We are glad to give notice that the call for abstracts for the international conference Conatus – Self-determination – Subjectivity – Hegel and/or/with Spinoza is now open. The conference will take place on July, 8th-9th, 2026 at the University of Heidelberg.
The conference is funded by the DFG and is part of the project Conatus, Trieb und die Erkenntnis der Freiheit: Spinozas Einfluss auf Hegels praktische Philosophie directed by Julia Peters and Oliver Toth.
Deadline for the abstract submission: March, 31st, 2026.
Abstracts (no more than 500 words) should be sent in .pdf as an attachment to: oliver.toth@uni-heidelberg.de
Please find below the text of the call.
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Confirmed speakers:
Giulia Bernard
Bojana Jovićević
James Kreines
Yitzhak Melamed
Julia Peters
Ursula Renz
Martin Saar
Birgit Sandkaulen
Oliver Toth
This conference explores the rich interconnection between the practical dimension of Spinoza’s notion of conatus and Hegel’s practical philosophy – from both directions in its historical context. While Spinoza’s concept of conatus has recently received extensive attention from a theoretical perspective—raising questions such as whether the conatus as actual essence should be distinguished from formal essence, whether it persists through affective changes, or whether it implies a form of teleology—this conference aims to shift focus toward its practical implications: the role of conatus in constituting the human subject (self), the content of human action, and human communities.
Given Spinoza’s profound influence on Hegel—and Hegel’s significant impact on subsequent interpretations of Spinoza—these questions lend themselves to a productive exploration of the mutual illumination between the two thinkers. How did Spinoza’s doctrine of conatus influence Hegel’s practical philosophy, explicitly or implicitly? Through which mediations did Hegel develop his reading of Spinoza’s conatus? Can Hegel’s interpretation help navigate contemporary debates in Spinoza scholarship regarding conatus and subjectivity? The two-day conference is dedicated to these and related questions.
We invite submissions for the conference on any topic related to the conference theme. Speakers are welcome to explore the practical implications of the conatus doctrine in Spinoza’s philosophy, Hegel’s reception of Spinoza’s conatus doctrine in his practical philosophy, texts by other authors that shaped Hegel’s view on Spinoza’s conatus doctrine, as well as Hegel’s influence on contemporary research into the practical aspects of Spinoza’s conatus doctrine. The term „practical“ is construed very broadly to include all branches of value theory, as well as philosophy of action.
Presentation time will be 40 minutes + 20 minutes for discussion. Abstracts (no more than 500 words) should be sent in .pdf as an attachment to: oliver.toth@uni-heidelberg.de no later than 31.03.2026.
Abstracts should be prepared for double-blind review by removing any identifying details. The body of the email should include the following information: name, paper title, institutional position, affiliation, and email address.
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