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In September 2000 the Metaphysics for the Third Millennium Conference brought together two hundred philosophers from twenty-five countries in Rome to consider the implications of metaphysical reflection for science, culture, and religion.

Some challenging proposals were made for the future of metaphysics as a discipline and vision capable of

a) establishing the parameters of empirical science within the broader scope and ground of human knowledge as a whole;

b) providing a nonreductive, comprehensive definition of personhood at the core of human culture; and

c) formulating a conception of absolute reality which is fully compatible with both spirituality, or openness to transcendence, and rationality, thus enabling us to delineate a valid paradigm for the comparative study of mystical experience at the root of all religion.

These initial exchanges suggested that the significance of metaphysical thought for varied fields--ranging from aesthetics (and the arts), anthropology, epistemology, and ethics to law and medicine--must be freshly examined and articulated.

Another major concern which has emerged is the role and responsibility of those teaching philosophy within the overall mission of education.

The organizers of the Third Millennium Conference believe that its sequel, Metaphysics 2003, can, with the help of scholars and thinkers from diverse backgrounds, contribute to increased understanding of the foundational dimensions of human experience, knowledge, and creativity.

Further information on the Conference program will be sent out shortly.

The note below includes all the basic orientation needed to register and take an active part.

Every effort will be made to create suitable discussion settings in the light of the interests and background of those attending, since productive dialogue is a primary goal of the event.

MAIN TOPIC AREAS FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PRESENTATIONS

1) The Imperative of Ultimate Direction and Meaning

* The Search for a Foundation
* Taking Experience to Its Limit
* Absolutization and Openness
* Metaphysics and the Mystical Dimension

2) Unity and Plurality

* A Theory of Science
* Models and Methods
* Experiential and Experimental Methodology
* Metaphysics and Epistemology

3) Existential Commitment

* Ethics, Bioethics, and Law
* Society and Commitment
* Religion, Philosophy, and Culture
* Metaphysics and Experience

4) Teaching Philosophy

* Philosophy as Therapy
* Training in Critical Thought
* Philosophy and Ideologies
* Metaphysics and Education
 

SITE

Assumption Conference Center
Viale Romania 32
00197 Rome, Italy

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

English, Spanish, or Italian may be used for oral presentations.
All of the Plenary Sessions in the Main Auditorium will include simultaneous translation involving these three languages.
Workshops and additional sessions may not include simultaneous translation.
Written texts for publication may be presented in English, Spanish, Italian, French, or German.

REGISTRATION
The deadline for registration is April 1, 2003.
To register, visit the website http://www.arsap.net/metafisica to obtain the forms you must fill in and send:

* the registration form (include data on your hotel reservations if you so require) and
* the abstract form, if you wish to make a presentation (see the norms for presentations).

Forms should be sent to:
Conference Secretariat
Metaphysics 2003
Viale Romania 32
00197 Rome, Italy

Tel.: (39-06) 8448-2734 * 8448-2721 * 8448-2500 Fax: (39-06) 854-6470

Conference Secretariat email: InfoMetafisica@arsap.net

The Conference Secretariat will be happy to respond to any inquiries regarding:

* Registration
* Information on papers and presentations
* Hotel reservations
* Travel arrangements

Registration Fee

The registration fee is ¤100 (euros). For late registration, after the April 1, 2003 deadline, the fee will be ¤150 (euros). This fee covers the packet of Conference material  and the coffee breaks during the sessions.
For students only there is special fee of ¤50 (euros).

To Cancel
If you should decide to cancel your registration before April 30, 2002, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded. After that date no refunds will be made.
For more information, fill out and send the request form available on the Metaphysics 2003 website, which does not entail any obligation on the part of the sender or the Conference.

GUIDELINES FOR PRESENTATIONS
Duration
The oral presentation of a paper should not exceed 15 minutes. Sessions devoted to different topics may be held simultaneously. The final written text should not exceed 3500 words.
Abstracts must be sent by April 1, 2003. In early May 2003 those sending abstracts will be informed regarding acceptance.

Norms for Preparing Abstracts
1. Abstracts must be in one of the official written languages for the Conference (English, Spanish, Italian, French, or German). Maximum length: 500 words.
2. The electronic version may be sent a) by email (InfoMetafisica@arsap.net) or b) on a PC-compatible or Mac diskette.
The electronic document should be written using a Microsoft Word type of processor .
4. The text should be single-spaced. Indentation for new paragraphs should be three spaces.
5. The title must be clear and concise, entirely in capitals. The author's/authors' name(s) should appear below the title (last name and then first name). After the name(s), the address of the first author's institution should appear, along with his or her home address and nation.
6. The registration fee (certified by the copy of a bank money transfer) and registration form must accompany the abstract. Abstracts will not be considered unless so accompanied.

7. Along with the abstract, three copies, and diskette (unless email is used), authors should enclose a single sheet specifying their mailing address, email, and telephone number in order to facilitate a prompt reply concerning acceptance of the text submitted.

Publication of the Proceedings
The Conference Proceedings will be published, and participants will be able to reserve copies during the sessions.

Contact: David G. Murray
Program Committee
Assumption Institute
Viale Romania 32
00197 Rome, Italy
Tel: 39-06-8448-2500

Those interested in learning more about the life and work of the contemporary Spanish thinker Fernando Rielo, who has contributed significantly to these efforts by making original proposals for the reinterpretation of metaphysics, can visit http://www.rielo.com/Semblante_Eng.html

A listing of the papers included in the Proceedings of the Metaphysics for the Third Millennium Conference, held in September 2000, can be found at: http://www.utpl.edu.ec/metafisica/index.html

One example of the interdisciplinary approaches which are being developed through this series of exchanges is provided by the International Institute for Metaphysical and Mystical Studies/Instituto Internacional de Metafísica y Mística, founded during the first Rome Conference. A Short Statement on its focus can be found at http://www.arsap.net/metafisica/links.htm

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