The Prometheus Trust Conference is a very interesting gathering of scholars of Platonism, Platonists of various stripes, and usually has a nice, esoteric edge to proceedings. Here is their announcement/CfP for 2023:

Towards a Philosophical Society

The fifteenth annual conference of the Prometheus Trust

Mancetter, Warwickshire, UK, 23rd to 25th June 2023

Is humanity being pushed towards philosophy by force of circumstances? Are the challenges which confront us in our globalised and rapidly changing society so unprecedented and so complex that the response of falling back on past customs and dogmas, rather than cultivating wisdom and forethought, is increasingly exposed as inadequate?

If we are moving towards a philosophic society, what are the principles upon which this is to be based?

Plato famously claimed that unless rulers become philosophers or philosophers rulers there would be no end to the evils that beset humanity: modern developments towards a wider participation in governance do not necessarily alter the underlying truth of his statement. But is it possible to widen sufficient philosophical understanding, in order to match the more diffused power structures, political and economic, that now pertain in many parts of the world?

This is a call for papers on the theme “Towards a Philosophical Society”.

We are very pleased to announce that the keynote address will be given by Professor Angie Hobbs, Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at Sheffield University, with the title “Philosophy in an Age of Uncertainty”.

We’re also very pleased that the Thomas Taylor lecture will be given by Professor Douglas Hedley.  Douglas Hedley is Professor of the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge in the Faculty of Divinity.  He is the Principal Investigator of a major AHRC grant ‘The Cambridge Platonists at the Origins of Enlightenment’, and Director of the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism. 

We envision fruitful engagement in this topic from those interested in and studying Platonic Republics, intentional communities (exploring practices of virtue in philosophic living), Grassroots Philosophy and Grassroots activism, Organisational studies (and Organisational Philosophy) Philosophy of Education and Pedagogy, Political Philosophy and Political Theory or Theorists (including Social Contract theory), individual autonomy – liberation and constraints, among others.

As usual the Prometheus Trust is hoping that contributors will be drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, academic and non-academic, specialist and non-specialist, artistic, scientific, political, religious and philosophic.

Abstracts should be no more than 300 words and should be sent to info@prometheustrust.co.uk at the latest by Friday, 7 April 2023. Acceptance of these will be confirmed as quickly as possible.

Papers should be around 2500-3000 words or 20 minutes’ presentation (we usually allow a further 15-20 minutes for a question and answer session after each presentation).

Bookings should be received by us not later than Saturday, 29April 2023.

A limited number of bursaries are available.

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The Prometheus Trust
Registered charity no. 299648

14 Tylers Way
Sedbury, Chepstow
NP16 7AB
01291 409018
www.prometheustrust.co.uk