CFP: Philosophy of Risk: Beliefs, Values and Decisions

Call for Papers (Topical Collection, Synthese)

Philosophy of Risk: Beliefs, Values and Decisions 

Guest editors:

Malvina Ongaro (Politecnico di Milano),

Giacomo Zanotti (Politecnico di Milano),

Pavel Janda (Politecnico di Milano),

Daniele Chiffi (Politecnico di Milano).

Description: In a world characterized by the challenges of climate change, new technologies, globalisation, and growing instabilities, risk is increasingly relevant both in our daily life and in academic research. And yet, it still largely lacks unitary frameworks: as a concept, risk encompasses different meanings and interpretations across disciplines and, at times, even within the same field. This Topical Collection explores the definitional, epistemic, and practical complexities of risk and of its different sources. It examines from a philosophical perspective the multifaceted theoretical dimensions of risk, in dialogue with their practical implications in areas such as science, technology, and decision-making.  

The general aim of this Topical Collection is to bring together multiple philosophical perspectives on risk to investigate how different approaches can inform one another and be applied in various contexts, from risk assessment, management, and communication to the exploration of the more epistemological and ethical aspects. Different ways to understand risk may lead to different implications in all these fields, so that exploring the foundations of risk in their plural dimensions may bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Appropriate topics for submission include, among others: 

·  Philosophy of risk;

·  Conceptual analyses of risk;

·  Epistemic risk;

·  Inductive risk;

·  Philosophical aspects of risk perception and communication;

·  Interdisciplinary approaches to risk;

·  Philosophical aspects of risk management;

·  Epistemology and ethics of natural hazards;

·  Risk in science and technology: AI, climate sciences, medicine, economics… 

·  Risk in decision-making 

The deadline for submission is December 31st, 2025.

IMPORTANT: to submit your paper follow these instructions: log in or register on www.editorialmanager.com/synt, select “submit new manuscript”, then select the topical collection “Philosophy of risk: beliefs, values, and decisions” from the drop-down menu. 

Editors’ Contacts:

·  Malvina Ongaro (Politecnico di Milano): malvina.ongaro@polimi.it

·  Giacomo Zanotti (Politecnico di Milano): giacomo.zanotti@polimi.it 

·  Pavel Janda (Politecnico di Milano): pavel.janda@polimi.it

·  Daniele Chiffi (Politecnico di Milano): daniele.chiffi@polimi.it