Multiplicities, Multidisciplinarity, and the Future of Humanities

deadline for submissions: 
February 5, 2025
full name / name of organization: 
Idaho State Univeristy Intermountain Graduate Conference
contact email: 

The concept of multiplicity has attained prominence largely through the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze (1925–1995). According to Sage Encyclopedia of Political Theory, “A multiplicity is an entity that originates from a folding or twisting of simple elements. Like a sand dune, a multiplicity is in constant flux, though it attains some consistency for a short or long duration. A multiplicity has porous boundaries and is defined provisionally by its variations and dimensions.” Deleuze and Guattari redefine multiplicities to revisit Western political theory and its conceptions of categories such as race, class, gender, language, state, society, person, and party. Their method aims to render [political] thinking more nuanced and generous toward difference and to see “multiplicities in their singularity”. It helps conceptualise a world where difference can create new relational systems that comprise heterogeneous elements in ways that are neither singular nor multiplicitous.

Deleuzian mode of thinking in terms of multiplicities also draws our attention to how neither science nor philosophy can fully explain either a broader “reality” or singular events. Humanities, in its current moment of crossroads where it is grappling with similar preoccupations, could benefit from looking at things in this manner; both as a discipline and as a set of categories that fall within the purview of its observation. In the spirit of that, this conference broadens the conventional borders of humanities as a discipline to interrogate its own multidisciplinarity as well as the constructs of race, gender, and class that are multiplicitous.

Intermountain Graduate Conference 2025 invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit contributions exploring the theme of “Multiplicities, Multidisciplinarity, and the Future of Humanities.” This year’s theme, drawing upon Gilles Deleuze’s concept of multiplicities, chooses to interrogate how singularities within disciplines, gender, class, and race can converge to create new, dynamic fields of inquiry.

Owing to the nature of the conference and the theme for this year, we heartily welcome not just papers, but also academic essays, pedagogical scholarship, creative and artistic projects and we welcome scholars in the social sciences and related fields to have a chance to present to a unique and interdisciplinary audience.

Scope and Themes of Interest:

The conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue that challenges our boundaries of disciplines and these categories. We seek to flush out and welcome some of the following strands of thinking but are in no way restricted to them.

  • How can Deleuzean multiplicities inform both discursively and recursively contemporary research within humanities and the field itself? What are some future directions for multidisciplinary research in the humanities we can draw from it?
  • In what ways can we interrogate the intertwined and constantly shifting categories of race, gender and class in humanities and social sciences today?
  • How can we think about and revisit humanities in terms of difference, both within and across disciplines?
  • What are the intersections of race, gender, and multiplicity in cultural studies?
  • What role can multiplicities play beyond political theory in shaping future of humanities and multidisciplinarity today?

Submission Guidelines:

  • Abstracts should be no more than 300 words and must include the title of the paper, author’s name, institution of affiliation, and contact information.
  • Submissions must be original contributions to scholarships. Draft papers are always encouraged, and we provide a supportive audience that can help you develop your ideas.

Important Dates:

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: February 5, 2025
  • Conference Dates: March 14-15, 2025

Submission Process:

Please submit your abstracts and papers through our email at egsa@isu.edu. Any additional queries about submissions are also welcome. Join us in a vibrant and intellectually stimulating exploration of how thinking in terms of multiplicities shapes the future of humanities. We look forward to your contributions!