First Annual Julian Jaynes Conference on Consciousness, August 4-5
Scholars from Brazil, China, the Netherlands, the US and Canada will gather at the University of Prince Edward Island August 4 and 5 to take part in the First Annual Julian Jaynes Conference on Consciousness being organized by Dr. Scott Greer and the UPEI Psychology Department.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Richard Restak, Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington University. His topic will be "Consciousness, Cognition, and the Technological Revolution: How the Modern World is Rewiring Our Brains." Dr. Restak is a renowned neuropsychiatrist and widely-admired author of ten books on the human brain. His numerous articles have been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He has contributed brain and neuroscience entries to the World Book Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience.
Since 2002, UPEI has hosted an annual one-day symposium on consciousness featuring internationally-known experts such as Daniel Dennett and Michael Gazzaniga. They have proved so popular that organizers decided to expand the event into a full two-day conference. In addition to the keynote address, papers will be presented on a variety of topics ranging from "What is Raised in Consciousness Raising? An Example Case of Racism in Advertising" by Floyd Rudmin of Queen's University to "Self-consciousness and Anxiety in Tao Te Ching" by Qin Yi, Beijing Normal University. UPEI's Benet Davetian will address the topic "From the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind to the Breakdown of Bi-Hemispheric Intelligence: Emotions, Thinking, and Ideation in Contemporary Culture."
The conference, and previous symposia, have been organized to honour the late Princeton professor, author, and long-time Keppoch resident Dr. Julian Jaynes. Information about Dr. Jaynes and his theories on consciousness is available on the Julian Jaynes Society website at http://www.julianjaynes.org/.
In keeping with the spirit of Jaynes' own inquiry, this conference is interdisciplinary, embracing a multitude of perspectives. It is open to anyone interested in the topic of consciousness at an academic level. Special low rates for students are available. A complete listing of papers, and details about registration, are available at: http://www.upei.ca/~sgreer/jaynesconference.html. Inquiries may also be directed to the conference coordinator, Dr. Scott Greer, who can be reached at sgreer@upei.ca.
