Phenomenology and Technology

The goal of the conference is to bring together various phenomenological perspectives on technology, focusing on historical analyses on the essence and critique of technology within phenomenological tradition; on the debates whether technology should be analyzed as a whole or through individual artifacts; on methodological discussions exploring the role of phenomenological methods analyzing human-technology relationship; and on addressing the current phenomenological research (both theoretical and empirical) on the individual’s use of various new technologies. Interdisciplinary research, combining phenomenology with other fields of studies, is also welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
    • Historical and theoretical perspectives on the essence of technology: Contributions from the history of phenomenology (i.e., Heidegger, Dreyfus, Waldenfels) as well as the analysis of the post-phenomenological movement (i.e., Ihde, Verbeek).
    • Human-technology interaction: Concrete analysis of how technology alters our experience of the world an our interactions within it.
    • Phenomenology and medical technologies: Theoretical and empirical investigations into the lived experience of various medical technologies (i.e., organ transplantation, prosthesis, gene editing).
    • Phenomenology of digital environments: Investigations into the lived experiences of digital spaces and virtual realities.
    • Embodiment and technology: How do technological enhancements (i.e., self-tracking technologies, prosthetic limbs, exoskeletons) transform our sense of embodiment?
    • Artificial intelligence (AI) and phenomenology: What are the phenomenological implications of AI in daily life and decision-making processes?
    • Ethics and technology: Phenomenological perspectives on the ethical challenges posed by contemporary technologies.
    • Eco-phenomenology and technology: The impact of technology on the environment and ecological perspectives within phenomenology.
    • Technology in art and aesthetics: How does technology influence artistic practices and aesthetic experiences?
    • Methodological discussions: What is the role of phenomenological methods analyzing the use of modern technologies?

Language: the conference will be held in English

Deadline for submissions: 21.04.2025

Notifications of acceptance: 16.05.2025

E-mail: ceespconference2025@gmail.com (please state “CEESP 2025 conference proposal” in the e-mail heading)

Registration fee: 70 EUR

Submission types:
    • Individual papers: Please submit an anonymized abstract of the proposed contribution (max. 300 words) and a cover letter with affiliation and contact information. A regular time slot is approx. 40 minutes (30 min for presentation + 10 min for discussion).
    • Thematic panels: The proposal should consist of abstracts for 3 papers as part of one panel (max. 300 words per abstract) as well as a separate cover letter with the affiliations of the panelists and contact information. The panelists will have approximately 120 minutes in total for the discussion of the proposed topic.

Organizing committee: Raivis Bičevskis, Māra Grīnfelde, Uldis Vēgners

More information can be found here.