Our Members' Weekend and Annual Dinner are held each year in the autumn at Rewley House, Oxford. Only members of The Philosophical Society: Oxford may attend and be presenters. The Members' Day/Weekend Archive page gives access to recordings and other materials of past Members' Days and Weekends.

Organizers:
Marta Vecchio marta.vecchio@oxfordphilsoc.org
Renske van Vroonhoven renske.philsoc@mail.com

 
The future is not just what lies ahead—it is the very ground on which we think and act today. As we move deeper into a century defined by transformation, “the future” itself demands philosophical attention.

The current discourse on the future is one of entangled crises, emergent technologies, hope, and a compelling moral claim. We find ourselves at the border of a paradigm shift. Philosophers like Donna Haraway, Bruno Latour, Timothy Morton, Nick Bostrom, and Achille Mbembe argue that converging transformations—in technology, ecology, and politics—are fundamentally reshaping the way we think about our world.

With a quarter of the 21st century behind us, this is the moment to wield philosophy as our essential tool: to question established frameworks, to speculate responsibly about the paths not yet taken, and to navigate uncertainty with intellectual courage.

The Future, of course, is a very broad subject, that sparks imagination in many different directions. For the 2026 Members weekend, we welcome explorations across many different disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary projects.

You might engage with questions such as (but not limited to):

• Metaphysics & Time: Is the future 'real' or a narrative construct? What is the relationship between time, possibility, and agency?

• Ethics & Justice: What do we owe to future beings? How can we ground intergenerational responsibility in a world of radical change?

• Politics & Agency: What forms of solidarity and governance can steward the 'long now'? Is our imagination of the future itself in need of democratization?

• Epistemology & Foresight: How do we 'know' a future that is not yet here? What is the philosophy—and the responsibility—of prediction and modelling?

• Technology & Science: Does AI alter the very nature of future-oriented action? How do we create ethical frameworks for worlds we are only beginning to envision?

• Phenomenology & Narrative: What is the lived experience of anticipation, hope, or commitment? How do the stories we tell shape the futures we build?

For this call you are welcome to build on existing research, or unearth new insights that feel especially urgent for us to consider. Interdisciplinary and applied projects welcomed and encouraged.

Presentations

• We aim to include 7 presentations and a panel discussion with questions addressed to all speakers.

• Each talk is allocated 45 minutes: 30 minutes for presentation and 15

minutes for dialogue. this corresponds to a paper of around 3.000 -3.500 words.

• PowerPoint or other visual aids are warmly encouraged.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE, PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING TO MARTA.VECCHIO@OXFORDPHILSOC.ORG AND RENSKE.PHILSOC@MAIL.COM BY SUNDAY, 26 APRIL 2026

1. A proposed title
2. An abstract of 100-250 words outlining your exploration
3. A short biographical note (approx. 100 words)

Successful proposals will be notified by the end of May 2026.

We will acknowledge all submissions. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within one week, please follow up.

We look forward to your proposals, your questions, and your voice in this essential conversation.

Marta Vecchio & Renske van Vroonhoven

Suggested Readings

Technology & AI Ethics:

• The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI by Jonathan Birch (2024): Examines risk assessment regarding AI and animal consciousness.

• The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality by Andy Clark (2023): Explores how AI and VR interact with human consciousness.

• Reality+: Virtual Worlds and The Problems of Philosophy by David Chalmers (2022): Analyzes the philosophical implications of living in virtual realities.

• Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life by Albert Borgmann (1984): A foundational text on how technology changes human life.

• Nick Bostrom's Superintelligence examines existential risks from advanced AI and how we might navigate them

• Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition (1958) remains remarkably prescient about automation and what makes us human

• Luciano Floridi's The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence explores how we should think about machine ethics

Politics, Society & Ethics:

• Parfit: A Philosopher and His Mission to Save Morality by David Edmonds (2023): Discusses Derek Parfit's attempts to create a lasting ethical framework.

• We Are Free to Change the World: Hannah Arendt's Lessons in Love and Disobedience by Lyndsey Stonebridge (2024): Applies Arendt's thoughts to modern crises.

• Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope by Sarah Bakewell (2023): A study on humanist thought as a guide for the future.

• The Case for Rage: Why Anger Is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle by Myisha Cherry (2021): Explores ethics, emotions, and social justice.

• Carissa Véliz's Privacy is Power makes the case for why data rights matter for human freedom

• Elizabeth Anderson's Private Government reimagines workplace democracy for modern capitalism

Human Nature & Future Thinking:

• Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth (2021): A neuroscientific look at consciousness.

• Human's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: A classic on finding purpose in, and preparing for, difficult futures.

• The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus: Examines absurdity and existential resilience. 

On Human Enhancement:

• Michael Sandel's The Case Against Perfection questions genetic engineering and enhancement technologies

• Andy Clark's Natural-Born Cyborgs explores how technology already extends human cognition

On Climate & Environment:

• Timothy Morton's Hyperobjects introduces a new way of thinking about climate change and vast, distributed phenomena

• Dale Jamieson's Reason in a Dark Time tackles why we struggle with climate ethics and what philosophy can offer

Broader Visions:

• Toby Ord's The Precipice surveys existential risks facing humanity this century

• Roman Krznaric's The Good Ancestor asks how we can think long-term in short-term cultures