Today I have had the 23rd writing day this Spring, with some 800 words added to my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis".
Altogether in February I wrote some 6.384 words. This semester´s tally has already surpassed the number of words written in Autumn 2022 (12.199 vs. 11.826 words).
Today I have had the 22nd writing day this Spring, with some 1.200 words added to my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis". This is the third most productive writing day in terms of words written so far this term.
The dates for the 23rd Gathering in Biosemiotics, to be held at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, have now been set to July 31st - August 4th. Abstracts are due March 20th - see the conference webpage which includes a Call for papers.
I have composed an abstract for my plenary speech at the conference “Contemporary Umwelt Analysis: Applications for Culture and Ecological Relations” (to be held April 18-19th in Tartu, Estonia).
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Title: “A comprehensive framework for studies of changing Umwelten”
By Morten Tønnessen
Using Jakob von Uexküll´s classical Umwelt theory and updated knowledge on how human agency works as a driver of environmental change as starting points, I will present a comprehensive framework for studies of changing human and animal Umwelten. The framework indicates how past Umwelten, contemporary Umwelten, and future Umwelten can be studied by drawing on Umwelt theory accompanied by other relevant fields of study. The framework is comprehensive not only in that it allows for studies of different Umwelt temporalities, and different “layers” of the Umwelt (core – mediated – conceptual), but also by being applicable at different levels of biological organization, and by showing how changes in the Umwelt (outer subjective world) are correlated with changes in the Innenwelt (inner subjective world) and the physical environment. By seeing changes in the Umwelt, the Innenwelt, and the physical environment in context, we can achieve a better understanding of the interplay between semiotic causation and efficient causation in socio-ecological and socio-cultural contexts, and of how human agency can cause environmental problems – and solutions. In the setting of culture, socio-cultural transformations are particularly pertinent. In light of the framework presented here, these can be understood as involving collective Innenwelt transitions that in turn affect how we perceive our Umwelt. As part of my presentation, I will outline how Umwelt theory can serve as the basis of a more-than-human descriptive phenomenology suitable for studies of animal Umwelten and human–animal relations. I will further share some tentative ideas about how Umwelt theory can play a role in phenomenological triangulation, in which 1st, 2nd and 3rd person perspectives are combined (drawing on methodology developed by Jordan Zlatev).
Bionote: Morten Tønnessen (born 1976) is a Professor of philosophy at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies, Norway. He has worked with Jakob von Uexküll´s Umwelt theory since his master degree in philosophy (University of Oslo, 2002) and ph.d. thesis in philosophy and semiotics (University of Tartu, 2011).
Today, on this Spring´s writing day #21, I have added some 100 words altogether to our GDP review article and our article on Arne Næss´view on economics.
Today I have attended "Pedagogisk forum" at Department of media studies and social sciences, featuring Turid Rødne, on the topic of use of blackboard in teaching.
Today I have had half a writing day, bringing this Spring´s total up to 20 writing days, with a little work done on my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis" (and some 100 words added to the text). I am also being considered for co-authorship for an article that is part of the ph.d. project of a colleague I am supervising; we haven´t concluded yet what is most appropriate.
A call for papers has been made for the 13th Conference of the IAVS-AISV: "Visual Semiotics & Agency", which will be held at Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, in Bogotá, Colombia, September 28-30, 2023. Abstracts in English, Spanish or French are due May 15th.
I am a plenary speaker at AISV-IAVS 2023, along with Susanne Eichner, JosÉ Enrique Finol, Shaun Gallagher, Jean-Marie Klinkenberg, Aleksandra Mouratidou, Göran Sonesson and Jordan Zlatev.
More info here.
Today I have had a writing day, mostly devoted to revising my Anthology article for Atlantic Economic Journal, "The HDI´s maximum limit for income is unfounded", with some 100 words added net, and the article resubmitted.
Today I have had half a writing day, with some preparatory work done on my "UNDP letter" (see below), and my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis", with some 100 words added to the latter.
See also:
Atlantic Economic Journal - decision on article "The HDI´s maximum limit for income is unfounded"
Today I have chaired a meeting in the board of Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), in Zoom. Among other things we discussed issues related to the organizing of NASS XIII, which will take place in Helsinki in early June.
I have belatedly found information to the effect that Atlantic Economic Journal has asked for major revisions of my brief article "The HDI´s maximum limit for income is unfounded". Revisions are due by next Monday.
As part of my "academic updating" at University of Oxford, yesterday I attended a 2-hour lecture organized by Faculty of philosophy at graduate level on Longermism, at Radcliffe Humanities, and an open lecture by Robert Costanza titled «Overcoming our societal addiction to growth to build a sustainable wellbeing future» at School of Geography and the Environment, followed by a drinks reception.
I am now on my way home to Norway.
Today I have had half a writing day, bringing this Spring´s total up to 18 writing days, with some 300 words added to my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis".
Yesterday I followed a philosophy lecture at undergraduate level at University of Oxford, as part of my "academic updating" here during my visit to Oxford, tied to the university´s Faculty of philosophy. I also attended a public talk at University of Oxford´s China Centre, “China’s Ambitions to Explore the Moon and the Prospects for Lunar Governance”, by Prof. Martin Elvis (Harvard University) and Dr Alanna Krolikowski (Missouri University of Science and Technology).
Today I have attended another public talk, “Triangulating a global view on inequality from secondary data sources” by Joe Hasell at INET Oxford.
Today I have had half a writing day, with some 300 words added to my article "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis". This brings the total number of writing days this Spring to date up to 17.5.
Today I have had half an article day, completing the 17th this Spring, devoted to my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis", with some key readings done.
Today, in Oxford, I have had half a writing day, #16,5 this Spring, with some 300 words added to my chapter "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis".
Last Friday, February 10th, NRK´s news story from NRK.no published earlier the same week featuring an interview with me and Erica von Essen, was mentioned on NRK TV´s comedy / news program "Nytt på Nytt".
The joke being made went something like this: NRK has talked to philosophers about whether or not wolf hunting is morally right. Yeah, because hunters really listen to philosophers.
See also:
Today I travel from Stavanger, Norway to Oxford, UK, with a stop on the way in London, where I have met with Professor Paul Cobley (Middlesex University). Right now I am on the train from London Paddington towards Oxford. In Oxford I plan to attend 6 academic events the next four days, including 3 classes/lectures offered by the Faculty of Philosophy at University of Oxford, and 3 more academic events.
Today I have had a writing day, the 16th this Spring, with some 300 words added to our article on Arne Næss´ thoughts about economics and our GDP review article.
The last couple of days I have watched parts of SDG Conference Bergen 2023 online.
I have recently reviewed around 20 abstracts as a member of the scientific committee for The 13th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies, Feeling – Skill – Knowledge (Helsinki, Finland, 7–9 June 2023) - see conference webpage for more info.
Today I have attended the meeting of Norway´s Council for animal ethics, in Oslo, at Thon hotel Opera.
The NRK news story "Er ulvejakt moralsk riktig? Vi spurte filosofene" (Is wolf hunting morally right? We asked the philosophers), which was published today and involved an interview with me and with Erica von Essen, was featured in Dagsrevyen, NRK 1´s main news broadcast (TV) tonight.
I have been interviewed by NRK, the Norwegian public broadcaster, in their online news story "Er ulvejakt moralsk riktig? Vi spurte filosofene" (Is wolf hunting morally right? We asked the philosophers), along with Erica von Essen.
Today I have submitted the abstract below to the organizers of a conference on the work of Henrik Steffens that is to be held at Museum of Archaeology, organized by University of Stavanger on September 8-9th, in relation to the 250 year anniversary of his birth. I am an invited speaker.
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Title: Reconstructing the nature conceptions of the industrial-age Anthropocene
By Morten Tønnessen
In earlier work, I have addressed “Steffens’ ideas about organic meteorology: From the Totalorganismus to Planetary Health?” (forthcoming chapter, 2023). Here, I noted that discussion of humans´ place in nature has received renewed attention in the two last decades following the rise of the Anthropocene discourse, where the “Anthropocene” designates the current geological era characterized by environmental changes induced by human agency, and observed that this new context for theorizing on humans´ place in nature potentially reactualizes Steffens´ work. In this presentation, I will treat relations between Steffens´ work and the contemporary Anthropocene discourse more in-depth. Particularly, I will ask in how far Steffens´ work can be informative with regard to understanding how humans understood their place in nature around the time when many claim the Anthropocene actually started, in the wake of the industrial revolution following the invention of the steam engine in 1786.
Today I have had a writing day, the 15th this Spring, with some 300 words added to my article "A biosemiotic perspective on the human condition and the environmental crisis".
Google Scholar appears to have revised the data included in their overview and statistics. According to my profile I now have 863 citations (-4 since January 6th), including 143 in 2021 (-41 since December 29th), 167 in 2022 (+36 since January 6th) and 20 so far in 2023 (+6 since January 6th). Given these revisions, 2022 now appears to be my best year to date, and I have had an increase in number of citations year by year since 2019.
My h-index is 17 (-1 since January 6th) and my i10-index 34 (no change).
Among recent publications, the book Semiotic agency: Science beyond mechanism, which I co-authored with Alexei Sharov (2021), is now listed with 13 citations (at #21), while the article "The ethics of laying hen genetics" (2020) has been cited 33 times (at #7). "Anticipating the societal transformation required to solve the environmental crisis in the 21st century" (2021) has so far been cited 5 times (at #44).
A website has now been launched for the conference Comparative Welfare - People´s experience of the welfare system, which will take place in Havana, Cuba, on November 27th - December 1st. I am a keynote speaker, along with 9 others from Norway, Cuba, South Africa and Costa Rica.
