Conference on Narrative: Art and Mind

CONFERENCE ON NARRATIVE: ART AND MIND LOCATION: CUMBERLAND LODGE, WINDSOR GREAT PARK DATES: FRIDAY MAY 30 - SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2003 Speakers include: Simon Blackburn (Philosophy, Cambridge) Noel Caroll (Philosophy, Wisconsin) Greg Currie (Philosophy, Nottingham) Tamar Szabo Gendler (Philosophy, Syracuse) Peter Goldie (Philosophy, KCL) Paul Harris (Graduate School of Education, Harvard) Jon Jureidini (Child Psychiatry, University of Adelaide) Jerrold Levinson (Philosophy, Maryland) Steven Mithen (Archaeology, Reading) Keith Oatley (Psychology, Toronto) Gerard O'Brien (Philosophy, Adelaide) Barbara Tversky (Psychology, Stanford) An interdisciplinary conference designed to bring together leading figures from philosophy and psychology to address fundamental questions about the connections between narrative as an explanatory tool in the arts, and in development and psychopathology. · What can artistic theories of narrative tell us that would be useful in assessing the psychological function of narrative? · Can artistic theories of narrative themselves be assessed against evidence from controlled psychological experiments? · Are the elaboration of narratives and an awareness of narrative concepts important features of psycho-social development. · Can an impoverished, excessive or inappropriate narrative sense lead to psychological disorder? Traditionally, theories of narrative, within the arts as well as within psychological theorizing, have drawn on Freudian and other psychodynamic conceptions. These theories are often criticised for their a priori approach to matters that are really empirical. More recently, cognitive approaches to the arts have emphasised the requirement that theorising in this area be informed by well-tested psychological theories; yet narrative remains a theoretical tool largely uninfluenced by systematic experimental work. The currently available body of experimental work on narrative comprehension and on the reader/viewer's imagined location within the space-time of the work is itself subject to various interpretations. The conference will provide a much-needed opportunity for scholars in philosophy and psychology to develop an approach to narrative that is theoretically rich yet properly informed by empirical work. Registration: £50. Bursaries are available for post graduate students, to cover half of registration, accommodation and travel. Registration forms are available at: <http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/philosophy/conference.htm>http://www.nottingham .ac. uk/philosophy/conference.htm Or write to: Andrea Hill Dept of Philosophy University of Nottingham NG7 2RD UK