Organizing Committee:

- Josefina Rodríguez-Arribas (L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw)
- Valentina Lepri (Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw)
- Jarosław Włodarczyk (L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw)

Sponsored by PERIPHERIES–Minority Cultures on the Periphery of Science: The Jews and the Circulation of Scientific Goods (funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant agreement No. 847639) and KNOWSTUDENTS–From East to West, and Back Again: Student Travel and Transcultural Knowledge Production in Renaissance Europe (c. 1470–c. 1620) (funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 under a ERC Consolidator Grant agreement No. 864542).

Venue:
L. & A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science and Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Staszic Palace, Warsaw (Poland).

“Being a minority in medieval and early-modern sciences” explores the emergence, significance, limitations, advantages (if any), and specific features of minorities engaged in the study and/or practice of the sciences and philosophy across history, cultures, and societies, from the 13th through the 17th century. We want to unveil and reflect on how the ‘minority’ status might have conditioned, shaped, invisibilized, or connoted the minority’s approach to scientific and philosophical topics, and to what extent the forms and results of the scientific engagement might have affected or modified the minority’s social and cultural status, living conditions, image, and identity. We are also interested in how this minority status might have affected minor or understudied fields of knowledge or peripheral aspects within specific scientific disciplines. Here, the term ‘minority’ is understood broadly (gender, language, disability, religion, heterodoxy, ethnicity, etc.), the same as science (medicine, astronomy, astrology, natural philosophy, etc.). The timeframe would extend through the 17th century, and there is no geographical limit.

The workshop will bring together scholars and students alike, welcoming their diverse methodological backgrounds and perspectives. Our goal is to create an inclusive and diverse platform that fosters meaningful discussions on the social and cultural aspects of minorities and the sciences throughout different historical periods and cultures. By engaging in this multidisciplinary exploration, we hope to gain deeper insights into the complex interplay between scientific pursuits and minority experiences in the past.

The Organizing Committee invites scholars, PhD candidates, and independent researchers to submit abstracts (200–300 words) for 20-minute papers dealing with any aspect of the minorities and the sciences by October 15, 2023. With the abstract, please send a two-page CV indicating your current affiliation, fields of research, and publications.

The funding bodies (MSCA and ERC) will cover the trip and stay expenses of those whose papers are selected for presentation during the workshop.

Notification of acceptance by email: October 30, 2023

Complete information here: https://www.academia.edu/105220335/Call_for_Papers_Being_a_Minority_in_Medieval_and_Early_Modern_Sciences

Questions and abstracts should be addressed to Dr. Josefina Rodríguez-Arribas: rodriguezarribas@gmail.com.