CFP: The Acorn: Philosophical Studies in Pacifism and Nonviolence

Beyond Slogans for Solutions:

Where Do Pacifism and Nonviolence Go from Here?

The Acorn: Philosophical Studies in Pacifism and Nonviolence

Call for Papers

In the first chapter of his last book, Martin Luther King Jr. warned that while a minority of whites "genuinely want authentic equality," they are "balanced at the other end of the pole" by "unregenerate segregationists who have declared that democracy is not worth having if it involves equality." As King saw it:

"The segregationist goal is the total reversal of all reforms, with reestablishment of naked oppression and if need be a native form of fascism. America had a master race in the antebellum South. Reestablishing it with a resurgent Klan and a totally disenfranchised lower class would realize the dream of too many extremists on the right." (Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community 12).

Meanwhile, in the last chapter of the same book, King set forth a "true revolution of value" — confronting the "problems we now face" in ways that "must take us beyond slogans for their solution." Drawing upon inspirations from biblical teachings, King implored readers to care for the earth and its wealth as sacred legacies: "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring." (WDWG 198)

The Gandhi, King, Chavez Addams Society invites philosophers of pacifism and nonviolence to submit articles to The Acorn that refresh our analysis of practices and attitudes that sustain nonviolent struggle under urgent pressures of injustice. As with King's example, we ask philosophers to frankly assess the challenges of our day, draw upon resources of nonviolence, and create leading lines of inquiry for solutions that "take us beyond slogans."

Of special interest to the society and its journal would be inquiries into resistance already underway, such as Rev. William J. Barber’s efforts to carry forth the dream of King’s Poor People’s Campaign.

Please prepare scholarly submissions for anonymous peer review in Chicago style (CMOS 17 Notes and Bibliography) and email them as docx, rtf, or pages files to the editor at [email protected]. The email should indicate the author’s affiliation and attest that the work has not been previously published, nor is it submitted for consideration elsewhere. Contributions will be evaluated on a rolling basis throughout 2025, with the possibility of utilizing the “Online First” feature at The Acorn’s landing page at the Philosophy Documentation Center, or convening online discussions and presentations.

Version: Nov. 23, 2024

acornjournal.net