CFP: Call for Chapter Proposals – The Palgrave Handbook on the Philosophy of Death
Submission deadline: August 15, 2025
Topic areas
Details
Call for Chapter Proposals – The Palgrave Handbook on the Philosophy of Death
Editors: Christopher Moreman (California State University, East Bay), Tommaso Soriani (University of Reading), Emanuele Tullio (Central European University)
We invite chapter proposals for contributions to The Palgrave Handbook on the Philosophy of Death, a comprehensive and cutting-edge volume that aims to reflect the breadth and depth of contemporary philosophical work on death, dying, and mortality.
The Handbook is intended to serve as a key reference work for scholars, students, and practitioners engaged with death-related questions across philosophy, the humanities, and adjacent disciplines.
Scope and Aim
Each chapter will combine an accessible survey of a specific topic within the philosophy of death, with original research contributions that challenge, expand, or reframe established debates. It will explore both analytic and continental traditions and will seek to incorporate a wide range of cultural and philosophical perspectives. We particularly welcome proposals from underrepresented voices and scholars working across global and interdisciplinary contexts.
Suggested Topics:
1. Defining Death
The timing of death: process vs. event; Death and personal identity (e.g., psychological continuity, animalism); The concept of death in non-Western traditions; Historical and ancient perspectives (e.g., Epicurus, Stoicism)
2. On the Afterlife
Immortality, resurrection, and reincarnation; Near-death experiences; Parapsychology and the possibility of survival; Eschatology across religious and secular worldviews
3. On Mortality
Death vs. non-existence; Mortality and the metaphysics of time; Cosmic death, planetary mortality, and climate change; Emotional and phenomenological responses to mortality
4. On the Dead
What we owe to the dead; The rights of the dead; Transgenerational obligations; The metaphysics and moral status of corpses; Ongoing relationships with the dead
5. Existentialism
Consciousness and mortality; Absurdism and nihilism; Death and authenticity; The phenomenology of dying
6. Ethics
Euthanasia, assisted dying, suicide; Abortion and capital punishment; War, risk, and collective death; Animals, artificial beings, transhumanism, and death
7. Specific Thinkers
Focused chapters on figures who have significantly shaped the philosophy of death
8. Other Topics
We are open to considering any proposals on any topic, not mentioned above, connected with the philosophy of death.
Submission Guidelines
We welcome chapter proposals of approximately 500 words, including:
- A working title
- A brief abstract of the proposed chapter, indicating an original contribution that moves the field forward
- A short bio (including current affiliation and any relevant publications)
Deadline for Proposals: August 15, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: September 30, 2025
Full Chapter Deadline: March 1, 2026
Editorial Feedback Returned: May 30, 2026
Final Edited Chapter Deadline: August 30, 2026
Chapter Length: 7,000 words
Please submit proposals and inquiries to:
Christopher Moreman – [email protected]
Tommaso Soriani – [email protected]
Emanuele Tullio – [email protected]