HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY- SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES,

and the PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (PAP), Inc.

Cordially invite you to the

PAP MIDYEAR CONFERENCE 2018

Theme: The Future of Feminism and Philosophy in the Philippines
November 15-17, 2018
Holy Angel University, Angeles City, Pampanga
feministfuture2018@gmail.com

Call for Papers

PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES MIDYEAR CONFERENCE:
Feminism, Philosophy, and the Future

A. CONFERENCE PROPER

 In 2017, Merriam-Webster Dictionary declared feminism as the word of the year.

 New York Fashion Week features feminist-inspired shirts on the catwalk with inscriptions such as
“The Future is Female” and “We should all be Feminists”.
 Fourth wave feminism or millennial feminism has been making waves on the Internet in the past
few years.
 Debates on post-feminism have been going on for around two decades now. Intersectionality is
assumed and necessary in discussions of oppression and structures of domination.
 Feminist theorists and philosophers all over the world have been exploring posthumanism and
transhumanism as primary topics for inquiry.

Yet, in the Philippines, discourses on feminism often still revolve around women’s liberation and gender
equity. This same theme has been the plight of Mary Wollstonecraft almost three hundred years ago, when
she wrote On the vindication of the rights of women (1792). How has feminism and philosophy been faring
in the Philippines? What does the future have in store for Filipino feminist philosophers?

Incidentally, in the history of the Philosophical Association of the Philippines, feminist themes have always
taken a backseat to supposedly more pressing philosophical or academic concerns in the annual and
midyear conferences. This year though, the organization devotes time to philosophers who are heavily
involved in feminism and gender studies, or at least cognizant of the feminist claims of oppression in the
field whether serious institutional or systematic discrimination. Much has been said about “Filipino
philosophy”; previous conferences have interrogated whether there is such a thing and, if there were, what
its characteristics are. As Filipino thinkers, it is high time that a mirror be held up to examine the not only
the issue of national identity, but rather the issue of sex and gender as well. Thus, paper submissions that
engage any of the following topics are welcome:

FEMINISMS
- Can men be feminists?
- What are the theoretical or ideological similarities, if any, among Filipino philosophers who self-
identify as feminists?
- Is there such a thing as a Filipino feminist philosophy?
- Are there any notable female Filipino philosophers? What can be said about their work? Are they
feminist? Why or why not?
- Are there any Filipino feminist icons?
- Are any philosophers involved in gender-related advocacies? What is the nature of these
advocacies?
PHILOSOPHY
- What are some of the ways in which feminists philosophize?
- What is the extent of women’s participation in philosophical activity in comparison to men’s?
- Is the philosophical field dominated by any one sex?
- Does sexual discrimination exist in the philosophical discipline?
- How do factors other than gender (e.g. ethnicity, economic class, sexual orientation, etc.) affect
philosophizing?
- What groups, if any, are explicitly or implicitly “othered” in philosophy?
- Can philosophy be performed or taught in a gendered way?
- Does the traditional white, male, heterosexual philosophical canon continue to be taught in
philosophy courses?
- What interventions, if any, have been made to interrogate or critique the canon? What were the
results?

THE FUTURE
- What is the current status of feminism in the Philippines?
- Is there such a thing as post-feminism? If so, can Filipino philosophers afford to be post- feminists?
- What are some of the critiques on Western feminist thinking?
- How can feminist philosophy thrive in the Philippines?
- What is posthumanism? Is posthuman feminist theory relevant to the Philippine context?
- What are the implications of gender, sex and race, among other intersectional categories, to the
embodiment of the posthuman?
- To what extent does the posthuman figure – and closely related figures like the cyborg or
companion species generate a sophisticated body of work analyzing how gendered discourses
subordinate women and nonhuman animals?
- What are the limits and potential of posthuman feminist theory to critical practices such as
postcolonial feminist discourses and discourses on subalterity?
- What does the future have in store for Filipino feminist philosophers?

Interested paper presenters may send their abstracts to feministfuture2018@gmail.com by

August 16, 2018.

Abstract submission:

1. An abstract (250-500 words) or a full paper (2,500-8,000 words) is required for paper
presentations. All abstracts must be written in English or Filipino and submitted via email
to feministfuture2018@gmail.com by August 16, 2018. Abstract must be saved in .doc or .docx
format as an email attachment.
2. Details to be included in the abstract: Name, institution, e-mail address and cellphone number.
3. Check the abstract or paper carefully for grammatical or typographical errors.
4. For full paper submissions, the Chicago-style Citation is recommended. More details may be
accessed through: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
5. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified within a month after the closing of the call.
6. Best papers will be published in the Suri Special Edition on Feminist Philosophy.

B. PHILOSOPHERS’ WALK FOR WOMEN

There is a fine line between feminism, political activism and social movements. To raise consciousness on
the plight of the marginalized sectors of society, on the third day of the conference, a PHILOSOPHERS’
Walk for Women will be held in the vicinity of Holy Angel University. Considering various discussions on the
relevance of such activities to feminist theory, participants are encouraged to experience this transformative
motion. Philosophizing will be taken out of the conference rooms and part of the proceeds of the entire
conference will benefit women from the marginalized sectors of Philippine society.
C. FOOD SHOWCASE

The host university, Holy Angel University, is located in Pampanga, the culinary capital of the Philippines.
In lieu of the traditional cultural night, to showcase local tourism and culture, there will be a food showcase
on the third day of the conference.

Conference and pre-registration:

1. Interested attendees, participants and paper presenters may pre-register as early as September 1,
2018. Pre-registration details will be announced soon.
2. Walk-in participants who have not pre-registered will be charged with the late/ onsite registration
rate.
3. Kindly email feministfuture2018@gmail.com for inquiries.

Dates to remember:
Deadline of abstract submission: August 16, 2018
Notification of acceptance: September 16, 2018
Deadline of conference pre-registration: September 23, 2018
Midyear conference: November 15-17, 2018
Submission of full papers: December 16, 2018

Conference, Walk, and Food Showcase fees: (Part of the proceeds will benefit women in
marginalized sectors of society.)
Pre-registered participants: Php3,500
Onsite registration: Php4,000

Conference, Walk, and Food Showcase inclusions:

 Attendance in all keynote, plenary and break-out talks, Philosophers’ Walk for Women, and Food
Showcase
 Certificate of Participation and Attendance
 PAP Midyear Conference T-Shirt
 Singlet, Walk Bib, and Finisher’s Medal
 Drinks during Philosophers’ Walk for Women
 Welcome Cocktails for Day 1; Conference Meals for Day 2; Lunch, AM Snack, PM Snack
 Food Showcase meal for Day 3