Call for Papers
Essays in Philosophy
Volume 15, Number 1
Issue date: January 2014

Journal issue topic: Public Philosophy

Submission deadline: October 31, 2013
Editor: Jack Russell Weinstein (University of North Dakota)
Public philosophy is a vibrant sub-discipline with a long history stemming from Socrates onward. In the last few decades it has become an industry in the form of multiple book series on the connections between philosophy and popular culture, a force on the internet with dozens of philosophy-oriented blogs, and a beacon of hope for those who wish to educate often uncritical democratic populaces. But little work has been done on the nature and role of public philosophy in and of itself, and little attention has been placed on its methods as distinct from traditional teaching. This issue of Essay in Philosophy aims to be the first single-volume dedicated to the comprehensive examination of the philosophy underpinning public philosophy.

Public philosophy in this context refers to doing philosophy with general audiences in a non-academic setting. And while it is often said to play a role in democratic education, public philosophy is its own enterprise. It is philosophy outside the classroom, a voluntary endeavor without course-credit, assignments, or even a clear purpose. Submissions to the journal will ask about its nature, purpose, role, and assumptions.

Some sample topics include:

–The purpose of public philosophy.
– The history of public philosophy.
– The use of argument in public philosophy.
– The role of the “teacher” or facilitator in public philosophy events.
– Connections between public philosophy and democracy.
– Public philosophy and the internet.
– Short-form philosophy and its effectiveness.
– Public philosophy as entertainment.
– The language of public philosophy.
– Social networks as a tool for public philosophy.
– The nature and role of the “amateur” philosopher.
– Public philosophy and its relationship to the university.
– Public philosophy and professional philosophy.
– Public philosophy and diverse populations.
– Is public philosophy “research” in the sense required for tenure by most institutions?

The volume also welcomes reviews of public philosophy texts investigating their success or failure as public philosophy (as opposed to evaluating them as philosophical argument). Such texts include but are not limited to: Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar, Socrates Café, Sophie’s World, Wittgenstein’s Poker, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

All submissions should be sent to the general editor via email: boersema@pacificu.edu.
Submission guidelines are available here: http://commons.pacificu.edu/eip/styleguide.html