The Thirtieth International Conference of the Merleau-Ponty Circle was held at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, September 29 – October 1, 2005.  The Conference organizers were Professors Ted Toadvine and Beata Stawarska and the conference theme was “The Child and the Animal.”  There were twenty-one papers presented in twelve sessions.  The keynote addresses were presented by Shaun Gallagher (University of Central Florida), who spoke on “Forms of Empathy: From Animal Intercorporeality to Human Narrative,” and Leonard Lawlor (University of Memphis) who presented a paper titled “This Is What We Must Not Do: The Question of Death in Merleau-Ponty.”  Invited speakers included Lawrence Hass (Muhlenberg College), “The Multiplicity of Flesh in Merleau-Ponty,” Eva Simms (Duquesne University), “The World’s Skin Ever Expanding: Spatiality and the Structures of Child Consciousness,” Mark Johnson (University of Oregon), “The Meaning of the Body,” and Hugh J. Silverman (SUNY Stony Brook), “Responsibilities: Derrida for Merleau-Ponty.”  The full program is posted on the Merleau-Ponty Circle website at http://m-pc.binghamton.edu as well as the Merleau-Ponty Circle 2005 Conference website http://philosophy.uoregon.edu/mpc/

A special memorial session, “Martin C. Dillon Vivant!” was organized in tribute to the life and work of Mike Dillon, who served the Circle diligently for many years as General Secretary before his death in March, 2005.  A paper was presented by Duane Davis (University of North Carolina Asheville), “Ideals without Idealism: The Philosophical Voyage of Martin C. Dillon,” which included memorial tributes collected from many colleagues, students, and friends of Mike and of the Circle from around the nation.  A paper on Mike’s contributions to Merleau-Ponty scholarship and to the Circle was presented by Galen A. Johnson (University of Rhode Island), “Circles: The Figured Philosophy of M. C. Dillon.”  At the closing conference banquet, several attendees spoke to give further tribute to the importance and influence of Mike as scholar, teacher, and friend, which concluded with gracious remarks of thanks and reflection from Mike’s wife, Joey Dillon.

At the Saturday business luncheon, conference attendees expressed their hearty gratitude to Professors Ted Toadvine and Beata Stawarska, the Conference Organizers, as well as their many students who staffed the registration table and carried out the tasks of making the conference run so smoothly.  The food was on time and the technology worked without flaw!  The Circle is grateful for the support received from faculty and administrative staff at the University of Oregon.  In particular, we would like to thank Joe Stone, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Scott Pratt, Head of the Department of Philosophy.  We also thank Professor Mark Johnson for hosting a reception at his lovely home surrounded by forest.  We also thank the Oregon Humanities Center, Department of English, Department of Psychology, the Environmental Studies Program, and the Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences.

Next year’s conference, the Thirty-First Annual Meeting of the International Merleau-Ponty Circle, will be held at George Mason University at the new Arlington, Virginia campus.  Professor Wayne Froman is the Conference Director and the conference dates are October 26 – 28, 2006.  The theme of the conference is “Body and Institution.”  For further information contact:

Professor Wayne Froman
Merleau-Ponty Circle Conference Director
Department of Philosophy
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia  22030
Email: wfroman@gmu.edu

The deadline for paper submissions is June 15, 2006.  While submissions relating to the theme are encouraged, all papers (from any philosophical tradition or related discipline) that focus on the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty are welcome.  Completed papers are preferred (limited to 3600 words), but detailed abstracts will also be considered.

At the business meeting, Professor Galen A. Johnson (University of Rhode Island) was elected as the new General Secretary replacing M. C. Dillon and Professor Larry Hass (Muhlenberg College) was elected Associate General Secretary.  By-laws were presented by the transition team (Professors Larry Hass, Gail Weiss, Helen Fielding, and Ted Toadvine), which were subsequently amended and adopted.  They are posted on the Merleau-Ponty Circle web site at the on-line address above.

It was announced by the new General Secretary that we are open to invitations from the membership for hosting the Fall, 2007 and Fall, 2008 meetings.  The Fall, 2008 meetings will be especially significant since they will occur during the 100th anniversary of Merleau-Ponty’s birth.  Please communicate with the General Secretary about possible invitations to host these meetings as soon as possible.  Pending receipt of letters of invitation from appropriate local administrators, Circle members will vote at the Fall, 2006 business meeting.
on invitations received.

It was also announced that a memorial fund in tribute to Mike Dillon will be established soon and proceeds from the fund will be used to support an annual M. C. Dillon lecture at the Fall Merleau-Ponty Circle conference and/or travel funds for graduate students who are successful in being accepted onto the conference program.  It was also announced that members should be on the alert for a postcard to be sent to the membership in the near future collecting e-mail addresses for a new MP Circle listserve.  In the near future, this newsletter, the call for papers, and the conference program will reach members electronically via the listserve as well as the Circle’s web site. Complete minutes from both business meetings held at the 2005 conference were taken by Professor Bill Hamrick (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville) and are also available on the Circle web site.  The General Secretary expresses his gratitude to Professor Hamrick, the transition team, the Board of Advisers, and to all who have participated in effecting a successful transition following the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Mike Dillon.