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Book of Abstracts International Conference The Radical Enlightenment: The Big Picture and its Details 16-17 May 2013, University Foundation, Egmontstraat 11, B-1000 Brussels Practical Information and Book of Abstracts 0 The Radical Enlightenment: The Big Picture and its Details 16-17 May 2013, University Foundation, Egmontstraat 11, B-1000 Brussels ‘The Radical Enlightenment: The Big Picture and its Details’ is organized by the Centre for Ethics and Humanism and the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science, which are both part of the Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences at the Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). The conference has been made possible by funding from the Research Foundation – Flanders (Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen) and VisitBrussels. Conference organizers Steffen Ducheyne (Free University of Brussels), Jean Paul Van Bendegem (Free University of Brussels), Karl Verstrynge (Free University of Brussels), Else Walravens (Free University of Brussels) Scientific committee Herman De Dijn (University of Leuven), Steffen Ducheyne (Free University of Brussels), Jonathan I. Israel (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton), Willem Lemmens (University of Antwerp), Eric Schliesser (Ghent University), Winfried Schröder (Philipps-Universität Marburg), Jean Paul Van Bendegem (Free University of Brussels), Wiep van Bunge (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Maarten Van Dyck (Ghent University), Geert Van Eekert (University of Antwerp), Karl Verstrynge (Free University of Brussels), and Else Walravens (Free University of Brussels). Organizing committee Patrick Allo (Free University of Brussels), Steffen Ducheyne (Free University of Brussels), Jens Ottoy (Free University of Brussels), Jean Paul Van Bendegem (Free University of Brussels), Yoni Van Den Eeden (Free University of Brussels), Stephanie Van Droogenbroeck (Free University of Brussels), Wim Van Moer (Free University of Brussels), Karl Verstrynge (Free University of Brussels), and Else Walravens (Free University of Brussels). 1 Contents Practical Information………………………………………………………………………..p. 3 Keynote Lectures: Abstracts (listed alphabetically)……………………………………….p. 6 Contributed papers: Abstracts (listed alphabetically)………………………...…………..p. 11 List of Participants…………………………………………………………………………..p. 41 2 Practical information Important venues: The conference venue is in the building of the University Foundation (Egmontstraat/Rue d’Egmont 11, B-1000, Brussels). The conference dinner will be on Thursday 16 May at the Bozar Brasserie (Baron Hortastraat/Rue Baron Horta 3, B-1000 Brussels) at 8 p.m. For a map, see page 5. Directions: From Brussels Airport to railway station Brussel-Centraal/Bruxelles-Central. Participants are advised to fly into Brussels Airport ( http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/ ). The train ride from Brussels Airport to Brussel-Centraal/Bruxelles-Central takes about 17 to 20 minutes. There are on average up to 4 trains/hour (see: http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx ; point of departure: ‘Brussel-Nat-Luchthaven [NMBS/SNCB]’). It is useful to know that the railway station at Brussels Airport is located at level -1. Note: Some airlines fly into the airport of Charleroi, which is quite misleadingly called ‘Brussels South (Charleroi) Airport’. Ground transportation to Brussels from Charleroi is more laborious: the airport in Charleroi is at a distance of roughly 60 kilometres (or roughly 37 miles) from the centre of Brussels. There is a shuttle service from the airport of Charleroi to railway station Brussels-Zuid/Bruxelles-Midi which, depending on the traffic, takes about 60 to 90 minutes (see: http://www.charleroi-airport.com/en/passengers/acces-and-parking/brussels-city- shuttle/index.html ). From railway station Brussel-Zuid/Bruxelles-Midi (Thalys and Eurostar terminals) to rail station Brussel-Central/Bruxelles-Central. There are up to 20 trains/hour that take you to Brussel-Central/Bruxelles-Central. The train ride takes about 3 to 5 minutes (see: http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx ). From railway station Brussel-Centraal/Bruxelles-Central to the conference venue (Egmontstraat/Rue d’Egmont 11, B-1000 Brussels). Brussels has an intricate public transportation network of buses, trams, and metros. On the website of the MIVB/STIB, the public transport company that exploits the Brussels metro, tram, and bus lines, you will find a journey planner ( http://www.mivb.be/reisweg-itineraire.html?l=en ; your stop of departure is ‘BRUXELLES CENTRAL’; your stop of arrival is ‘TRONE’; the trip by bus or metro takes about 9 to 13 minutes). 1 The stop ‘Troon/Trône’ is on walking distance from the conference 1 There are four alternative routes that will take you to Troon/Trône. By bus : take bus line 38 in the direction of Helden/Héros and get off at Troon/Trône or take bus line 71 in the direction of Delta, get off at Hertog/Ducale and walk to Troon/Trône. By metro : take metro line 1 in de direction of Stokkel/Stockel, get off at Kunstwet/Art-Loi (Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi), walk to Kunstwet/Art-Loi (Kunstwettunnel/Tunnel Arts-Loi), take metro line 2 in the direction of Simonis, and get off at Troon/Trône or take metro line 5 in the direction of Herrmann-Debroux, get off at Kunstwet/Art-Loi (Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi), walk to Kunstwet/Art-Loi (Kunstwettunnel/Tunnel Arts-Loi), take metro line 6 in the direction of Koning Boudewijn/Roi Baudouin, and get off at Troon/Trône. 3 venue (ca. 300 metres). A healthy alternative is to walk from Brussel-Centraal/Bruxelles-Central to Egmontstraat 11 (only 1.4 kilometres or ca. 20 minutes). Accommodation: http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/BE_en/sleep/hotels.do http://maps.google.be/maps?um=1&ie=UTF- 8&q=hotels+brussels&fb=1&gl=be&hq=hotels&hnear=0x47c3a4ed73c76867:0xc18b3a6678730 2a7,Brussel&sa=X&ei=1C1cUc3YNOqM7AbljIHYBw&ved=0CJECELYD http://www.booking.com/ General information on Brussels: http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/front/home/display/clt/BE_en/section/visiteur.do http://www.biponline.be/?q=bip-home http://www.use-it.be/brussels/ Some things to do: http://www.shopinbrussels.be/EN http://atomium.be/?lang=en http://www.fine-arts-museum.be/site/EN/default.asp http://www.abconcerts.be/en http://www.kunstberg.com/en/49 http://www.hortamuseum.be/Welcome.htm http://www.visitbelgium.com/index.php/our-cities/brussels/brussels-highlights 4 1. Brussel-Centraal/Bruxelles-Central is railway station closest to the conference venue. 2. The conference diner will be here on Thursday 16 May at 8 p.m. Address: Bozar Brasserie, Baron Hortastraat/Rue Baron Horta 3, 1000 Brussels. 3. Lunchtime suggestion: Cafetaria Musée BELvue (salad bar). Address: Paleizenplein/Place des Palais 7, B-1000 Brussels. URL: http://belvue.be/fr/infos-pratiques/belvue-food . 4. Troon/Trône is the bus and metro stop closest to the conference venue. 5. The University Foundation is the conference venue. Some keynote speakers will stay in the Hotel of the University Foundation. Address: Egmontstraat/Rue d’Egmont 11, B-1000 Brussels. 6. Some keynote speakers will spend the night here on Wednesday 15 May 2013. Address: Aqua Hotel Brussels, de Stassartstraat/Rue de Stassart 43, 1050 Brussels. URL: http://www.aqua-hotel-brussels.com . 7. Lunchtime suggestion: Le Trappiste (traditional food). Address: Gulden-Vlieslaan/Avenue de la Toison d’Or 3, B-1050 Brussels. URL: http://letrappiste.be/ . 8. Lunchtime suggestion: Exki (sandwich bar). Address: Elsensesteenweg/Chaussée d'Ixelles 12, B-1000 Brussels. 9. Lunchtime suggestion: Eat Sushi (sushi!). Address: Marsveldplein/Place du Champs de Mars 5, B-1050 Brussels. URL: http://www.eatsushi.be/ . 10. Lunchtime suggestion: Break Time (sandwich bar). Address: Marnixlaan/Avenue Marnix 14C, B-1000 Brussels. URL: http://www.snackbreaktime.be/cart.html . 11. Lunchtime suggestion: Pulp (sandwich bar). Address: Luxemburgstraat/Rue de Luxembourg 4, B-1000 Brussel. URL: www.pulp.be . 12. Lunchtime suggestion: Al dente (Italian food). Address: Troonstraat/Rue du Trône 22, B-1000 Brussels. URL: www.trattoriaaldente.be . 13. Lunchtime suggestion: El Verde (Latin American and Mediterranean food). Address: Troonstraat/Rue du Trône 39, B-1050 Brussels. URL: www.elverde.be . The above map may be consulted online at: https://maps.google.be/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=213949261974258011548.0004d9137e6344194f899&ie=UTF8&ll= 50.84004,4.364426&spn=0.012046,0.033023&t=m&z=16&vpsrc=6 . 5 Keynote Lectures: Abstracts (listed alphabetically) 6 Radical Enlightenment: Monism and the Rise of Modern Democratic Republicanism Jonathan I. Israel Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton At its culminating moment, the democratic republicanism of the early part of the French Revolution before Robespierre’s totalitarian coup d’état and the onset of the Terror, i.e. the democratic republican phase (1788-93), the democrats clearly saw the danger posed by totalitarian tendencies in modern society embodied in Marat and Robespierre. The democratic republican programme most clearly formulated by Condorcet, Brissot and Paine can be characterized as follows: 1) the overriding need to enlighten the whole of society (and not just a small minority as the moderate Enlightenment of Voltaire, Hume and Montesquieu would have it) and, correspondingly, the need for a universal system of secular education; 2) severe curtailing of all religious authority; 3) the need for a new universal secular morality as the basis of civics, law, education and institutions that does not rely in any way on religion; 4) the need for full freedom of thought, conscience and expression, including full freedom of the press; 5) the idea that basic human rights have to be spelt out in a charter of human rights to protect basic freedoms; and, 6) the need for a constitution to fix the political forms which will maintain democratic freedom. Democracy was also an inherent part of the opening phase of the Radical Enlightenment, in the later seventeenth century, in the thought of Spinoza particularly. The main object of this key- note lecture will be to focus on, explain and emphasize the underlying and fundamental connection between the politics of Radical Enlightenment democracy and emancipation, on the one hand, and the monism and one-substance philosophy of the Radical Enlightenment on the other.
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