Every significant event in our historical experience is associated to beliefs, faiths, ideologies, myths, ideals. In different ways, the theoretical, religious, political constructions end up to create our collective “mind” and legitimate, justify, inculcate and renew the basis of our social and cultural life bonds. In other words, our acts both as individuals and as groups appear to be driven by some idealistic constructions, which sometimes go beyond our conscious involvement.

We are interested to investigate the formation of the individual and collective imagination as well as its multiple forms, especially in relation to the power to impose these forms with an illusory force over groups and individuals. Our investigation may start from the manipulation of consciences and extend through the process and formation of the individual and collective identities.

Some possible topics for presentation include:

• The treason of the intellectuals or, in French, La trahison des clercs: ideologies and annihilation of the Mensch-sein.
• Political consensus, obedience and acquiescence.
• The political elaboration and the use of myths.
• The deceivable nature of human being: propaganda, rhetoric, demagogy, emotional manipulation.
• The persuasive and deceptive use of speech and speech as construction of social bonds.
• Education as indoctrination, persuasion and conversion of minds, transmission of shared values and the function of dogmas.
• Deceit and self-deceit: philosophical, aesthetic, psychoanalytic and psychological perspectives.Submission Guidelines:
  Submission of papers directly relevant to the theme (The Illusions of the Collective Mind) are particularly encouraged, but we also welcome papers with a thematic relation for inclusion in the program [of the School of Philosophical Studies in Rome].
  We accept submissions of papers of no more than 40,000 characters (spaces included), together with an abstract (both in Italian and English) of 1000 characters. Please send your proposals and abstract by September 30, 2015 using the online submission form. We accept papers in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish.