The Christian Wolff Society for the Philosophy of the Enlightenment along with the Immanuel Kant Forum of the Department of Philosophy and the Interdisciplinary Centre for European Enlightenment Studies (IZEA) is pleased to announce the Second International Congress of the Christian Wolff Society, to be held at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg from 6–8 October 2027. The congress is organized by Heiner F. Klemme, John Walsh and Falk Wunderlich.
The eighteenth century witnessed a profound transformation in conceptions of reason, cognition, and philosophical method. Christian Wolff’s systematic rationalism shaped discussions across metaphysics, natural philosophy, ethics, natural law, aesthetics, theology, and psychology. Yet his philosophy also generated sustained criticism and revision by figures such as Crusius, Baumgarten, Meier, Lambert, Tetens, Mendelssohn, and ultimately Kant. These debates did not merely concern particular doctrines; they reshaped fundamental conceptions of rational justification, explanation, demonstration, freedom, morality, and the limits of human cognition.
The aim of this conference is not only to reconstruct these historical controversies but also to place their participants into dialogue with one another in order to illuminate broader philosophical developments. We therefore welcome contributions that investigate the transformation of philosophical concepts between Wolff and Kant, the reception and modification of Wolffian philosophy, and the continuing systematic significance of these debates. The conference seeks to bring together historical scholarship and systematic philosophy, highlighting both the diversity and the unity of eighteenth-century conceptions of reason.
We welcome submissions on any aspect of eighteenth-century philosophy related to Wolff, Crusius, Kant, and intermediary figures, including (but not limited to):
- the principle of sufficient reason and its critics
- demonstration, explanation, and philosophical method
- experience and its role
- rational cognition, certainty, and the norms of assent
- theoretical and practical reason
- causation and grounding
- freedom, agency, and moral responsibility
- ethics and natural law
- aesthetics and sensible cognition
- philosophy of religion and rational theology
- teleology and purposiveness
- psychology and anthropology
Submissions should engage with the broader intellectual context of eighteenth-century German philosophy rather than focus exclusively on the interpretation of Kant. Papers examining the development of philosophical ideas between Wolff and Kant, the reception and transformation of Wolffian philosophy, or the systematic significance of these debates are especially welcome.
Submission
Please submit an extended abstract of 1,000–1,500 words, prepared for anonymous review, together with a separate cover page containing:
- paper title
- author name
- institutional affiliation
- email address
Contributions in either English or German are welcome. Submissions should be sent as a PDF attachment to
Important Dates
- Submission deadline: 1 February 2027
- Notification of acceptance: March 2027
- Conference: 6–8 October 2027, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
The conference fee is 40€ for members of the Christian Wolff Society and 70€ for all other participants. Information on registration and payment will be provided with the acceptance notifications.
Invited speakers will be announced in due course.
