CFA: Southern African Society for Environmental Philosophy (SASEP) 3rd Annual Conference
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Call for Abstracts
Southern African Society for Environmental Philosophy (SASEP) 3rd Annual ConferenceWe are pleased to distribute this CFA for the 3rd Annual SASEP Conference, to be held at the North-West University Potchefstroom Campus.
Dates for conference: 26-28 August 2026
Venue: TBC Potchefstroom, South Africa
SASEP (https://www.sasep.africa/) hopes to bring philosophers and others from tangential fields (e.g. such as environmental and animal law, conservation, environmental management) together to consider issues related broadly to the environment and its inhabitants. Furthermore, SASEP, and its associated conferences will provide space for established and emerging environmental philosophers from Southern Africa and beyond to share their research and exchange ideas that focus on all aspects of the environment from philosophical perspectives. The society will welcome a diverse range of philosophical approaches, interdisciplinary dialogue with those from nascent academic disciplines, such as the environmental sciences, social sciences, and also encourage perspectives from the global south.
Theme: All aspects of environmental philosophy are welcomed, including environmental and animal ethics. The following are guiding questions, but they should not serve as a limitation.
- How can we critically reflect on humanity’s relationship to nature?
- How do we conceive of nature from a broadly African perspective?
- How can we decolonize conservation?
- What kinds of contributions can philosophers make to address the environmental crisis?
- What does an African Environmental Philosophy look like?
- How can we philosophize around climate change from an African view?
- How can laws aid/negate human-animal relationships?
- How can an “ecological” understanding of digital material relations reshape normative environmental ethics in African contexts?
Submission of Abstracts
Please send a 150-250 word abstract to sasepconf...@gmail.com. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 15th June 2026. Notification of acceptance will be sent latest by 30th June 2026, but please do let us know if you need confirmation earlier.
Proposals for panel discussion are also welcome.
Conference fee: More information to follow (depending on interest and venue availability), but all efforts will be made to keep it reasonable for tenured academics and students.
Special issue:
A special issue with a reputable journal will endeavoured to be published after the conference.
Travel
The closest airport to Potchefstroom is OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, which is about 150km away from Potchefstroom.
There are shuttles daily between OR Tambo and Potchefstroom (Lime Time or City Bug).
For more information about the conference and/or SASEP, please feel free to email sasepconf...@gmail.com, and please feel free to share with your networks.