). The organizing committee must receive proposals before October
31, 2005.

François-Emmanuel Boucher, Collège militaire royal du Canada
Courriel : Francois-Emmanuel.Boucher@rmc.ca

Janusz Przychodzen, York University
Courriel : januszp@yorku.ca

Sylvain David, Concordia University
Courriel : sdavid@alcor.concordia.ca

Important: The committee is accepting also proposals for articles on the same
topic. The selected articles will be included in the collective published after
the conference. Priority will be given to papers presented at the conference and
selected by the committee. Proposals for paper must be sent before October 31,
2005.

The selection committee will send letters of acceptance before November 15,
2005.



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