Call for papers: Philosophy and Work. Then and Now

No. 5 (December 2019)

The bi-annual journal P.O.I. – Points of Interest invites submissions from scholars in philosophy and related disciplines for its forthcoming volume. Submissions should address the proposed theme and should conform to the criteria and terms outlined below.

The legacy of the Twentieth Century for the new millennium has provided an idea of work that the latter has not been able, so far, to redefine and to interpret in light of its own interpretative apparatuses. This is primarily due to the fragmentation and hybridization of the working class, which traditionally has been the main object of inquiry and focus of modern reflections on work. The current issue aims at investigating the genesis of the concept of work, in order to understand whether and how a ‘pre-modern’ perspective can be of some use. Such an investigation is not meant to renounce the categories defined by Karl Marx and Max Weber. Rather, it aims at bringing the idea of work back to its originary nucleus by investigating the connection between work and other aspects of human action – especially since in our time the distinction between these fields is no longer so well defined and clear.

Addressing the issue of work from a philosophical point of view today requires an effort to overcome the idea of ‘instrumental’ work – that is, work merely aimed at producing goods. Which idea of man (and his history as animal laborans) is conceivable before and after the Calvinistic/capitalistic model of work? Any approach to the ‘after’ must deal with the issue of the automation of processes of production.

We welcome submissions on all topics related to the theme. For example:

  • The new social actors who have replaced the salaryman;
  • The theological background of the notion of work in the modern era;
  • The disappearance or transformation of homo faber in the contemporary world;
  • The future of the notion of work in his ‘4.0 form’;
  • ‘Improductive’ perspectives on the concept of work (e.g. Max Scheler and Simone Weil).

 

Guidelines and terms for submission:

  • Submissions should be preceded by an abstract of fewer than 2000-characters, including spaces (approximately 350-400 words), which will be pre-evaluated by the editorial staff for relevance to the CfP topic.
  • The deadline for receipt of abstracts is August 30, 2019. Communication of decisions regarding the outcome of submissions will take place after that date. Authors of accepted abstracts will then have until October 30, 2019 to submit the full version of their paper (20,000-60,000-characters, including spaces; approximately 3500-10,500 words).
  • Contributions must be of original, unpublished work, and must not be under consideration by other journals.
  • Submissions in the following languages are accepted and will be considered: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish.
  • The journal employs double-blind peer review process; therefore, the author’s name and affiliation must appear only once in the paper (under the title). The full version of the paper should include an abstract (of max. 250 words, in English), and 5 keywords (in English).

Editorial guidelines can be found at the following webpage: http://poireview.com/en/editorial-guidelines/.

Submissions should be sent to the following address: redazione@poireview.com