The Critical Concepts Working Group consists of an international group of scholars who gather biannually in Mexico City for a workshop devoted to developing—theoretically, philosophically, historically, culturally, interdisciplinarily—a single concept. The Working Group is organized by UB Professor of Comparative Literature David E. Johnson and sponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature and the College of Arts and Sciences. Since 2022, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México co-sponsors the Workshop, which is co-directed by Professor Enrique Díaz Álvarez.

The 6th UB-UNAM Biannual Critical Concepts Working Group Seminar takes up the concept of the "Border/Limit." An international collection of scholars--philosophers, literary critics and theorists, juridical anthropologists--explore the conceptual limits of the limit or border (between metaphor and concept, between the inside and the outside, between ethnic and racial identities, between Europe and America, etc.). Is there a border as such? What does the border do? What does it assume, but also institute and ruin? Is it possible to think without limits, without, then, the discipline that border/limits cannot not impose? What does it mean to be vigilant at and of the border? What does the border guard and guard against? And if we cross the border, what happens? In crossing does one cross-out the border or does the border cross-out the one who crosses? These are some of the questions to be interrogated.

Jointly sponsored by UB's Department of Comparative Literature and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the seminar takes place over four days in Mexico City at UNAM's Casa Universitaria del Libro.

Past Meetings: 

• 2015: “The Imagination,” 4-6 August, Casa Refugio.
  
• 2017: “Finitude,” 2-4 August, Centro Horizontal
• 2019: “Violence,” 24-26 July, Centro Horizontal
• 2022: “El Desarraigo,” 26-28 July, Casa Universitaria del Libro (UNAM)
• 2024: “Truth and . . .,” 30 July-1 August, Casa Universitaria del Libro (UNAM)

• David E. Johnson, Comparative Literature, University at Buffalo (USA)
• Enrique Díaz Álvarez, Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (México)
• D J S Cross, Comparative Literature, University at Buffalo (USA)
• Rodolphe Gasché, Comparative Literature, University at Buffalo (USA)
• Francesco Vitale, Philosophy, Università di Salerno (Italy)
• Juan Manuel Garrido, Philosophy, Universidad Alberto Hurtado (Chile)
• Andrés Claro, Teoría de Arte, Universidad de Chile (Chile)
• Stephen D. Gingerich, Foreign Languages, Cleveland State University (USA)
• Shaun Irlam, Comparative Literature, University at Buffalo (USA)

Additional participants have included the following scholars (philosophers, anthropologists, literary theorists, cultural critics):

• Miriam Jerade, Filosofía, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (Chile)
• Rosaura Martínez Ruíz, Filosofía, UNAM (México)
• Aïcha Liviana Messina, Instituto de Filosofía, Universidad Diego Portales (Chile)
• Pablo Oyarzún, Teoría de Arte, Universidad de Chile (Chile)
• Pablo Dominguez Galbraithe, Filosofía, Institute 17, Estudios Críticos (México)
• María del Rosario Acosta, Hispanic Studies, University of California, Riverside (USA)
• Rocío Zambrana, Philosophy, Emory University (USA)
• Akuavi Adonon Viveros, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa (México)
• Zenia Yebenes, Philosophy, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana—Cuajimalpa (México)
• Fernanda Negrete, Romance Languages & Literatures, University at Buffalo (USA)
• Henry Berlin, Romance Languages & Literatures, University at Buffalo (USA)
• Tyler Williams, Philosophy and Humanities, Midwestern State University (USA)
• J. Colin MacQuilligan, Philosophy, St. Mary’s College (USA)