Stanley Cavell at 100
An International Centennial Conference honoring the monumental contributions of philosopher Stanley Cavell. Join the global academic community for three commemorative meetings in Paris, Rome, and Boston.
A Legacy of Thought
In 2026, we mark the centenary of Stanley Cavell (1926–2026), one of the most original
and wide-ranging American philosophers of the twentieth century. Cavell’s work traversed traditional disciplinary boundaries—engaging deeply with philosophy, literature, film, opera, psychoanalysis, politics, and both American and European traditions of thought. In the spirit of his intellectual breadth and transnational sensibility, we are organizing a three-part international conference to celebrate his life, work, and legacy in Paris, Rome, and Boston.
This centennial conference will bring together philosophers, literary scholars, and critics
to reflect on Cavell’s legacy and extend the conversations he began.
Why This Conference Matters
Stanley Cavell transformed philosophy into an act of acknowledgment—of self, of others, and of the everyday. His writings on skepticism, language, film, and the ordinary remain vital at a time when trust in both language and human connection faces renewed challenges. From Must We Mean What We Say? to The Claim of Reason, from The World Viewed to Pursuits of Happiness, and through his readings of Emerson and Thoreau, Cavell helped redefine the scope and style of philosophical writing and teaching.
His engagement with Wittgenstein and Austin reinvigorated the ordinary language tradition, while his interests in modernism, cinema, and American transcendentalism forged a philosophical voice that responded to—and often transcended—the academic context.
Conference Organizers:
Prof. Sandra Laugier
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
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Conference Speakers:
Prof. Toril Moi
Duke University
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Prof. Piergiorgio Donatelli
Rome La Sapienza
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Prof. Stephen Mulhall
University of Oxford
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Prof. Juliet Floyd
Boston University
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The Philosophical Legacy of Stanley Cavell
Join us in clarifying the profound impact of Cavell's work through an international series of scholarly dialogues spanning three historic cities.