CFP: Moral Philosophy and Politics Special Issue: ‘Philosophizing the Indefensible by Shmuel Nili’, ed. by Ben Jones

Moral Philosophy and Politics Symposium: Philosophizing the Indefensible by Shmuel Nili

Guest Editor: Ben Jones (Pennsylvania State University)

In the face of manifestly unjust policies, do political philosophers have anything valuable to say? One influential line of thought says that political philosophy is better served looking elsewhere for questions to tackle. It is the tough political questions—ones that reasonable people disagree over—that merit the attention of political philosophers. Here the analytic tools of philosophy have obvious value in identifying nuances and distinctions often overlooked in policy debates. 

Shmuel Nili recognizes this role for political philosophy. But in his recent book Philosophizing the Indefensible: Strategic Political Theory (Oxford University Press 2023), he argues that indefensible and unreasonable policies also merit political philosophers’ attention. When states pursue such policies, political philosophy offers distinctive tools to oppose them. So rather than sit on the sidelines, political philosophers have a role to play. In particular, they can meaningfully contribute to opposing indefensible policies through what Nili terms “strategic” arguments: showing why we should reject such policies even after granting the unreasonable premises of those who champion them. 

Philosophizing the Indefensible illustrates strategic arguments through applying them to salient policy debates in Israel and the United States, from climate change to parliamentary boycotts to the problem of corporate corruption. Nili’s book is especially timely today as political philosophers reflect on their role in a world where many states are drifting toward authoritarianism and rolling back fundamental rights, particularly for the most marginalized. 

This symposium will feature papers that engage with the arguments of Philosophizing the Indefensible. The editors welcome critical responses as well as pieces that extend and apply the book’s arguments to novel contexts. Regardless of whether one agrees with its central premise, Philosophizing the Indefensible pushes political philosophers to think more deeply about their connection to the political world and how they should respond to injustices rife within it. The symposium is meant to be a forum for exploring this necessary and urgent question. 

Papers should be submitted by October 31, 2025, and should be between 3,000 and 12,000 words in length. All submissions will undergo Moral Philosophy and Politics’ double-blind refereeing process. Papers will only be accepted for publication in the symposium if they are approved for publication by both the guest editor and the journal’s founding editors. Please submit your manuscript via ScholarOne: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mopp      

For more information, please contact Ben Jones, Penn State, Guest Editor ([email protected]); or Jennifer Page, CUNY- John Jay College of Criminal Justice, MOPP Editor ([email protected])