CFP: Synthese topical collection: "The Aims and Methodologies of Contemporary Metaphysics"

Synthese Topical Collection

“The Aims and Methodologies of Contemporary Metaphysics”

Guest editors: Lorenzo Lorenzetti (USI, Lugano), Pyro Suarez (Bristol), Tommaso Soriani (Reading)

Topical collection description: Metaphysics addresses fundamental questions about existence and reality. However, the field is now splintered into a variety of specialised approaches. The three major areas in the contemporary debate are traditional analytic metaphysics, naturalistic approaches to metaphysics, and socially-oriented metaphysics such as social ontology and feminist metaphysics.

These approaches have different methodologies and focus on different topics, leading to a fragmentation of the field. This diversity, while potentially enriching, raises crucial questions concerning the relationship between these approaches and regarding the general aims of metaphysics. Are these approaches addressing the same questions, working towards a common goal of unveiling the structure of reality, or are they focused on distinct types of questions? Is one methodology superior to the other? Or should these approaches be developed in parallel to one another?

This topical collection addresses these concerns by fostering a productive dialogue between the various strands of metaphysical inquiry. The outcome of such a conversation can have far-reaching implications, fostering a unification of the field or revealing that the different methodologies are addressing distinct aspects, thereby justifying independent progression.

Appropriate topics for submission include, among others:

- The relationship between traditional and naturalised metaphysics

- The relationship between traditional and social metaphysics

- The relationship between naturalised and social metaphysics

- Meta-ontology

- The methodology of metaphysics

- The desiderata of metaphysics

- The future of metaphysical investigations

The deadline for submission is 30 September 2025.

IMPORTANT: to submit your paper follow these instructions: log in or register on www.editorialmanager.com/synt, select “submit new manuscript, select the topical collection “The Aims and Methodologies of Contemporary Metaphysics” from the drop-down menu.

Editors’ Contacts:

Lorenzo Lorenzetti - [email protected]

Pyro Suarez: - [email protected]

Tommaso Soriani - [email protected]