The Capen Chair regularly sponsors conferences and symposia on special topics, lasting from one to three days. Participants include senior and junior scholars so as to promote discussions across different generations and disciplines. The topics vary from the technical and specialized to the more popular and current.
1986: "Current Assessment of Latin American Studies," III Congress of the International Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
1998: "Identity, Ethnicity, and Group Rights," First Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
1999: (with Carolyn Korsmeyer and Rodolphe Gasche) "Literary Philosophers? Borges, Calvino, Eco," Second Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2000: (with Jiyuan Yu) "Rationality and Happiness: From the Ancients to the Early Medievals," Third Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2000: "The Future of Realism in the American Tradition of Pragmatic Naturalism,"ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2001: "Categories," Meetings of the Metaphysical Society of America, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2002: (with Jiyuan Yu) "Uses and Abuses of the Classics: Interpretation in Philosophy," Fourth Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2004: (with William Irwin) "Philosophy and the Interpretation of Popular Culture," Fifth Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2005: "Black Ethnicity, Latino Race?" Sixth Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2005: (with Susana Nuccetelli) "Latin American Philosophy: The Appropriation of European Ideas in Latin America," NEH Summer Institute, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2006: "Negotiating Identities in Art, Literature and Philosophy: Cuban Americans and American Culture," NEH Summer Seminar, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2007: "Forging People: Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality in Latin American and Latino Philosophy," Seventh Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2009: "Thinking with Images," Eighth Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2010: (with David Johnson) "Painting Borges: The Pictorial Interpretation of Literature/Pintando a Borges: Pictorial Interpretation of Literature," Ninth Capen Symposium, UCA, Buenos Aires
2010: (with David Gerber) "Assimilation: The Social Integration of Ethnic Migrants in Theory and Ideology," Tenth Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2011: (with Jiyuan Yu) "The Interpretation of the Philosophical Classics: East and West," Eleventh Capen Symposium, Shandong ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, Jinan, China
2013: (with J. Cumpa) "Metaphysical Fundamentals: A Symposium," Twelfth Capen Symposium, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, NY
2014: "The Aesthetics of Identity in the Art of Alberto Rey," Thirteenth Capen Symposium, Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY