Brief report from my visit in Estonia Sept. 5-9 (= Academic news in brief XI)

1. On Monday 6th of September I met for the first time with the Estonian wolf ethologist Ilmar Rootsi, with Nelly Mäekivi as mediator. Me and Rootsi (72) agreed to co-write an academic article on man-eating and rabid wolves in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. The article will have a perspective of at least 200 years of history. Fellow ecosemiotician Silver Rattasepp later agreed to partake in making the article happen, stepping in for Nelly as mediator. He will be credited as a co-author.

:)

2. For a week or so, I pondered upon contributing to the third Center of Excellence in Cultural Theory conference, which is due in late October, with a joint poster presentation on wolves. Prospective cooperators were too busy, however.

:)

3. Tuesday 7th I met with my supervisor Kalevi Kull. We agreed on a time schedule for my thesis work this last year of my PhD studies. A full thesis (monograph) is to be completed by April 1st, 2011, and revised following comments by pre-reviewers by May 20th, at which point I'll formally apply for a doctoral degree. The defense will take place approximately September 30th, 2011, at Tartu's Department of Semiotics.

:)

4. The same day I met the Italian PhD student Davide Weible, who studies a topic not so different from mine (phenomenology + biology).

:)

5. On Wednesday 8th I met briefly with the Estonian folklorist Merili Metsvahi, who specializes on Estonian werewolves.

:)

6. An important task during this visit was to move our things from the apartment we have been renting up until August 15th, in Kuu street. Me and my wife left the country with 66 kg of luggage, after having sent 25 kg by post.

:)

7. Around the conclusion of the trip I arranged tickets for my next visit to Tartu, which will take place November 23rd-30th.

Norwegian human-animal relations anthology in progress

Cf. previous notes about this book project, with Guri Larsen, Ragnhild Sollund and myself as prospective editors (idea conceived of after criminology seminar - see also Academic news in brief IX pt. 4).

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We are still discussing the work title, but have agreed on most other features. These days we start inviting contributors (the collection - which will be in Norwegian - is invitation-only).

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In the process we have developed a 1p invitation letter, a 2p book project description, and a highly secret 3p 'innholdsdisposisjon' with drafts of contents.

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Excerpts of the book project description:

Forholdet mellom mennesker og dyr er sentralt for forståelsen av såvel kultur som natur – og ikke minst for forståelsen av vår tids eskalerende miljøkrise. Det er et tema som på grunn av sine etiske dimensjoner er gjenstand for økende interesse og debatt – også i Norge, som i denne sammenhengen har kommet ganske kort i den intellektuelle diskursen. Etiske spørsmål i forlengelsen av menneskets bruk av natur og dyr har fått økt økt interesse de siste årene, både innen ulike fag og i den offentlige debatt. Likevel er gjensidig avhengighet mellom miljø, dyr og mennesker lite belyst. Arten mennesket og andre arter er ikke bare beslektet, men er i dagens samfunn gjensidig avhengig av hverandre på en historisk unik måte. Mens det på den ene siden er et trivielt faktum at mennesket bare kan overleve som del av en større natur, har vi særlig de siste århundrene også gjort utallige dyrearter stadig mer avhengige av oss. Det moderne mennesket har innarbeidet en instrumentell (nytteorientert) tilnærming til andre dyr. Dyr utnyttes i dag på utallige måter: til mat, sko og klær, i underholdning, som arbeidsdyr, forsøksdyr, kjæledyr og så videre. Først de siste par generasjonene har det i vår kultur blitt vanlig å snakke om at dyr kan ha egenverdi uavhengig av nytteverdi. Dagens offisielle politikk for vern av biologisk mangfold sliter med eldgamle forestillinger om et nødvendig fiendskap mellom bonde-/menneskesamfunnet og utemmet natur. Så dypt sitter dette natursynet at vernetilhengere og dyrevernere av mange automatisk slås i hardtkorn med menneskefiender.

Academic news in brief X

1. The Sydney workshop 'History and philosophy of ethology', to be arranged at Macquarie University, has been rescheduled to February 19-21st, 2010 (cf. previous post). I have started pondering what more I can get done while in Australia.

2. The editorial work with the Special Issue of Hortus Semioticus 'Semiotics of Nature' is about to be concluded - the issue is now entering production.

3. I have started writing my thesis (though that threshold qua point in time could be defined in various ways).

4. The last week I have started planning the remaining field work and research stays of my case study on Norwegian wolf management. First out is a trip to Langedrag mountain farm and wildlife park (captive wolves) and Rendalen, Hedmark (sheep farms).

5. My debate article 'Forskningens formål' (The purpose of science) was printed in the Norwegian national daily Aftenposten August 6th. Norwegian text here.

6. The same day I sent a chronicle entitled 'Ulven på Sørlandet' (The wolf in the South) to the regional newspaper Fædrelandsvennen. This is my first comment to the wandering wolf that has been visiting our region (where there have not been wolves since the mid-80ies, as far as I can remember) the last few weeks, and the calls for its death.

7. Tomorrow I am heading for Bergen, where the 60th International Congress of Phenomenology is taking place the next few days (cf. previous posts).

8. I have arranged tickets for my next visit to Estonia, which will take place September 5th-9th (5-8 in Tartu, 8-9 in Tallinn).

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Last 'Academic news in brief': No. IX.

Academic news in brief IX

1) Saturday - two days ago - I finished my quarterly report for the research project "The Cultural Heritage of Environmental Spaces. A Comparative Analysis Between Estonia and Norway" (5pp).
2) In the process of this year's doctoral attestation review, I was informed that my doctoral school should be the Estonian Graduate School of Culture Studies and Arts (GSCSA) (application submitted).
3) The interview with professor in biosemiotics Kalevi Kull (my supervisor), conducted by me and Riin Magnus, has now been fully transcribed, and is in the process of being edited ("The bio-translator"). The final text will include a full biosemiotic bibliography, and replies to questions by Don Favareau, Timo Maran and Paul Cobley.
4) A couple of weeks ago, on the 21st of June, I met in Oslo with green criminologists Ragnhild Sollund and Guri Larsen to develop our planned anthology on human-animal and human-nature relations. We have sketched the topics of around 18 chapters and discussed potential contributors. Invitations to participate will likely be sent in August.

5) The 'opponent' (commentator) at my presentation on illegal wolf hunting in the seminar series Kriminalpolitisk seminar (University of Oslo) in November will likely be professor of criminology Kjersti Ericsson (1944-). Program for the series appears here.
6) Yesterday John Deely - who will this autumn publish Medieval Philosophy Redefined - agreed that we will submit a book proposal (for softcover publication) involving the four first semioethics interviews. I am very much looking forward to that enterprise.
7) Faithful to tradition, Marcello Barbieri has published photos from the 10th gathering in biosemiotics, which took place in Braga, Portugal, a week ago.
8) Through my company, Spør Filosofen, I have been booked for a philosophical presentation of "The future of the growth economy" at Aker Maritime Hydraulics (by the Aker MH philosophy and literature group).

Previous posts:
Academic news in brief VIII
Academic news in brief VII
Academic news in brief VI
Academic news in brief V
Academic news in brief IV
Academic news in brief III
Academic news in brief II
Academic news in brief I (March 30, 2009)

Academic news in brief VIII

1. The April 2011 conference Zoosemiotics and Animal Representations, for which I am part of the organizing team, has announced publicly its four keynote speakers: Colin Allen, Jesper Hoffmeyer, Graham Huggan and David Rothenberg.

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2. The 10th Gathering in Biosemiotics, to be arranged in Braga, Portugal June 22-27th, has some time ago announced its program, where my talk is scheduled for presentation Friday June 25th at 9-9.30. The abstract of "We The Living: The Reception of Uexküll in Norwegian Ecophilosophy" is to be found at page 42 in the abstract book.

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3. Since the last "Academic news in brief" was posted May 7th, I have conducted further Michael Polanyi work papers, and thereby, as it turned out, concluded the course work in The philosophy of Michael Polanyi. I have started reading Marjorie Grene, and expect to write a paper at some not too distant point in time on Polanyi and Grene and their relevance for matters of biosemiotics (and vice-versa).

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4. Quite some time ago, I was told my first blurb ever was not included after all in Paul Cobley (ed.): Realism for the 21st Century. A John Deely Reader, published October 2009.

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5. Monday - two days ago - I wrote my Attestation Review report for my third year as a Ph.D. student (progress review report), which includes a Revised plan for research and study for the academic year 2010/2011. 13 pp. The attestation review meeting takes place Thursday 17th of June, but I do not have the chance to be there in person.

Academic news in brief VII

1. The last couple of weeks I have conducted two work papers (6-8pp) reviewing The tacit dimension and chapters of a forthcoming Polanyi-reader, as course work in the course "The philosophy of Michael Polanyi", which I am taking as a reading course. I have established contact with Phil Mullins, who has - along with my course teacher Walter Gulick - suggested Polanyi's article "Sense-giving and sense-reading" as a link to my interests. A further three work papers on Polanyi's work are in process.

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2. Yesterday I finally finished reworking and rewriting my article 'I, wolf: The ecology of existence', with revisions prompted by the critique of David Abram and others. To appear in an anthology this year.

FROM THE INTRODUCTION
Judging by appearances, this article is divided into five parts – under the headings ‘The politics of wolves and sheep’, ‘Estranged, endangered, extinct’, ‘Human beings qua living beings – distinctive being vs. communal being’, ‘Man is not a sign’ and ‘In search of the wolf’s perspective’. But the reader could rightfully claim that but two topics are to be identified in the matrix of this text: The nature of the wolf, and the nature of man.3 These two topics are methodologically problematic for two different reasons: Man’s nature because we are the topic to be investigated, and can thus not judge it without bias; the wolf’s nature because we are not wolves and can thus not know firsthand what it is like to be a wolf.

3. My paper 'The legality and ethical legitimacy of wolf hunting in Scandinavia' has been scheduled for presentation in group 1 (one out of three in 'green criminology'), at 12.30, Tuesday May 11th at the 52nd research seminar of the Scandinavian Reseach Council for Criminology.

4. Two days ago, Wednesday May 5th, I went back and forth to Oslo in one day, and spent a couple of hours researching at the National Library (Nasjonalbiblioteket) in the process, logged in through their license for using LovData, a Norwegian database of laws and regulations.

5. Yesterday I was interviewed in the regional daily newspaper Fædrelandsvennen, in connection with three readings I will be doing today and tomorrow. Will be published tomorrow.

6. One of the readings is philosophical and will take place in a fair trade-shop in Kristiansand, as part of the event Kulturnatta. My theme: 'Frigjøring' [liberation] - May 8th happens to be both the day of liberation (WW2) and the international fair trade-day.

7. Meanwhile, we, the guest editors of Hortos Semioticus' special issue Semiotics of Nature, have been receiving full-length papers from contributors.

Academic news in brief VI - Tartu/Tallinn events April 1-8

April 1-7 I was in Tartu, and 7-8 in Tallinn.
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1) Thursday April 1st the deadline for submitting abstracts to the special issue of Hortus Semioticus "Semiotics of nature" expired. All in all we received 3 English language abstracts. We expect to see them all materialize.

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2) Friday April 2nd I presented the 30m PP "Territory vs. confinement: The Umwelten of free-range vs. captive wolves" at a 6 hour Research seminar in zoosemiotics and animal representations.
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3) During the seminar, I agreed with Silver RATTASEPP and Nelly MÄEKIVI to include the latter (possibly as a replacement of the former) in the planned co-work with Estonian wolf ethologist Ilmar ROOTSI. An initial meeting has yet to take place - perhaps in June.

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4) After the seminar, researchers of the project Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations had a meeting (at Vilde) where we first of all made plans for the April 2011 conference Zoosemiotics and animal representations. I agreed to co-edit the proceedings (expected spring 2012) with Timo MARAN, which we aim to get published in book form by an international publisher. The proceedings will envelop selected conference contributions only.

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5) Monday April 5th I guest-lectured in Riin MAGNUS' English language MA course in ecosemiotics. The topic was "More-than-human needs: The needs of the living". We discussed two papers:

- Arne NÆSS & Ivar MYSTERUD: "Philosophy of wolf policies (I): General principles and prelimenary exploration of selected norms"

- Alf HORNBORG: "Vital signs: An ecosemiotic perspective on the human ecology of Amazonia"

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6) After the seminar I discussed the topic of animal play during lunch with MA student Arlene TUCKER. She'll write a term paper on fish play.
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7) I then met with Riin MAGNUS to prepare our Hortus Semioticus interview with Kalevi KULL.

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8) Tuesday April 6th I met 2 hours with visiting professor Walter GULICK for consultation. I am a student in his course "The philosophy of Michael POLANYI". Polyani seems quite useful for my thesis work etc.

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9) After reading another chapter in GULICK's forthcoming POLANYI reader - which we use as course material - I went to class (generally I take this course as a reading course. A term paper will have to be conducted in May).

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10) A while after the course, I returned to Department of semiotics to conduct the interview on biosemiotics with Kalevi KULL, together with Riin MAGNUS. 1hr50min of recordings.

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11) Finally, in Tallinn, Wednesday April 7th, I met with Allan GROMOV in Keskkonnaministeerium, the Estonian Ministry of the Environment, to discuss possible cooperation on climate issues.

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You'll find the first five "Academic news in brief" postings here.

Academic news in brief V: Group dialogue, editing, and a climate movie

1. Yesterday's town hall meeting with philosophical consultations on the topic of faith (Byhallen, Kristiansand, Norway) went well, with 57 persons taking part at one point or another. We were sitting in a half-circle, to facilitate a cosy, intimate group feeling. I was the facilitator for the last 45 minutes or so.

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2. The editing of "Semiotics of Perception", the forthcoming special issue of Biosemiotics, is moving into its very last stages - currently being sent to typesetting. Production next.

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3. At the same day as I am giving a talk at Hald International Centre, Hald - May 26th (cf. yesterday's Academic news in brief) - they will sceen the crowd-funded, fictional-documentary climate movie The Age of Stupid. Recommendable, for the most part (I saw it a few days ago, in preparation of this event).

Academic news in brief IV: Group dialogue, networking, and two talks

[Written yesterday]

1. This morning, I was on the radio for 7 minutes (Radio Sør, Kristiansand) talking about this evening's townhall meeting, "Philosophical consultations on faith" [Filosofisk samtale om tro] - cf. former plans made and reported. I will supplement Håvard Løkke in the role as "samtaleleder" (facilitator for the group conversation). Four persons will introduce us to their personal view on faith: Akmal Ali/Noureddine Ramila (muslim), Paul Leer-Salvesen (christian) and the philosophers Ralph Henk Vaags (christian) and Stein Rafoss ("humanist").

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2. Yesterday I registered on LinkedIn.

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3. Last week I agreed to give a 2 hour English language talk on the environment and human dignity at Hald International Centre (Mandal, Southern Norway) May 26th. The audience will consist of a "class" of volunteers (14 nationalities, I think) that will by then have spent the last 7 months practicing aid and relief.

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4. Last week I further committed to giving a 45 minute talk April 5th at the University of Tartu, in an English language ecosemiotics course at master level, led by my collegue Riin Magnus. The topic: The needs of humans and other living creatures... and the possibility of coexistence.

Academic news in brief III: Attested, revised, and wild

1. The annual attestation review for doctoral students at Department of Semiotics will take place this Friday. Last Thursday I submitted my 6 pp. Attestation review for the academic year 2008-2009 (with a 'Revised plan of study and research' for the academic year 2009-2010 included).

2. The Journal of Environmental philosophy has responded to my submission 'Notes toward a natural history of the phenomenal world', which they want me to re-submit in a partly rewritten form. I am currently studying the naturalization of phenomenology.

3. The anthology now entitled 'Environment, embodiment and history', to be edited by Johannes Servan (University of Bergen) and Ane Faugstad Aarø (Hermes Text/UiB) moves forward. Of 10 confirmed contributors so far, I am the most Junior one.

"The anthology will have a theoretical approach that is grounded in phenomenology, but we welcome contributions from various theoretical schools that will address, criticize or discuss the phenomenological tradition within the questions of environment and embodiment."

My contribution might concern both the conception of an Uexküllian phenomenology and my work with Scandinavian wolf management. The editors are further challenging me to address the topic of 'wildness' in its relation to taming, control and domination.

Academic news in brief II

1. First step of co-editing (with Kati Lindström) the upcoming special issue of the journal Biosemiotics, entitled 'Semiotics of Perception', is completed, as all abstracts have been gathered and an introduction ('Being in the World of the Living - Semiotic Perspectives') drafted.

2. Last Friday/Saturday I finished my Springer book proposal for the book 'The Growth Crisis: Norwegian Ecophilosophy and the Future of the Growth Economy'. 10 pp. A Norwegian language book proposal was finished in two versions over the course of the last couple of weeks.

CHAPTERS:
1 Zapffe: The distraction economy
2 Kvaløy Setreng: Growth means crisis
3 Arne Næss: Sooner or later economic growth must end
4 Semiotic economy: An economy with room for the living
5 How we became so rich (and the Earth so poor)
6 How rich are we?
7 On the future of growth

3. The blogger Kvond recently posted 'Umwelt, Umwelten and The Animal Defined By Its Relations', in which he discusses a few points from my 2003 article 'Umwelt ethics' (he also refers to Kalevi Kull, John Deely, Paul Bains etc.). He finds that it is a wonderful outline of the possibilities of the thought of an Uexküllian deep ecological ethics, "including an informing critique of Uexküll’s actual political views, but it seems to lack a thorough connection between the two streams, presenting more a juxtaposition." I see that point.

There is much to be said ... about what a Spinozist/Davidsonian analysis could contribute to Morten Tønnessen’s Deep Ecology ethics, and even more to investigate in terms of just how Exowelten could overlap, and with what consequence. I hope to have opened up an avenue of extra-somatic interpretation of the real way that awareness crosses boundaries and resides in organs of perception beyond what is well-considered our “body”.

4. This week there are two guests in town, both Italian - philosopher Carlo Brentari, who is visiting the Jakob von Uexküll Centre and will be offering a 45 min. talk in a biosemiotics seminar, and a certain Umberto Eco.

Academic news in brief

1. ENCOUNTER WITH A PUBLISHER
At the Copenhagen congress on climate change I ran into a publisher from Springer.
- You don't happen to be giving books away for free today, do you? I said, hinting at 'Surviving 1,000 Centuries: Can We Do It?' in the book shelf.
- Of course, said the publisher - if you can tell me about the next book you plan to publish.
I am now preparing a book proposal entitled 'The Growth Crisis: Norwegian Ecophilosophy and the Growth Economy', an idea I originally conceived of in terms of a Norwegian publication only. I am very pleased that Springer shows interest in my work - not least since it has been the publisher of many of the works by Arne Næss and Jakob von Uexküll. In that company - I can feel at home.

2. ENCOUNTERS WITH SCHOLARS
Roger Parent recently visited Semiootika Osakond from Canada. I was there for three classes of his course on The semiotics of cultural conflicts (a course which greatly inspired my wife, who now appears to be just as semiotic as myself). Today I missed out on Martin Walter's lecture on Poinsot, due to some confusion about summer/winter time - but we went for lunch (where I had a delicious ceasar salad).

3. NEW FORMATIONS
I have agreed to submit an article to New Formations' special issue on Imperial Ecologies. My article will address topics of globalization from an ecosemiotic (and largely historical) point of view (with a view to the past as well as to the future), with emphasis of human settlers and the ecology of capitalism.