CFP: The Monist: Philosophy After Murdoch

Call for Papers: Philosophy After Murdoch

The Monist invites submissions for an upcoming thematic issue of the journal on the philosophy of Iris Murdoch.

Advisory Editors: Matthew Congdon (Vanderbilt University) and Mark Hopwood (University of Maryland Baltimore County)

Deadline for Submissions: February 1st, 2026

Publication Date: September 2027

Scope

Iris Murdoch’s philosophical writings strained against and sometimes broke the mold of academic philosophy. She was a significant influence on a range of important figures including John McDowell, Martha Nussbaum, Charles Taylor, Bernard Williams, and Alasdair MacIntyre, but her own work has not always received the recognition and scholarly attention it deserves. Today the situation has changed dramatically. The past decade has seen a blossoming of new scholarly interest in Murdoch’s philosophical writings, which now strike many as prescient in the challenges they pose to methods and assumptions that continue to dominate academic philosophy.

It is now possible for Murdochian conceptions of love, moral concepts, language, attention, vision, reality, and beyond to intervene meaningfully in contemporary philosophical conversations. Domains often kept apart in mainstream philosophy—such as fact and value, the ethical and the aesthetic, ordinary moral life and reflective moral philosophy—can now be explored in their complex continuities by pursuing philosophy in a Murdochian key. The aim of this thematic issue is to build upon and encourage these developments by inviting contributors to share their visions of what philosophy looks like after Murdoch. We particularly encourage submissions that go beyond textual exegesis to consider the ways in which Murdochian approaches might open up new perspectives on central questions in moral philosophy.

Submission Information

All submissions should be prepared for anonymous review and sent to the advisory editors: [email protected] and [email protected].

Manuscripts received from the call will first go through a pre-selection by the advisory editors. The manuscripts passing this stage will be sent for full double-blind review.

Word limit: 8,000 words, including notes and references. Please follow the journal’s Author Guidelines.

If you have questions about potential topics, scope, etc., please email the advisory editors.

Deadline for Submissions: February 1st, 2026