CFP: Call for Chapters – Radicalized Loneliness: Philosophical and Political Perspectives

Call for Chapters: Radicalized Loneliness: Philosophical and Political Perspectives   We invite chapter proposals for the forthcoming edited volume Radicalized Loneliness: Philosophical and Political Perspectives. The book explores loneliness as a politically charged affective condition deeply entwined with contemporary crises of democracy, radicalization, and authoritarianism. Proposals will be considered for inclusion in the Global Studies of the Far Right series published by Manchester University Press, subject to the standard peer review process.   The volume builds on recent interdisciplinary research that links loneliness to declining trust, democratic disengagement, and susceptibility to extremist ideologies (e.g. Tirkkonen & Tietjen 2025; Creasy 2025; Gaffney 2020). It foregrounds how loneliness is actively politicized – weaponized in public discourse, exploited by far-right movements, and shaped by digitally mediated affective economies. We aim to deepen the conceptual and philosophical analysis of loneliness as a historically situated, socially shaped, and politically potent experience.   We welcome contributions from philosophy, political theory, media studies, sociology, and related disciplines that engage with the book’s central themes. Topics may include (but are not limited to): 

• The affective, emotional and phenomenological dimensions of loneliness 
• Loneliness and far-right mobilization, including incel ideologies and online radicalization 
• Loneliness as a vector of democratic backsliding and authoritarianism 
• Historical and theoretical accounts of loneliness in modernity 
• Gendered and racialized experiences of loneliness 
• The role of digital media and online communities in shaping loneliness 
• Conceptual frameworks for understanding loneliness as a political phenomenon 

  We especially encourage submissions that bring classical political thought into dialogue with contemporary realities, or that develop new conceptual tools for analyzing loneliness in relation to power, exclusion, and identity.   Please send abstracts (300–500 words) and a short bio to arielmeri.hyvonen[at]gmail.com by December 10, 2025. Please include ‘Submission for Radicalized Loneliness’ in the title of your email, and attach your abstract – along with the title, your name, and a short bio – as a Word document.   The decisions will be announced in January 2026, and the deadline for full chapters (6,000–8,000 words) will be in the late Spring 2026.