Call for papers/Topics

Topics of interest for submission include any topics related to:

1. Philosophy: 

Philosophy examines the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, existence, and ethics. It provides the theoretical framework for both literature and the social sciences.

Core Independent Subtopics

  • Epistemology: The study of knowledge. What is truth? How do we know what we know? (Subfields: empiricism, rationalism, skepticism).

  • Metaphysics: The study of reality and existence. What is real? (Subfields: ontology, mind-body dualism, free will vs. determinism).

  • Ethics and Moral Philosophy: The study of right and wrong. How should we live? (Subfields: deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics).

  • Logic: The study of valid reasoning and argumentation (formal and informal logic).

  • Aesthetics: The study of beauty, art, and taste.

Interrelated Subtopics (The Bridges)

  • Political Philosophy: Where philosophy meets social science. It examines justice, rights, and governance, heavily influencing political science and sociology.

  • Philosophy of Science: Analyzes the methods and implications of both natural and social sciences.

  • Philosophy of Language: Intersects with literature and linguistics, exploring how words mean what they mean.

2. Literature: 

Literature is the creative and artistic expression of the human experience through the written word. It often acts as the canvas where philosophy and social issues are dramatized.

Core Independent Subtopics

  • Literary Genres: Prose fiction (novels, short stories), poetry, drama/theater, and creative nonfiction.

  • Literary Movements and Eras: Classifying literature by time and style (e.g., Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, Postmodernism).

  • Narratology and Craft: The mechanics of storytelling (plot structure, character development, point of view, symbolism).

  • Comparative Literature: Analyzing literature across different languages, cultures, and eras.

Interrelated Subtopics (The Bridges)

  • Literary Theory and Criticism: This is purely interrelated. It uses philosophy, psychology, and sociology to decode texts (e.g., Marxist criticism, Psychoanalytic criticism, Feminist theory, Post-colonial theory).

  • The Novel of Ideas: Literature that serves primarily to explore philosophical concepts (e.g., the existentialist novels of Jean-Paul Sartre or Albert Camus).

3. Social Sciences:

Social sciences apply structured, often empirical methods to study human behavior, relationships, and societal institutions.

Core Independent Subtopics

  • Sociology: The study of society, social institutions, patterns of social relationships, and social interaction.

  • Anthropology: The holistic study of humanity. (Subfields: cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology).

  • Psychology: The study of the human mind and behavior, focusing on individual or small-group dynamics.

  • Political Science: The study of governance, political systems, institutional design, and political behavior.

  • Economics: The study of scarcity, resource allocation, and the production/consumption of goods and services.

  • Human Geography: How human activity affects and is affected by the earth’s surface and spatial distribution.

Interrelated Subtopics (The Bridges)

  • Social Psychology: The intersection of sociology and psychology, looking at how individuals are influenced by social contexts.

  • Socio-Economics / Political Economy: Looking at how political institutions and economic systems mutually shape society.

4. Humanities: 

While "Humanities" is an umbrella term that includes philosophy and literature, it also contains distinct disciplines focused on human culture and critical heritage.

Core Independent Subtopics

  • History: The continuous, systematic narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race.

  • Linguistics: The scientific study of language structure, grammar, and phonetics.

  • Religious Studies: The academic, non-confessional study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions.

  • Art History: The historical study of the visual arts in their social and cultural contexts.

Interrelated Subtopics (The Bridges)

  • Cultural Studies: A massive intersectional field combining anthropology, sociology, literary theory, and media studies to analyze cultural phenomena in contemporary societies.

  • Historiography: The study of how history itself is written, which relies heavily on philosophy and literary analysis of historical texts.

  • Gender Studies and Queer Theory: An intersection of sociology, history, literature, and philosophy examining identity and power dynamics.

The Ultimate Intersections 

To see how these independent fields lock together, consider these major interdisciplinary zones:

  • The Enlightenment: A historical era (History) driven by a shift in epistemology and political thought (Philosophy), which sparked democratic revolutions (Political Science) and fundamentally changed the themes of novels and plays (Literature).

  • Psychoanalysis: Started as a medical/psychological theory (Psychology/Social Science), became a major tool for interpreting books (Literature), and forced a rethinking of the nature of the self (Philosophy).

  • Postcolonialism: A historical reality (History/Political Science) that generated a unique body of creative writing (Literature), analyzed through a specific lens of power and identity (Sociology/Anthropology) and rooted in a critique of Eurocentric truth claims (Philosophy).