Radical Philosophy Association 18th Biennial Conference

Conference Theme: Life After Capitalism? 

The risks posed by the glocal economic and political system's nearly unlimited dependence on fossil fuels and ecological destruction have inspired reflection on the possibility that capitalism might spell the end of life as we know it, and that the imperatives of this social, political, and economic system work against life itself. As these risks have become more apparent, this system has only become more entrenched, exerting progressively greater control over our patterns of production and consumption, forms of life, and collective political imagination. But the difficulty of envisaging life after capitalism has not translated intoa shortage of theoretical, practical, and artistic work on this topic. It seems rather to have spurred a rich and diverse range of attempts to imagine and enact alternative forms of social organization, discern the possibility and dangers of revolutionary transformation, learn from the traditions of exploited and dispossessed peoples around the world, and assess the prospects of escape - or collapse.

The programe committee of the 18th biennial conference of the Radical Philosophy Association encourages submissions on the theme of life after capitalism, with a special emphasis on three areas: ecology, humanity, and utopia. Submissions are encouraged that address any area of these topics, including the following:

Ecology

degrowth v. eco-modernism; afro-, anti-colonial, and indigenous resistance to ecological destruction; eco-fascism, eco-socialism, and anarchism; revolutionary strategy and environmental collapse; extractivism and its critiques; political economy and the global energy system; ecological flourishing and ecological catastrophe; the political, epistemic, or ontological concept of life

Humanity

humanism and its critics (e.g. Afro-pessimism, posthumanism, theoretical antihumanism); humanity's relationship to the environment and to itself; pre- and post-capitalist forms of life; political organization and political strategy; organizing society differently in theory and practice; capitalist production and social repdoction; the experience of economic and social collapse

Utopia

uses and abuses of utopia/distopia; the end of the world and the end of capitalism; theorizing revolutionary transformation; imagining life before, after, or outside of capitalism; political temporality: kairos, kronos, and apocalypse

We welcome single paper, panel, and workshop submissions on any area related to these themes, or to radical philosophy mroe broadly construed. Individual authors are asked to submit anonymized abstracts of 250-400 words (maximum) to [email protected]. For panel submissions (maximum 3 speakers), please send an abstract for each paper, as well as a more general panel abstract. All papers received by February 15, 2026, will be anonymously reviewed.