CFP - Edited Volume: "Political Philosophy in Music: Perspectives on Post-1945 American Genres and Artists"

About the edited collection: The expression of social and political ideals such as demands for gender and racial equality, the cessation of human rights violations, or greater economic wellbeing of the working class has been central to many post-1945 music genres and artists in the United States. Not only did musicians often act as political activists through morally and politically provocative performances and lyrics, but their very choice of engaging with a particular music genre would often bring about political turmoil. This collection of essays, tentatively titled Political Philosophy in Music: Perspectives on Post-1945 American Genres and Artists, edited by Prof. Olga Lenczewska (FSU), seeks to examine the many ways in which music and people who create it have contributed to the crucial socio-political debates in post-1945 America, including (but not limited to) the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, American involvement with foreign conflicts, the struggle for gender justice at home and in the workplace, growing economic inequality, the war on drugs, welfare rights activism, police brutality and mass incarceration, the debates around environmental policies, and growing political polarization. Despite the existence of a vast body of literature on the philosophy of music, no book focusing specifically on the political philosophy of music has yet been published, and general collections on the philosophy of music lack chapters dedicated to socio-political or moral philosophy. This book hopes partially to ameliorate this gap.

Call for chapter proposals: The editor welcomes chapter proposals (in the form of ~400-word abstracts, emailed to [email protected]) that either focus on the political philosophy and activism of a specific artist/group or discuss an entire music genre/movement through the lens of political philosophy. The editor is interested in entries on any relevant artist or movement, but also seeks individuals willing to write about: post-1945 classical music; early blues; Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger; Joan Baez and Bob Dylan; Elvis; Nina Simone; Bob Marley; Leonard Cohen; Tupac and other rappers concerned with racial inequality. As this list makes clear, the editor is open to expanding the collection’s scope to non-American musicians, as long as a connection to political debates and challenges facing the U.S. is made. The full chapters will not be expected until summer 2026 or so.

From proposals to publication: The editor, Prof. Olga Lenczewska, holds a tenure-track appointment at a top-tier philosophy department (FSU), has published numerous articles in political philosophy and its history, and has a track record of securing two book contracts from top-tier presses (Cambridge University Press and Routledge). Since securing a publishing contract for an edited collection requires presenting a list of contributors and chapter abstracts, the editor cannot tell with which press this book will be published at this moment. The editor will make every effort to secure a contract with a well-known press; presses known to have published numerous books and collections on the philosophy of music include OUP, CUP, Cornell, and Routledge.