Aims of the ASCP

The Society aims to foster interest and support research in the field of Continental/European philosophy, understood in a broad and interdisciplinary sense, in Australia, New Zealand, and in the Australasian region, and to provide a network for those interested in and/or working in this field both nationally and internationally. The Society endeavours to promote the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas inspired by the diverse traditions of European thought (such as phenomenology, existentialism, critical theory, hermeneutics, feminism, deconstruction, poststructuralism, and so on), and to develop productive links with other international societies and associations that share similar goals and views.

It also remains committed to the development of a pluralistic Australasian philosophical community, linking those working in diverse institutions, disciplines, and areas of inquiry, and encouraging productive and collegial relations between postgraduate students and professional academics and researchers. The Society actively supports principles of gender equity, encouraging the participation of women in philosophy at a professional level, and is further committed to fostering the dialogue between diverse philosophical and cultural traditions both within Australia and internationally.

In 2008, the ASCP played an active and critical role in developing the new ERA research outlet ranking of academic journals. Representing the specialist interests of Australian scholars working within areas of Continental Philosophy, the ASCP made substantial submissions to the Australasian Association of Philosophy and to the Australian Research Council, arguing the case for improving the recognition of Continental Philosophy journals. Click here to read the ASCP's submission to the ARC.

The ASCP continues to take an active part in the critical debate about the ERA journal ranking exercise. To view a copy of a letter written by members of the ASCP Executive, which was published on Wednesday April 21, 2010 in the Higher Education Supplement of The Australian, click here.