CFP: Phenomenology in Italy: Historical Perspectives and New Directions

Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology – Special Issue

Phenomenology in Italy: Historical Perspectives and New Directions

Guest Editors: Marco Cavallaro (University of Cologne), Sara Dameno (University of Cologne)

Phenomenology is one of the most influential philosophical movements of the 20th century, leaving a lasting impact on European thought and beyond. While its development is well known and has been extensively studied in some countries (e.g., Germany and France), the trajectory of phenomenology in Italy remains relatively underexplored, especially in the English speaking world. This special issue of JBSP aims to bridge this gap with the aim of fostering a dialogue between Italian phenomenology and the international phenomenological discourse.

Italian phenomenology has played a pivotal yet often overlooked role in the expansion of the phenomenological movement. Italy was the first country outside the German-speaking world to engage with Husserl’s ideas, with Antonio Banfi introducing his work as early as 1923. However, the development of phenomenology in Italy encountered significant challenges, particularly the “idealistic hegemony” that dominated early 20th-century Italian philosophy, led by Benedetto Croce and Giovanni Gentile, as well as the rise of Existentialism in the 1940s and 1950s. Despite these obstacles, Italian phenomenology gradually carved out its own distinct path, also contributing original perspectives to political theory, psychopathology, aesthetics, and other key areas of phenomenological research., setting it apart from both German and French traditions.

This special issue explores Italian phenomenology from its origins to contemporary developments, examining its engagement with key phenomenological figures, its intersections with existentialism, idealism, and Marxism, and its contributions to ethics, aesthetics, and other philosophical disciplines. We welcome submissions that investigate both historical and contemporary aspects of Italian phenomenology, including its divergence from other national traditions and its interdisciplinary reach in fields such as the arts, psychology, social theory, and political philosophy.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The historical development of phenomenology in Italy

• Key figures of Italian phenomenology, including Antonio Banfi, Enzo Paci, Sofia Vanni-Rovighi, Giulio Preti, Aldo Masullo, Enzo Melandri, Paolo Bozzi, Giuseppe Semerari, and others

• Italian phenomenology in relation to German, French, and other European traditions

• The relationship between phenomenology and existentialism in Italy before and after WWII

• Comparative studies on the reception and critique of Husserl, Heidegger, Scheler, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, and Ricœur in Italy

• The relationship between Italian phenomenology and Italian philosophy in general

• The role of phenomenology in Italian cultural and intellectual history

• The intersection of phenomenology and Marxism in Italy

• The contribution of Italian phenomenology to interdisciplinary fields such as psychiatry (Franco Basaglia), aesthetics (Luciano Anceschi, Dino Formaggio), experimental psychology (Paolo Bozzi), and others

Submission Guidelines

• Deadline for article submission: December 31, 2025

• Articles should be submitted at the following link: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rbsp

• Instructions for authors: https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=rbsp20

• All submissions undergo double-blind peer review

• Word limit: Maximum 6,000 words (excluding references)

• Please note that JBSP publishes only in English. Authors must ensure their manuscript is carefully proofread for language accuracy before submission.

For inquiries, please contact: [email protected].