The 25th Annual Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference Committee at AMNE invites you to attend our Spring 2025 conference, on the topic of “Nature and Artifice”.
The conference will be held in-person in Vancouver and via Zoom
Dr. Catherine Kearns, Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Chicago
(hybrid format) on Friday, March 28, 2025, and will feature a keynote address (Thursday, March 27) by Dr. Catherine Kearns, Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Chicago.
Papers will investigate any aspect of the ancient world relating to nature, artifice, or both. Some areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the following questions:
What do we mean by “nature” in a broad sense, or by the “nature” of a particular being? How do human-created “artificial” structures and human impact on nature shape the world, and how do humans, non-human animals, or ecosystems adapt in response? Is the relationship between humans, non-human animals, and the environment antagonistic, constructive, or both? Do the arts—such as literature, visual art, architecture, and music—merely imitate nature, or do they transcend it? Was there ever a truly “natural” or “artificial” way of life for ancient humans? Furthermore, when humans alter the natural world around them, do they also alter their own nature?
Official conference program to be provided shortly.
Acknowledgements
Caroline Armstrong, committee
Jennifer Porter, committee
Cristalle Watson, committee
Chloë Conley, volunteer
Lauren Gastineau, volunteer
Paige Piché, volunteer