Social Ontology as the Meeting Ground:
A Dialogue between Philosophy and Anthropology
Workshop at St. Edmund’s College, Mount Pleasant, Cambridge (UK)
13 - 14 November 2025

This workshop brings together scholars from philosophy and anthropology to find bridges through the methods, tools, and concerns of social ontology. As empirical engagement gains traction in the analytic tradition, with even a possible “social turn” on the rise (Richardson 2023), and the undeniable interest in “ontology” in twenty-first century anthropology (Heywood 2023), the time is ripe for a serious interdisciplinary conversation. Our two-day event at Cambridge will combine programmed interventions with papers sought through the present open call. The aim is twofold: (1) to map existing efforts to bridge philosophy and anthropology, especially through social ontology, and 2) to foster a collaborative network for advancing interdisciplinary research. Participants will have the opportunity to venture across disciplinary boundaries, receive feedback for working papers from a range of scholars, and establish new research partnerships. We welcome contributions from social theory, philosophy of action, anthropological epistemology, as well as any approach that brings these disciplines into conversation through social ontology. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• The role of empirical research in theorizing (fieldwork, use of examples or experiences in philosophy, etc)
• The social lives of our concepts (interactive social kinds, intersubjectivity, the place of “us”, etc. )
• The ontological turn and its implications for anthropology and/or philosophy
• The significance of first-person knowledge and the epistemological status of the second-person/testimony
• Phenomenological interpretations of the social world, including art, politics, religion, etc.

How to Apply
Submit your abstract (300 – 500 words) or intention to attend to philosophymeetsanthropology[at]outlook.com by 21 August 2025. Accepted authors will be notified on 28 August 2025 and completed papers should be submitted two weeks prior to the event. We welcome submissions from early career and senior scholars alike.

This is an on-site event with no remote attendance option. The workshop will take place at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, and is co-funded by the International Social Ontology Society (ISOS).

Organisers:
Javier Ruiz del Río, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (jr745[at]cam.ac.uk)
Edwin Jiang, Independent Researcher, London, United Kingdom (edwinjiang1995[at]gmail.com)