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.

• 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)

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.

• 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)