CALL FOR PAPERS
\nSpecial Issue of The Journal of Ethics: Fate and narrative identity
\nDeadline for submission of full draft: 1 January 2027
\nLength of paper: 8\,000-11\,000 words\, including footnotes but not including references at the end.
\nThis special issue starts with the autobiographical question: who am I? What are the most important constituents of my identity? We might distinguish involuntary components such as my birth nationality\, my ethnicity\, by socio-economic background\, my gender\, from voluntary components such as my profession\, my marriage\, my political allegiance\, my long-term residence. But even involuntary components admit of more-or-less voluntary interpretations of the meaning of such components. An ethnic identity can yield a sense of belonging or indifference\, an unwanted constraint can be changed into a catalyst for important life choices.
\nVoluntary identity components and voluntary interpretations usually admit of a narrative description of how they came to play the important role in my identity\, and of how I see their role in the future. As part of that narrative description\, I might ask myself which components are somehow essential to who I am &ndash\; in other words\, without that component\, I cannot imagine being me. Most often these components will begin their narrative role with an event of pure luck. In such a case\, I may be tempted to speak of that event as fateful. So this special issue is about the question: what does it mean to see a narrative identity component as 'my fate'? What can the concept of fate contribute to my and others&rsquo\; understanding of my life?
\nImportantly\, we are NOT directly interested in the concept of fate as denying free will. We are not directly interested in any kind of metaphysical notion\, divine or otherwise\, that might determine my future. Instead\, our autobiographical perspective is primarily about making sense of our past and present\, in the sense described by Robert Solomon&rsquo\;s article &lsquo\;Fate and Fatalism&rsquo\; Philosophy East and West\, Vol. 53\, No. 4 (Oct.\, 2003)\, pp. 435-454.
\nSolomon offers many examples. He himself\, a professional philosopher\, started at university studying medicine\, and on an impulse took a philosophy elective that steered him into a whole new area of interest. He wants to call the impulse fateful. Now it might be said that given his (known and unknown) dispositions\, he was fated to switch to philosophy sooner or later\, and if he had missed this one elective\, other opportunities would have caught his eye. As such we might reach for Heraclitus&rsquo\;s mantra of &ldquo\;character is destiny&rdquo\;. But consider another of Solomon&rsquo\;s examples: two people have been married to one another for many years\, and as such have deeply influenced one another&rsquo\;s identity. And yet their meeting\, their subsequent romantic availability\, their mutual attraction\, their cohabitational compatibility\, their shared interests etc. &ndash\; all of that was radically contingent. Retrospectively\, however\, that meeting (and everything else) was necessary\, fated\, in order for them to become who they are now\, individually\, and jointly\, many years later.
\nWe&rsquo\;re not only interested in Solomon&rsquo\;s retrospective view of fateful events\, we&rsquo\;re also interested in the experience of practical necessity (a phrase coined by Bernard Williams in his 1981 article of that name). Here the agent\, in the present\, discovers what she &lsquo\;must&rsquo\; do\, given who she is\, what she has become\, what roles she fills\, who she is in a relationship with\, where she works etc.. Such a discovery about oneself may be more or less surprising\, and more or less acceptable and understandable among one&rsquo\;s friends (who know her more or less well). Williams&rsquo\;s concept has spawned some philosophical discussion\, but his and others&rsquo\; heroes do not usually use the word &lsquo\;fate&rsquo\; &ndash\; the question is whether they are entitled to do so\, while taking themselves and being taken seriously.
\nWe welcome submissions on the following topics: (not exhaustive)
\nSubmission instructions for Authors
\nAuthors must make use of the standard online EM system used by The Journal of Ethics. All manuscripts will go through the standard double-blind peer-review process according to The Journal of Ethics&rsquo\; guidelines. As a matter of general policy on special issues\, all submission will also be checked by the editor-in-chief. All manuscripts should be prepared according to the journal&rsquo\;s guidelines provided on The Journal of Ethics website. \;
\nCo-editors:
\n \; \; \; \; \; ·\; \; \; Katrien Schaubroeck\, University of Antwerp\, Belgium.
katrien.schaubroeck@uantwerpen.be
\; \; \; \; \; ·\; \; \; Christopher Cowley\, Charles University\, Czech Republic\, and University College Dublin\, Ireland.
Christopher.cowley@ff.cuni.cz