The 2009 North American Conference on Computing and Philosophy

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NA-CAP@IU 2009: Networks and Their Philosophical Implications

June 14th - 16th

At Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana

In recent years, across several different academic disciplines, including biology, computer science, cognitive science, informatics, philosophy and psychology, a shift in the study of complex systems is readily visible. This shift away from a focus on the individual components of a system to the interrelations between them has provided the groundwork for what might broadly be called a "network" perspective, as it has become increasingly clear that simple components can produce astoundingly complex and varied behavior when they work in consort. Evidence for this observation is seen everywhere from biological neural networks, stigmergic systems, and animal behavior to networked computing, social networking, and dynamic systems. This conference will explore the philosophical implications of this network perspective as it applies to the broader scope of topics studied by our association.

Conference highlights include keynote lectures from William Bechtel (University of California, San Diego) and Olaf Sporns (Indiana University), both of whom will speak about new research in biological networks. The conference will additionally feature panel sessions on Logic Pedagogy and Networks and Social Network Effects. The IACAP is also pleased to acknowledge this year's recipient of the Goldberg Graduate Award, Matteo Turilli (University of Oxford) for his paper, "Translating Ethical Requirements into Software Specifications," which he will be presenting at this conference.

Individual conference sessions will be dedicated to:
o Biological and Artificial Networks
o Computation and Representation
o Modeling, Epistemology and Cooperation
o Networks, Networked Computing and Robotics
o Bayesian and Semantic Networks
o Group Cognition, eTrust and Network Neutrality
o Social Networks, Privacy and the Self
Details are available on our Program page.

The International Association for Computing and Philosophy would like to acknowledge the generosity of the Department of Philosophy and the Cognitive Science Program at Indiana University, and the support of the university generally, not only for their financial contributions, but more importantly for their cooperation in helping with the arrangements, their intellectual openness to the study of computing and philosophy, and the willingness of their graduate students and faculty to participate in our conference.

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Program Director: Tony Beavers, University of Evansville

Assistant Program Director: Mara Harrell, Carnegie Mellon University

Conference Host: Colin Allen, Indiana University

Logic Pedagogy and Networks Program Chair: Marvin Croy, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Social Networking Program Chair: Dylan Wittkower, Coastal Carolina University

NA-CAP Director: Selmer Bringsjord, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

NA-CAP Steering Committee:
Don Berkich, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi
David Stern, University of Iowa
Mara Harrell, Carnegie Mellon University
IACAP President: Luciano Floridi, University of Hertfordshire & University of Oxford

This conference is one of several regional conferences associated with the International Association for Computing and Philosophy. To learn more about the IACAP, including its other conferences and membership details, visit the organization's website at http://ia-cap.org.

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