Cfp: History and Philosophy of Programming Symposium - What is critical about programming?

We are pleased to announce the call for papers for the 7th symposium on the history and philosophy of programming (HaPoP) in Basel on November 13th, 2026. We invite contributions on the history and philosophy of programming broadly understood, whether conceptual concerns or practical matters, field-specific examinations or cross-disciplinary comparisons, as well as, but not limited to, epistemic, aesthetic and ethical reflections.

In the spirit of interdisciplinary inquiry into programming, this symposium asks broadly "what is critical about programming?". We start from appreciating a critical moment, a crisis, as that which requires clear assessment of a situation, and subsequent action. From the so-called "software crisis" in the 1960s to the programming of critical
systems and automated decision-making about potential crises of today, we seek to assess how criticality is defined within such systems and in which ways it intersects with adjacent concepts such as risk, safety and harm.. Moreover, programming can also be considered  as a means of conducting critique both within the domain of computer science as well as  outside of it. As such, the symposium considers a critical stance, or critique, as that which seeks to delimit one's own knowledge and abilities, considering these limits as rooted within the thinking  subject as well as societal structures. Critically examining programming therefore involves tracing both how programming is limited in itself, and how it limits the abilities of the domains and users on which it operates, as well as how it broadens the possibilities of programming
practices.

We therefore invite abstracts of about 500 words (including references) on the history and philosophy of programming which should be sent to basel-2026@hapoc.org <mailto:basel-2026@hapoc.org> by 2026-07-31. Please see the full open call for further details.

You will find the full call here: https://hapoc.org/hapop-7/