The minds of animals fascinate us. Scientific reports about animal minds receive extensive press coverage. Literature abounds with stories about and from the point of view of animals. And, popular culture elaborates diverse interpretations of the psychological meanings of animal behavior. Theories of animal consciousness inform all academic and public discourse about human ethical responsibility toward animals. We envision having an international symposium on conceptions of animal minds covering two days, with 12 speakers each day. Speakers will cover diverse topics: scientific attempts to understand the minds of animals; historical, literary and artistic representations of the minds of animals; the ways in which the minds of animals are presented in the popular media and by special interest groups; and the working assumptions about animal minds of those who live in close interaction with animals. Each day will consist of three periods of 2.5 hours. During each of these periods, four speakers will discuss their topics for 30 minutes, and this will be followed by a one-half hour discussion. Each 2.5 hour period will be followed by a either a coffee or a lunch break.
The conference is being organized by Robert W. Mitchell, Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University and Julie A. Smith, Languages and Literatures, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. To apply to be a speaker at the conference, please e-mail a one-page proposal, a short CV or list of relevant publications or activities to Robert.Mitchell@eku.edu and smithj@uww.edu.
The deadline for proposals is December 15. There will likely be a modest registration fee for coffee, lunch, and miscellaneous conference expenses.