The Josiah Royce Society was established in 2003 to encourage the study of the life and work of the American philosopher Josiah Royce (1855-1916).

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    President:Scott Pratt, University of Oregon
    Vice President: Dwayne Tunstall, Grand Valley State University
    Secretary: Kim Garchar, Kent State University
    Treasurer: Michael Brodrick, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
    At-large Representatives:
      Kara Barnette, University of Oregon
      Mathew Foust, Lander University
      Kipton Jensen, Morehouse College
      André de Tienne, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

    Communications Officer: Mat Foust

    Fellows (Past Presidents):
    Griffin Trotter
    Frank M. Oppenheim, S.J.
    John J. McDermott
    Kelly A. Parker

2012 Central APA Royce Society Session

Posted January 12th, 2012

2011 Conference Information

Josiah Royce Society Conference
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
September 23–24, 2011

NEW: Conference Schedule

Conference information is now available!

Click here for general information about the conference.

Travel and Lodging information is available here.

Registration is now available for the conference. Download the registration form here, or register online at this page.

Posted June 10th, 2011

Call for Abstracts

Josiah Royce Society Conference
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
September 23–24, 2011

Keynote Speaker
Jacquelyn Ann K. Kegley (California State University – Bakersfield)

Conference Theme

Josiah Royce’s philosophy has been unduly neglected by American philosophers since his death in 1916. However, three recent developments in Royce studies might introduce his thought to a much larger audience than ever before. First, there is a critical edition of the works and papers of Josiah Royce underway at the Institute for American Thought at IUPUI. Second, a comprehensive index of the papers of Josiah Royce was recently completed through the hard work and effort of Frank Oppenheim, with assistance from Dawn Aberg and John Kaag. The Josiah Royce Comprehensive Index will give Royce scholars an opportunity to glean new insights into Royce’s writings. Third, there has been an increasing body of literature on Royce’s philosophy published within the last ten years. Recent scholarship on Royce include discussions of Royce’s contributions to feminist epistemology, international relations, medical ethics, logic, pedagogical theory, philosophy of science, race theory, and social philosophy.

With all the exciting recent developments in Royce studies, this is a good opportunity to reexamine Royce’s philosophy and its place in contemporary thought. This conference is a chance for scholars interested in Royce’s thought to contribute to the studies on this great thinker.

Submission Guidelines

Abstract submission is open to any scholar interested in the thought of Josiah Royce from graduate students enrolled at an accredited institution of higher education to senior tenured professors. For an abstract to be considered for acceptance, it must be no more than 500 words in length, and it must be sent as an email attachment no later than August 1, 2011.

In addition, all submission files must be saved and sent in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format to be considered for acceptance. Please prepare the submission file for blind review and name it “ANON SUBMISSION_ (Insert Paper Title).”

Each abstract submission should be accompanied by a cover letter, to be submitted as a separate file. The cover letter should include the following information:

(1) Author’s name
(2) Academic status (professor, unaffiliated, graduate student)
(3) Institutional affiliation (if any)
(4) Mailing address
(5) Email address
(6) Telephone number
(7) Paper title
(8) Eligibility for Costello Prize

Please email your abstract and cover letter to Dwayne Tunstall at tunstald@gvsu.edu. Please write “Royce Society Abstract Submission” in the subject line.

Notification of Acceptance

Notifications of acceptance will be made via e-mail no later than August 15, 2011.

Authors whose abstracts have been accepted and who qualify for the Harry Todd Costello Prize have until September 1, 2011 to submit their completed papers to be considered for the Costello Prize. Completed papers should not exceed 3500 words in length and should be emailed to Dwayne Tunstall at tunstald@gvsu.edu. Please write “Costello Prize Submission” in the subject line.

For all authors whose abstracts have been accepted, please keep in mind that papers to be presented should not exceed 3500 words in length.

The Harry Todd Costello Prize

The Harry Todd Costello Prize of $300 will be awarded to the best graduate student or recent Ph.D. paper on Royce as selected by the Program Committee. Those who are currently graduate students or whose Ph.D. was awarded after April 15, 2006 are eligible for the Costello Prize. Papers will be judged on scholarship, clarity of presentation, excellence of argument, and the contribution made to the development of Royce’s ideas and Roycean thought.

Posted April 19th, 2011

First-Ever Critical Edition of Josiah Royce Begins at IUPUI

This summer another great American thinker is joining the ranks at the Institute for American Thought (IAT). A critical edition of the works and papers of Josiah Royce (1855-1916) becomes the fifth critical edition at the Institute and the first-ever for this American philosopher.

Royce is in good company at the IAT, a research unit of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, with academic programs in Documentary Editing and American Studies. Of the five Classic American Philosophers, the critical editions of three are now located at IUPUI: Charles Peirce, George Santayana, and Josiah Royce. Editions of the works of the final two, William James and John Dewey are completed.

“The Josiah Royce critical edition is digital from start to finish,” said project director and IAT director David Pfeifer. “It is unique both at the IAT and among the other editions on the Classic American Philosophers that have been completed or in progress.”

Josiah Royce was born in a mining camp in California, attended and taught at the University of California, Berkeley, studied in Germany, received a Ph.D. from the first research doctoral university in the United States, The Johns Hopkins University, and spent the bulk of his career at Harvard University as a colleague to William James and an instructor and colleague of George Santayana. Royce’s early work is associated with Idealism, but he was influenced greatly by the Pragmatism of William James and Charles Peirce. The later works of Royce, with a focus on interpretation and community, are now recognized as significant contributions to Pragmatism and the history of philosophy. A wider knowledge of Royce’s later works led to a re-birth in interest in his thought which led to the desire for a critical edition.

“A critical edition seeks to remain close to the author’s intention while disclosing the principles for deciding what version of the text to publish and any editorial changes made to it,” explained Pfeifer.

Such editions provide an explanation and documentation of the compositional history of the text and its publication history. An important element is to undo any changes that were made silently by previous publishers without the consent of the author. When the text is in manuscript form, a list of the author’s substantial alterations is created. Annotations, sometimes very long, are provided which describe and define uncommon concepts and theories, identify individuals, and supply references for quotations without citations.

Editing will take place at diverse locations, but all materials are posted to an IAT website. The General Editor is Randall Auxier of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Text editing will be done by the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University. Editors for the first volume are at Texas A & M University and the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. The IAT is the repository for the paper copies of texts and manuscripts and is the computer center for receiving, posting, and hosting all the materials of the edition. The digital volumes that result will be online, hosted by Indiana University.

The Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and the Office of the Dean of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts generously provided some initial funding to launch the edition. National Endowment for the Humanities funding and other grant opportunities will be sought for the continued support of the critical edition of Royce’s work.

Posted August 28th, 2010