IASC
[PRONOUNCE: I ASK]

WHY CONTROVERSIES?

Controversies are the engine of intellectual progress in philosophy, science, theology, the arts, and other domains. It is in controversies that the human powers of criticism are put into action. It is by confronting actual - rather than imaginary - opponents that theories are tested against the strongest and most unexpected objections.

Controversy is a ubiquitous phenomenon in human theoretical and practical life. It manifests itself in various forms, ranging from virulent polemics to polite and well-ordered discussion. It may make use of invective, subtle rhetorical persuasion, logical argumentation - or a combination of all of these. It may express conflict, lead to irreconcilable conflict, or pave the way to conflict resolution. It is in discussing with others that we form, sharpen, and assess our own ideas and positions. Wherever it occurs, controversy sharpens critical thinking and prevents mental and social stagnation.


AIMS

In the wake of several years of collective work in the study of scientific, philosophical, and other kinds of controversies, it was decided to institutionalize our efforts, by creating in 1995 the International Association for the Study of Controversies (IASC), a voluntary association devoted to the study of actual controversies, as well as to developing appropriate tools for controversy analysis and management.

The association is not limited to theoretical concerns, but actively seeks to apply the results of its studies to conflict management in practical activities, as well as to the development of a theory of controversy.


ACTIVITIES

IASC organizes yearly workshops devoted to the analysis of the discursive, argumentative, historical and contextual aspects of controversy in several domains. The study of controversies is inevitably interdisciplinary, requiring the cooperation of practitioners of controversy as well as of researchers in conflict resolution, mediation, diplomacy, communication, linguistics, logic, rhetoric, history, philosophy, anthropology, psychology, and other fields.

The activities of IASC are organized by members of the Association in cooperation with other institutions, and are coordinated by the IASC executive committee.

For a list of activities and for further information see IASC's Activities Page



MEMBERSHIP

IASC has members in all continents (so far 120 members from 26 countries), from several disciplines. They share a keen interest in the phenomenon of controversy, be it as directly relevant to their own discipline, as an object of research, or as due to its importance in human life.

Membership is open to whoever is engaged or interested in study, research or other forms of contribution to IASC's aims. To become a member of IASC please fill the inscription form available at IASC's Contact webpage. The membership fee is 20 euro per year (for certified students and retired persons, 10 euro).


OFFICIALS AND STATUTE

An executive committee is elected at assemblies of the IASC members, which usually take place in conjunction with congresses or workshops where a significant number of members take part. The current officials are Marcelo Dascal (president), Cristina Marras (secretary), and Adelino Cattani (treasurer). A statute of the Association is under preparation.


INFO and CONTACTS

The website provides information about members and their research interests, past and future activities of IASC, announcements, information on publications and special offers, as well as links to relevant sites. Members are requested to participate in maintaining updated the information not only about their own work, but also about any link, topic, or suggestion useful for IASC's aims.

Web site: http://www.tau.ac.il/humanities/philos/iasc/
Email: iasc.post@gmail.com


Thank you for your attention. We are looking forward to welcome you in IASC!