Stammtisch #5

When?  04.12.2025 at 8 pm

Where?  Café Weingartner Goldschlagstraße 6, 1150 Wien

At the Stammtisch (regulars table), we will exchange our experiences, discuss our future activites, and play a round of Billiard if we feel like it!

We are very much looking forward to meeting all of you other underrepresented philosophers!

Do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have.

Classism in (Teaching) Philosophy

When?  20.01.2026

Where?  HS 3A, NIG, 3.OG

With: Dr. Lisa Scheer (University of Graz)

Target Group:

All teachers and people who are interested in teaching philosophy are invited to participate in the workshop.

Content:

How can critical thinking and practice be promoted in a place that is only self-critical to a limited extent? And how can power-critical thinking and practice be promoted when the university itself is characterized by power relations which we as teachers and academics reproduce too?
We take these tensions as the starting point for our examination of the university as a teaching and learning space, focusing on one of the power relations in particular: classism and inequalities based on social background. In the workshop, we will work on how to teach in a classism-critical way in philosophy and how to support students in the development of power-critical thinking and practice. We will also explore how much room teachers have and how their efforts are limited (in terms of time, money, structures).
 

Goals:

The aim of the workshop is to strengthen one’s position as a power-critical teacher through (self-)reflection and exchange and to improve the support of student learning with classism-critical impulses. Participants will get to know the concept of habitus reflexivity and develop ways of implementing classism-critical teaching and learning for themselves and the department’s teaching staff.
 

Workshop design:

First, participants will examine academic and teaching practices in philosophy individually and in small groups. The focus will be on norms, rules and values, but also on artifacts, practice and examination performance. After an input on classism, symbolic power, meritocracy and habitus reflexivity, a second group work phase will focus on possible developments of individual and collective philosophical teaching practice.
 

Preparation:

In order to participate, no preparation is needed.
 

Workshop conductor:

The workshop will be led by Dr. Lisa Scheer. The sociologist works at the Competence Center for University Teaching at the University of Graz and contributed to the project Habitus.Power.Education - Transformation through Reflection, which was funded by theBMBWF and carried out at the Department of Educational Research and Teacher Education at the University of Graz from 2019 to 2021.
 

Registration:

Please sign up through this Link. 

Organizers:
Leonie Möck leonie.möck@univie.ac.at
Irene Salzmann irene.salzmann@univie.ac.at

What Are We Even Doing? Metaphilosophical Conversations

When? Friday, June 13th, 2025, 5 - 7 PM

Where?  HS 3D, NIG, University of Vienna (Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria)

Speakers:

Maria Kronfeldner (CEU) 

Angelica Stathopoulos (Postdoctoral Fellow at The Institute for Cultural Inquiry Berlin)

Kiki Miru Miroslava Svolikova (Playwright, Translator)

Description:

UPsalon, a salon dedicated to underrepresented philosophers at the Department of Philosophy (University of Vienna), together with the Vienna Doctoral School of Philosophy, are organizing an event on metaphilosophy. The event aims to explore fundamental questions concerning the methods, topics, and scopes of philosophical inquiry.

Metaphilosophy critically examines what philosophy is, how it is practiced, and what its broader societal implications are. In line with these thoughts, we seek to engage in a reflective discourse on the boundaries of philosophical activity, the ways in which philosophy is conducted, and its intersections with artistic and political practices. At best, our conversations will reveal sides and aspects of philosophy that fundamentally challenge our conceptions of the discipline. On this score, we might refer to a consideration by Nelson Goodman, suggesting that “[c]omprehension and creation go on together”. (Ways of Worldmaking 1984, p. 22)

Aims and Scope of the Conversation:

This event will serve as a platform to interrogate the traditional contours of philosophizing and its potential evolution. Some key topics we aim to explore include:

• The boundaries of philosophy: What are the realms of philosophy? When or where does a practice cease to be philosophical? And where does a practice that is not classified as philosophical enter into the realms of philosophy?
• The role of artistic and political methodologies in philosophy: Can literary expression, political activism, or artistic experimentation serve as valid and/or productive forms of philosophical inquiry?
• The limitations of academic structures: How do restrictive institutional frameworks shape, or hinder, philosophical activity?
• The inclusivity of philosophical discourse: Who are we willing to perceive as a philosopher?

By examining these questions, we aspire to develop a more nuanced, and perhaps even messier understanding of what it means to engage in philosophical thought and discourse.

As a salon for underrepresented philosophers, UPsalon seeks to create an open and inclusive space for philosophical engagement beyond conventional academic constraints. The very impetus for this event arises from our core mission: to challenge the restrictive frames that often define what philosophy is and who gets to participate in it. Traditional academic structures tend to privilege certain voices while marginalizing others, limiting not only individual opportunities but also the richness of philosophical discourse itself. By fostering a space where unconventional approaches and perspectives can flourish, UPsalon aims to encourage richer participation in philosophy and facilitate discussions that extend beyond institutional boundaries. This event is an integral part of that effort — bringing together scholars who question, reimagine, and push the limits of what philosophy can be.

Organization and Moderation: 

Mira Magdalena Sickinger mira.magdalena.sickinger@univie.ac.at 

Piet Fritz Pankratz piet.pankratz@univie.ac.at

Stammtisch #4

First Meeting Critical Anti-Racism Working Group

When? June 27th, 2023 at 6 PM

Where? Tunnel Vienna, Florianigasse 39, 1080 Wien

What?

UPsalon would like to cordially invite you to our Stammtisch or "regular's table"!

This time, we will use the Stammtisch for a first meeting of the critical Anti-Racism Working Group at the Institute of Philosophy. We discuss concerns, ideas and best practices at other departments such as Racism-Critical working group at the department of African Studies, and set up goals and aims for our own working group. You can find more information of the group here: https://afrika.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/wg-against-racism/

In line with this, we invite you to join us for a first meeting and discussion organised with UPSalon. The working group highly encourages participation from all levels at University. This will be a yet informal group of people who care about and are interested in taking up the topic of racism in the university ecosystem. This working group is concerned with the kinds of work, ideas and activities that improves awareness, enhances visibility, initiates discussions and interventions among all levels and practices of the institution.

UPsalon are a group of Master-level, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers; the initiative aims at creating a space and community in Vienna where underrepresented philosophers – such as women, gender minorities, racialised minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged people and people disadvantaged by society – can connect on a regular basis. For more information, check out our website!

People from all stages in their philosophical career are welcome, and we are especially excited to meet those who we have not yet met.

We are very much looking forward to meeting all of you!
Do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have. 

Stammtisch #3

When? May 9th, 2023 at 7 PM

Where? Tunnel Vienna, Florianigasse 39, 1080 Wien

What?

UPsalon would like to cordially invite you to our Stammtisch or "regular's table"!
People from all stages in their philosophical studies are welcome, and we are especially excited to meet those who we have not yet met. We are very much looking forward to meeting all of you!

Do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have. 

Combatting Gendered Marginalizations & Exclusions: Doing Philosophy Better

Workshop co-organized with the Vienna Doctoral School of Philosophy

Facilitated by Stephanie Deig (University of Lucerne)

When? Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023 - 4 to 6PM
Where? VinzRast-Lokal mittendrin, 1090 Wien

This workshop is open to persons of all genders working at all levels of the department. We especially invite people with extensive teaching experience to share their perspectives and experiences on gendered exclusions and bystanding in academic settings.

Please sign up to the workshop via the following link:
https://forms.gle/6Dw4oDWibNCWCRTX7

Note that we only have 20 open spots; we will allocate them via a “first come, first serve” system. 

What?

The field of academic philosophy has a serious problem with the under-representation of women as well as persons, who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. This is due to structural forms of gendered marginalization and exclusion that create unsafe and harmful environments. In the first part of this workshop, participants will be introduced to how specific mechanisms, such as implicit bias, stereotype threat, as well as sexual and moral harassment manifest within philosophical settings: working, teaching, and learning, and how transforming certain conditions and practices could help combat them. In the second half of the workshop, participants will be given a theoretical introduction to bystander interventions and be encouraged (but not required) and given space to share their own experiences relevant to these questions to create awareness and discuss potential strategies that could be enacted locally. We will conclude by using these experiences as a basis for discussion about how bystanders can safely and productively intervene in instances of gendered wrongdoings. Even though the workshop focuses on gender-based exclusions, the convener seeks to create a space for discussing marginalization from an intersectional perspective.

If you have a topic that you’d particularly like to discuss or are interested in contributing to the workshop, please contact Stephanie Deig at: stephanie.deig@unilu.ch

Stephanie Deig, MA, is a PhD Candidate at the University of Lucerne. She is a co-founder of two organizations that have worked to combat gendered inequalities in the academic field of philosophy in Switzerland and is active as a board member with The Society for Women* in Philosophy Switzerland."

Here you can find the link to the Good Practice Guide that Stephanie bases the presentation on (it is in DE and EN): https://www.swipswitzerland.org/good-practice-guide

UPsalon #4:

Last come, last served - Classism and First-Gen. Students in Academic Philosophy

A conversation with Eva-Maria Aigner, Jonas Oßwald & Martin Kusch.

When? Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 4 to 5.30PM
Where? Café Tunnel, Florianigasse 39, 1080

What?

With this upcoming event we seek to address the seldomly discussed and often invisible classism encountered at academic institutions by students and academics from working-class families - those who are low-income or the first in their families to attend and attain higher education. Studies have shown that there are persistent social class achievement gaps that cannot be explained away solely pointing at differing academic preparation or resources. Rather than finding deficiencies with the students, there is a need to speak about the academic environment that just seems not set up for them.

In conversation with Prof. Martin Kusch as well as lecturers Eva-Marie Aigner and Jonas Oßwald, combining theoretical input and personal experiences, we hope to explore and lay bare some of the unseen and compounding obstacles on the road to upward social mobility. 

Join us for drinks and in our discussion on:

• cultural mismatch between home & academia
• financial instability and precarity in academia
• combining work and study
• an international comparison of classism & social mobility in academia
• coping strategies and building support for first-gen. scholars

Preliminary Program

4.00PM - WELCOME
4.20PM - BRIEF THEORETICAL INTRO TO CLASSISM & ACADEMIA by Eva-Maria Aigner and Jonas Oßwald
4.40PM - ------ Short Break ------
4.50PM - OPEN CONVERSATION with Martin Kusch, Eva-Maria Aigner and Jonas Oßwald

The evening is open end, and all participants and contributors are welcome to stay and continue the conversation over dinner & drinks!

Everybody is welcome; but since we only have 25 slots available, we would like to ask you to register via our eventbrite page.

Looking forward to meeting you there!

UPsalon #3:

Care Work, Household Activities and Academia - Feminist, philosophical and economic perspectives

With Emma Dowling and Katharina Mader

When? Monday, April 19, 2021 - 3:30 to 5:30PM (CEST)
Where? ONLINE SALON 

What?

In May 2020, The Guardian posted an article about female academics and the childcare and household related obstacles they faced during the first wave of the coronavirus induced lockdown. Elizabeth Hannon, deputy editor of the British Journal for Philosophy of Science, had noticed that the number of article submissions she was receiving from women had dropped dramatically. She posted about it on Twitter and seemed to have hit a nerve. Many female academics testified that they were barely coping with childcare, looking after older family members, an increase of household chores and academic work during lockdown. Research and writing articles, key components to being successful in academic careers, fell back behind teaching, childcare and household duties.

In this regard, the ongoing pandemic the world is facing is fairly revelatory. It uncovers several areas of social injustice, e.g., poor and inhumane working conditions or the lack of access to universal health care. Additionally, the current situation indicates that stereotypical gender norms concerning care work and household activities still disadvantage women in many work environments and especially so in academia.

With this event, we want to take a closer look at the ways in which female academics are burdened with care work and family duties to a greater proportion. Additionally, we want to explore the reconcilability of academia and family planning in general. (Note that the conception of “family” in this context does not only encompass the heteronormative concept of the nuclear family but is meant to include all forms of intimate and domestic relations.) Our goal is to provide both philosophical, economical and feminist perspectives as well as empirical data on the topics of care work, household activities, family planning and academia.

The link will be shared in due time over the university mailinglists.

If you are not on those mailinglists, please register your interest with an e-mail at upsalon.philosophy@univie.ac.at. 

Everybody is welcome!

Rules of Conduct for Online Salons [here]!

UPsalon #2:

The Day You'll be found out - Imposter Syndrome in the Academic Workplace

A conversation with Joel Bothello (Concordia University)

When? Thursday, November 12, 2020 - 4 to 6PM (CEST)
Where? ONLINE SALON (Watch the talk on YouTube)

What?
What has given Imposter Syndrome its name is the creeping sense that one's success and accomplishments can be attributed either to luck or are a result of having deceived or tricked others. Accompanied by a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud" and despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they do not deserve all that they have achieved.

Imposter Syndrome has been recognized to affect both men and women, and has been shown to be related to a "feeling of not belonging". This might render minorities that find themselves underrepresented in their workplace especially vulnerable. Whether on the basis of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status - underrepresentation is an issue that academic philosophy has to come to grips with.

Join us for a conversation with Joel Bothello to discuss Imposter Syndrome and with it explore some of the conditions that may influence the minority philosopher's experience in academia. In an informal setting, we hope to fashion a space where we can share our own experiences, learn to recognize associated patterns and put our heads together on coping strategies or preventive measures in the academic setting.

The link will be shared in due time over the university mailinglists.

If you are not on those mailinglists, please register your interest with an e-mail at upsalon.philosophy@univie.ac.at. 

Everybody is welcome!

UPsalon #1:

IWAP → UPsalon - Towards Inclusion in the Institutional Context

with Delia Belleri & Michael Greer

When? Friday, August 7, 2020 - 3PM (CEST)
Where? ONLINE SALON
(Zoom webinar link will be shared in due time)

What? We are happy to announce that IWAP is starting into the new semester as UPsalon; a salon for underrepresented philosophers. This is to make more explicit that we wish to be an initiative that is striving to be inclusive without compromise and invite all underrepresented philosophers, such as, but not limited to Women*, Ethnic Minorities, Gender Minorities, the socioeconomically disadvantaged and people disabled by society.

From the comfort of your home, join us for our first digital salon, where we will raise our glasses with philosophers Delia Belleri (UniVie) and Michael Greer (CUNY) to discuss allyship, the difficulties of intersectionality, and linguistic change for inclusion in the institutional context.

Come, engage and think along to help us be better!

The link will be shared in due time over the university mailinglists.
If you are not on those mailinglists, please register your interest with an e-mail at upsalon.philosophy@univie.ac.at. 
Also check out the Facebook event page.

Everybody is welcome!