SMS Summer School

July 18 & 20 and July 23 & 24, 2026

(held virtually over Zoom)

Event Description

The SMS will host a summer school this summer over Zoom. There will be two streams available this year:

(A) Michael J. Raven(University of Victoria) and Asya Passinsky (Central European University) will focus on Essentialism in Metaphysics and Social Ontology.

→ Sessions held on Saturday July 18th and Monday July 20th from 8am - 11am EDT / 2pm - 5pm CET.

(B) Heather Demarest (University of Colorado, Boulder) and Travis McKenna (North Carolina State) will focus on Laws Beyond the Humean/Non-Humean Debate.

→ Sessions held on Thursday July 23rd and Friday July 24th from 11am - 2pm EDT / 9am - 12pm MDT.

Each stream will consist of two three-hour workshops, each designed to introduce participants to the state of play in the given sub-discipline. See below for more information about each stream.

Application & Registration Information

Scholars at any stage of their career are welcome to attend. Level of instruction is at an advanced graduate level.

In order to apply, submit a C.V. to Jenn McDonald (jrc2266@columbia.edu) and include which stream(s) you would like to attend. There is no official deadline for applications, but attendance is capped at 20 participants.

A registration fee of $20 per stream ($35 for both) is required, which will be used to offset expenses. Accepted applicants will be asked to submit their registration fees via our Registration Page.

Essentialism in Metaphysics & Social Ontology

with Michael J. Raven & Asya Passinsky

Saturday July 18, 8am - 11am EDT

& Monday July 20, 8am - 11am EDT

Assigned Readings:

July 18

  • Fine, "Essence and Modality"

  • Koslicki & Raven, "Introduction", The Routledge Handbook of Essence in Philosophy

  • Optional: Fine, "Senses of Essence"

July 20

  • Passinsky, "Social Kind Essentialism"

  • Raven, "Explaining Essences"

Laws beyond the Humean /Non-Humean Debate

with Heather Demarest & Travis McKenna

Thursday July 23, 11am - 2pm EDT

& Friday July 24, 11am - 2pm EDT

Assigned Readings:

Day 1: The traditional Humean / Anti-Humean framing and problems with the ‘pragmatic turn'

  • Demarest: Fundamental Properties and Laws of Nature 

  • Demarest: How (Not) to be a Pragmatic Humean 

  • Optional Background: Hildebrand: Laws of Nature

Day 2: Moving beyond the Humean / Anti-Humean debate

  • McKenna: The Coordinating Role of Laws

  • Adlam: Laws of Nature as Constraints