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Call for Papers: The Monist: The Philosophy of Biodiversity

Deadline for Submissions: 15 June 2025

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The Monist invites submissions for an upcoming thematic issue of the journal on the philosophy of biodiversity. Publication date: January 2027

Advisory Editors: Markku Oksanen (University of Eastern Finland) & Helena Siipi (University of Turku)

Ever since the term ‘biodiversity’ was coined in the mid-1980s, it has become a synonym for the diversity of life. It does not only include the multitude of different species but also genetic diversity within those species as well various forms of different ecosystems and habitants. The purpose of this conceptual innovation was to increase the general awareness of human-caused rapid loss of variety in living beings. Thus, biodiversity was not a neutral term but an expression of concern about the permanent loss of something valuable and crucial to human well-being.

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The philosophical approaches to biodiversity can increase our understanding of biodiversity as a science construct. There are normative issues such as whether human-created forms of life (for example the outcomes of synthetic biology) count as biodiversity, what are its components and how they are to be measured. How should we understand species and subspecies? How to distinguish between different types of ecosystems? There are tough ethical issues such as what ultimately makes extinction or the reduction of biodiversity wrong or right and how biodiversity is valuable. Clearly, some components of biodiversity are instrumentally valuable for human beings. But can instrumental value be attributed to biodiversity itself or could it have intrinsic value? Is relational value to biodiversity a meaningful category? Finally, there are policy issues such as whether biodiversity provides a meaningful goal for conservation and how different understandings and valuations of biodiversity be integrated into environmental decision-making. What role do considerations of justice play in biodiversity conservation policies? These are among the possible topics to be covered by the thematic issue.

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The scope of the thematic issue is not limited to any philosophical tradition. The focus is not only on ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of biology but all approaches are welcome, including aesthetics, metaphysics and philosophy of history.

Submission Information: All submissions should be prepared for anonymous review and sent to the Advisory Editors: markku.oksanen@uef.fi and helena.siipi@utu.fi.

Manuscripts received from the call will first go through a pre-selection by the Advisory Editors. The manuscripts passing it will be sent for full double-blind review process.

Word limit: 8000 words, including notes and references. Please follow the journal’s Author Guidelines.

https://academic.oup.com/monist/pages/cfp-philosophy-of-biodiversity

 

Call for Abstracts: Camping and Philosophy: Big Ideas in the Great Outdoors

Edited by Joshua Heter and David O’Hara

Abstracts due by August 4, 2025

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Abstracts are sought for a collection of essays on any philosophical topic related to camping in all its forms (e.g., tent camping, cabin camping, RV and van camping, glamping, kids camp, sleepaway camp, family camp, winter camp, etc.) as well as camping related activities (e.g., canoeing, campfires, fishing, backpacking, orienteering, hiking, etc.) to be published with Milestone Press, an imprint of the University of Georgia Press. Abstracts and eventual essays should be written for an educated but non-expert audience (with an approximate length of 3,000 – 4,000 words). Potential topics include but are not limited to…

• Psychology: Why do we camp (i.e., why do we spend our leisure time “roughing it”)? Why do we tell scary stories (around the campfire or anywhere else)?

• Ethics: What are the ethical guidelines all campers should follow? Can semi-traditional camping activities like hunting and fishing be justified? Must an ethical camper abide by the “leave no trace” principle?

• Metaphysics: What is camping; are there necessary and sufficient conditions for the concept? Does “glamping” count as camping (and does it miss the point)?

• Religion: What do the major world religions have to say about spending time in the great outdoors? Can this inform us on how we should camp? Can camping bring us closer to God? Why are there so many Christian camps?

• Spirituality: What is it about being in nature that leads so many to have spiritual experiences? What is spirituality? What do these experiences consist of?

• Authenticity: Is there such a thing as a real camper (or real camping)? Do we need to “rough it” to really be camping?

• Transcendentalism: What can we learn about camping from thinkers (who ventured out into the wilderness) like Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman?

• The Good Life: What role do camping and camping-related activities play in living well? Is spending time in the great outdoors necessary for the good life?

• Environmental Philosophy: How should we think about the relationship of the camper to the natural environment? Should we limit camping in certain parts of the environment?

• Aesthetics: What is it about the great outdoors that is so beautiful? What does it mean to say that there is beauty to be found in nature? Is experiencing beauty in nature fundamental to camping?

• Philosophy of Politics: What role does the government play in protecting the environment (specifically for camping or for any other reason)?

• The History of Philosophy: What would ancient schools of thought (e.g. the Stoics) have to say about camping (or the best way to camp)?

… and many more!

 

Contributor Guidelines:

Mail abstracts (and any questions) to: campingandphilosophy@gmail.com.

1. Abstracts should be between 100 – 500 words.

2. Potential contributors must include a resume/CV for each author/coauthor.

3. Initial submissions should be made by e-mail as either a Word doc. or a PDF.

 

Deadlines:

Abstracts due by August 4, 2025

First drafts due by November 17, 2025

Final drafts due by January 12, 2026

Early submissions encouraged and welcomed!

 

​​​Call for Papers: Environmental Aesthetics and Ecoaesthetics: A Special Issue of Critical Theory

(publication date: Fall 2026) 
Guest Editor: Cheng Xiangzhan

Deadline for Submissions: 1 January 2026

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The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism (FALL 2018, Vol. 76, No. 4) published a special issue entitled “The Good, the Beautiful, the Green: Environmentalism and Aesthetics.” The first article in it is “Environmental Aesthetics, Ethics, and Ecoaesthetics” by Allen Carlson, which talks about ecoaesthtiecs in section 8 and Chinese ecoaesthetics in section 9. Carlson's article prompts us to consider the relations between  (i) environmental aesthetics and ecoaesthetics and (ii) Western environmental aesthetics (or ecoaesthetics)and Chinese ecoaesthetics.

 

This issue is dedicated, in part, to Allen Carlson's memory and, in part, to further exploring the issues he raised.

This issue will address these and related ssues in environmental aesthetics and ecoaesthetics through a broad lens that embraces a variety of aesthetic issues in the era of global ecological crisis. Submissions on any philosophical treatment of related issues are welcome.

Submissions should not exceed 6,500 words. The format is MLA. 
If you have questions, please contact:
Cheng Xiangzhan <sducxz@163.com>
Deadline for Submissions: 1 January 2026

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About Critical Theory:  Critical Theory is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that invites original
contributions in the fields of culture, literature, art, and aesthetic criticism. Committed to fostering a global network of knowledge, the journal offers an interdisciplinary forum for innovative research and critical interpretation. It aims to promote the cross-cultural reception
and global dissemination of contemporary Chinese literary theories, while facilitating the exchange of ideas between Eastern and Western intellectual traditions. Through the publication of recent research and its translations, the journal seeks to enrich academic discussions and
encourage a deeper understanding across diverse cultural contexts.

Please find detailed information on the website https://www.ppipress.com/journal/CT.
 

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