When argument reaches its edge
Some disagreements run deeper than any single claim at issue. When interlocutors share no common ground — no agreed methods, principles, or starting points — the ordinary machinery of argumentation seems to stall. What, then, can reasoned exchange still accomplish?
This one-day symposium brings deep disagreement into focus from the perspective of contemporary argumentation theory, epistemology, and ethics. Rather than treating deep disagreement merely as a problem about hinges, it asks how meta-argumentation, the virtues of the arguer, and the pragmatics of reasoned exchange bear on the apparent limits of argument — and whether those limits are as firm as they look.
Scott F. Aikin
Scott Aikin is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. His research moves across the theory of knowledge, informal logic, ancient philosophy, and the philosophy of religion, held together by a pragmatist conception of argument as a shared rational practice.
He is the author and co-author of numerous books, including Why We Argue (And How We Should), Political Argument in a Polarized Age (with Robert B. Talisse), and Epistemology and the Regress Problem. His sustained work on deep disagreement — from Dialecticality and Deep Disagreement to Deep Disagreement and the Problem of the Criterion — examines what becomes of argumentative norms precisely where the conditions for fruitful exchange fail to hold.
The full programme
Alongside the keynote, the symposium brings together speakers working across argumentation theory, epistemology, and ethics, drawn both from invited contributors and from the open call for papers.
The full list of speakers will be announced as the programme is finalised, and a programme booklet with abstracts will follow ahead of the symposium.
Attendance is free and open. If you'd like to join, write to us at deepdisagreement2026@gmail.com.
Details
Bratislava
The symposium takes place at the Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, in the centre of Bratislava — a compact city in the heart of Central Europe, easily reached from Vienna and Budapest.
Most international visitors arrive via Vienna Airport (VIE), connected to Bratislava by direct bus in about an hour. Bratislava also has its own airport (BTS), served mainly by low-cost carriers.
Institute of Philosophy, Slovak Academy of Sciences — Klemensova 19, 811 09 Bratislava 1, Slovak Republic · open in Google Maps · street view
From Vienna
REX regional trains run roughly twice an hour and reach Bratislava in about an hour. Frequent buses (FlixBus and others) connect both Vienna city centre and Vienna Airport with Bratislava in around 1–1½ hours — the airport is the most convenient gateway by air.
From Budapest
Direct trains run several times a day and take about 2½ hours. Hourly buses (FlixBus, RegioJet) cover the route in a similar time, often at a lower fare.
For things to see and do, the official city guide visitbratislava.com is a good starting point. The historic Old Town is within easy walking distance of the venue; as October is a busy season, early booking is advisable. For accommodation, see the city's accommodation guide or platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb.
Open call
Alongside the invited programme, we welcome submissions on any aspect of deep disagreement and the limits of argumentation. Please send an abstract of 300–500 words by 30 June 2026 via PhilEvents. Notifications will be sent by 1 August 2026.