CFP: Philosophy in the Wild--Philadelphia area, PA (2026)

Call for Abstracts

Philosophy in the Wild 2026--Philadelphia Area

Theme: Philosophy of Academia

Philosophy in the Wild invites abstract submissions for presentations at its 2026 workshop, Philosophy of Academia. Philosophy in the Wild conferences and workshops are motivated by the idea that a shift in environment can engender a shift in perspective. Conducting inquiry outside of traditional academic spaces affords a new relation to the world we theorize and opens new avenues for thought, method, and community. (Photos from past events are available on our website!)

Please note this is one of two Philosophy in the Wild events for 2026! The second event is being held in Wisconsin in July; see our website for additional details.)

Theme Description

The topic of Philosophy of Academia invites reflection on how academic inquiry is enabled and constrained by institutional structures such as universities, professional norms, disciplinary boundaries, hierarchies, and funding regimes. The workshop's aim is to show what becomes possible when inquiry is practiced beyond or alongside these structures, whether temporarily, partially, or permanently—both literally (outside of institutional spaces) and metaphorically (outside of institutional expectations).

Institutions shape not only what scholarship is produced, but who is able to participate, whose work is recognized, and under what material, emotional, and relational conditions thinking occurs. By situating inquiry in an outdoor setting, this conference aims to foreground the conditions under which inquiry is conducted—and to experiment with forms of engagement that include, yet move beyond, conventional academic formats.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• What forms of disciplinary insight are enabled or constrained by institutional power?

• What is “professional philosophy,” and is it distinct from philosophy as such? What about other disciplines?

• Institutional belonging, exclusion, precarity, and identity

• Philosophical or scholarly inquiry as care work; mentoring, repair, counseling, and relational labor

• Epistemic injustice within academia

• Gatekeeping, harm, and the moral psychology of academic institutions

• Philosophy or inquiry practiced in prisons, community centers, mutual aid networks, activist spaces, private lives, or outdoor and wild places

• Embodied philosophy: bodily vulnerability, disability, trauma, affect, and philosophical or academic practice

• The emotional, affective, and cognitive conditions of thinking (stress, safety, joy, rest, play)

• Thinking with place: environment, landscape, and location as philosophical method

• The political economy of the academy: funding, labor, access, and sustainability

• Imagining the future of academic inquiry beyond existing institutional forms

We welcome submissions from scholars at all career stages, as well as philosophers and scholars from other disciplines working outside traditional academic appointments. Interdisciplinary, experimental, reflective, or non-standard approaches are especially encouraged.

Conference Setting

The conference will take place August 7-9, 2026, at Ridley Creek State Park, near Philadelphia, PA. Ridley Creek offers a wooded, accessible setting close to urban transit while allowing for an immersive outdoor experience.

This is a small, outdoor, wifi-free (i.e., low-tech) workshop focused on fostering community and engagement. We are open to a wide range of presentation types, including traditional papers, discussion-based sessions, walking conversations, and other experimental or creative proposals.

Participants will camp at the park for the duration of the workshop. Activities will include presentations and discussions, shared campsite-cooked meals, and optional hiking or other outdoor activities. No prior camping experience is necessary.

Practical Details

Please note that there will be a registration fee associated with participation to cover food and campsite costs. Philosophy in the Wild has a limited supply of camping gear available to lend on a first-come, first-served basis. Once this runs out, we will work with participants to help arrange affordable gear rentals if needed. Please contact us with any accessibility questions or needs—we are committed to making the event as accessible as possible.

Submission Information

• Abstracts should be approximately 500 words

• Please submit abstracts in .pdf format, prepared for anonymous review

• In the body of the email, include your name, affiliation (if any), and paper title

• Submit abstracts to: [email protected]

• Submissions from members of underrepresented groups in philosophy are especially encouraged

• More information: Philosophy in the Wild and CFA: PhilWildPhilly2026

Submission deadline: Monday, May 4
Decisions announced: Monday, June 1
Conference dates: August 7-9, 2026

Organizers

Maja Sidzińska (University of Pennsylvania; Rowan University)
Asil Martinez (South Puget Sound Community College)

for Philosophy in the Wild

Contact: [email protected]