APT Conference 2026 – June 19th
UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
Welcome to UCL 9.45 – 10.00
Opening Talk: 10.00- 10.45
Epistemic Injustice and Agency
Professor Lisa Bortolotti
Lisa Bortolotti is a philosopher of the cognitive sciences, focusing on the philosophy of psychology, the philosophy of psychiatry and biomedical ethics. Her main interests lie in the strengths of limitations of human cognition and agency. She is the Editor and Chief of Philosophical Psychology and the author of Why Delusions matter (Bloomsbury 2023) where she talks about the challenges of interacting with people of who have radically different beliefs and values. Lisa is also the founder of the Imperfect Cognition blog and of the Philosophy Garden, where she gathers videos and games to engage young people in philosophical reflection on timely issues.
Break
Session 1: 11.15 – 12.15
Kant and Animals
This is the first edited collection devoted entirely to the question of the role of animals in the thought of Immanuel Kant. Though the topic is not one treated systematically in his work, mentions of animals occur throughout his corpus in relation to many of his central concerns. In this volume, a team of leading scholars address issues ranging over Kant’s theoretical and practical philosophy, including questions regarding the possibility of objective representation and intentionality in animals, the role of animals in Kant’s scientific picture of nature, the status of our moral responsibilities to animals’ welfare, and more. It also includes chapters concerning contemporary questions relating to animals and Kantian ethics and metaethics, making a use of Kant’s philosophy to help contend with one of the most crucial ethics issues facing us today.
Dr John Callanan
Dr Callanan did his undergraduate work at University College Dublin and also completed an M.Litt there in 1999. He graduated with a D.Phil from the University of Oxford in 2004, having studied at Trinity College. Dr Callanan then took up a post as temporary lecturer back at University College Dublin before taking up a Government of Ireland Post-Doctoral Fellowship there from 2005-2007. He joined King’s College London in 2007.
Lunch
Session 2 1.15-2.15
Philosophy, Teaching and AI Panel Discussion
Anja Steinbauer and Alexandra Konoplyanik (From Philosophy for All) will be in conversation with two AI experts, Tom Berman (creator of Rational Grid.ai ) and Helen Rantsevitch (founder of Reputy.AI) about the potential use and pitfalls of AI in philosophy and teaching.
Anja is a London-Based Sinologist and philosopher. She is the preseident of Philosophy for All in London making philosophy free and accessible to residents across the city, and is co-editor of Philosophy Now magazine.
Early, Middle and Late Heidegger
This talk will present some of the key ideas drawn from texts representative of some of Heidegger’s concerns during his early, middle and late periods. The first text considered will be Being and Time, focusing on an account of Dasein and Care as the source of temporality. The Origin of the Work of Art and The Age of the World Picture will be presented as representative works of the middle period, focusing in the former case on the struggle between earth and world as well as Heidegger’s distinctive notion of what a work of art is, in the latter text the focus will be on Heidegger’s critique of the intellectual machinery of modernity. Late Heidegger will be expounded on the basis of The Question Concerning Technology, especially the concept of standing reserve. The second text from this period will be The Thing, focusing on the idea of the four-fold.
Robert Penney is the Chair of the APT, he took his degree and masters in Philosophy at Edinburh University. Robert is Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at St Dominic’s Sixth Form College.
Coffee and AGM – 2.15-2.45
Session 3: 2.45-3.45
Jeremy Hayward.
I am a former philosophy teacher teacher in schools and for the past 20 years have been a lecturer specialising in the fields of citizenship education and the teaching of controversial issues at the Institute of Education, UCL. I led the citizenship PGCE for over 10 years, set up the IoE’s school direct provision and am now the programme leader for the MA Education (Citizenship). I am also the author and co-author of a range of widely used textbooks, resources and guidance for schools in the areas of philosophy and citizenship. I have devised and created many modules and courses at the IoE, including the popular Teaching Controversial Issues module which I have led and taught on for 15 years. Over the years I have led a range of teacher CPD sessions, including certified programmes, whole school INSETs and LEA events on a wide range of topics including assessment, teaching controversial issues, Fundamental British values and most recently, responding to conspiracy theories in the classroom. I am regularly invited to guest lecture on a range of topics in the fields of philosophy and education.
From safe space to brave places
Jamie Swann – AQA Lead Examiner
Jamie will be taking us through how to approach teaching students to master the demands of the 25 mark essay in the philosophy A level
Join us for a pint after the conference, location to be confirmed
2026 Conference Tickets
Free Attendance – Thanks to the generous support of the Royal Institute of Philosophy we’re able to offer attendance at the APT 2026 Conference free of charge for philosophy educators. You can register for your place at the eventbrite page by following the link below
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