Call for Papers
8th Warwick Annual Continental Philosophy Conference (WCPC): Tracing Genealogy
● Event Type: Graduate Conference (Onsite)
● Location: University of Warwick, United Kingdom
● Conference Dates: 29th–30th June 2026
● Submission deadline: 18:00 (GMT) on 15th April 2026
● Notification of acceptance: By 15th May 2026
● Confirmed Keynote Speaker: Alexander Prescott-Couch (University of Oxford)
Conference Theme
Within Continental philosophy, genealogy is most associated with Nietzsche’s critical historicisations/psychologisations of our moral practices and beliefs—and with Foucault’s subsequent ‘histories of the present’ investigations into the contingent development of contemporary institutions and the discourses surrounding them. However, the notion of genealogy is not confined to the Nietzschean tradition. David Hume’s ‘experimental’ inquiries into the origins of our religious and causal beliefs—offering more traditional debunking arguments—are also increasingly considered to come under its methodological umbrella.
Conversely, Bernard Williams, drawing on Locke and Hobbes, develops a vindicatory form of genealogy that seeks to legitimate our existing ethical virtues by uncovering the genuine moral and political needs they address. More recently, Julian Ratcliffe has christened a strand of contemporary Anglophone work (Brandom, Dutilh Novaes, Queloz) rationalising genealogy, which attempts to unearth certain normative commitments as latent within existing conceptual resources—connecting genealogy to Hegelian reconciliation and Carnapian conceptual engineering.
Indicative Questions
Indicative questions applicants might consider include (but are not limited to):
● What, if anything, distinguishes genealogy from other forms of historicised epistemology? What are its relative advantages and limitations?
● How does genealogy diverge from (or relate to) philosophical hermeneutics?
● To what extent does the so-called ‘genetic fallacy’ limit genealogy’s critical force?
● Can the concept of genealogy be applied to thinkers beyond those conventionally classified as genealogists—e.g. Marx, Heidegger—who, although not explicitly employing the notion, advance plausibly genealogical (as well as quasi- or pseudo-genealogical) arguments?
● What could speculative histories of our future, as opposed to our past or present, yield for philosophical inquiry?
We particularly welcome submissions which place the Anglophone and Continental traditions into dialogue. To this end, we also welcome submissions relating to the topic of history in philosophy more broadly—although applicants explicitly engaging with genealogy will be prioritised.
Submission Guidelines
Presenters should prepare a 30-minute paper, followed by a 5-minute response and a 25-minute discussion. Subject to the number and quality of submissions received, we aim to arrange faculty respondents for all graduate speakers.
Please submit an anonymous paper (maximum 3,500 words, not including references or bibliography) to wcpc@warwick.ac.uk by 18:00 (GMT) on 15th April 2026, using the subject line ‘Paper Submission: Tracing Genealogy.’ Submissions that are nearly complete drafts are also welcome and will be given equal consideration.
In the same email, applicants should include a separate cover sheet containing their name, institutional affiliation, contact information, paper title, word count, and a brief biographical note (maximum 300 words).
The organising committee adheres to the BPA and SWIP guidelines on equality, diversity, accessibility, and environmental sustainability. Applicants from junior, non-traditional, or underrepresented backgrounds, as well as those who wish to be considered for a partial travel bursary, are invited to indicate this in their cover sheets.
Additional Information
The WCPC is an annual event within The Centre for Research in Post-Kantian European Philosophy (University of Warwick). For further information and detailed instructions, please visit our website:
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/research/activities/postkantian/events/wcpc/.
Organising Committee
Rozemin Keshvani (Lead Organiser)
Keyu Qiu (Lead Organiser)
Oscar Crocker
Shifan Zhou
Sam Ronalds
