CFP: “Are We All War Neurotics?”: Perspectives on Politics and War from Philosophy and Psychoanalysis

“Are We All War Neurotics?”: Perspectives on Politics and War from Philosophy and Psychoanalysis

FILPSI Research Group

The construction of the proposed dossier aims to foster discussions across diverse fields, perspectives, and theoretical frameworks, under the thematic umbrella of neurosis as a social, psychological, and political phenomenon. What do we mean by this? During the second semester of 2025 and the first semester of 2026, the FILPSI study and research group sought to examine neurosis as a phenomenon that deserves increasing attention in light of recent events. These events have produced a range of effects, whether in our most immediate and intersubjective relations, through the consumption of various media and ideologies, or as a result of major transformations in the political and technological spheres, which are also reflected in armed conflicts.

When we speak of war neurotics, an expression that appears in Laplanche’s dictionary, we are dealing with a notion that refers to the phenomenon of traumatic neurosis associated with the Second World War. Sigmund Freud, if not using the exact formulation, at least employs the concept of war neurosis, which may be generally understood as a neurosis of confrontation and conflict. Thus, “war neurotics” likewise designates subjects marked by trauma, that is, traumatized by the experience of war. We begin from the hypothesis that the social field and intersubjective relations are also deeply affected by global political conflicts at different levels, even for those who observe, from a distance, the unfolding of such events. Reflection on and articulation of these phenomena thus become imperative.

The present call seeks researchers interested in discussing neurosis, politics, and wars from different perspectives, including interdisciplinary approaches, particularly those of philosophy, psychoanalysis, theology, mathematics, and economics (through game theory or conflict modeling), as well as history, sociology, among others. We take into account the idea that, by engaging with the themes of neurosis and war, we may come to understand not only their possible motivations, but also their effects in the present—that is, how we respond to such events, as well as their potential legacy for humanity. Authors such as Hannah Arendt, Frantz Fanon, Achille Mbembe, Slavoj Žižek, Sigmund Freud, among others, have sought to think through war from different angles, analyzing distinct mechanisms and instruments of control and violence, as well as the very fragility of human life.

There is, above all, an ethical interest in seeking to understand phenomena such as wars and their consequences, since they affect society as a whole in different ways. Their propagandistic discourses are consumed in various ways, whether through the internet or other media, such as videos, images, among others.

Among the proposed topics are (but are not limited to): ethical issues in times of war; the use of technologies during conflicts; the ethics of psychoanalysis in relation to war; the effects of war on society; the role of philosophy and/or psychoanalysis in understanding war; the responsibility of the intellectual; the colonial legacy; violence and power.

The call will accept submissions in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French. The publication of the dossier is scheduled for 31/10/2026. Submissions must follow ABNT guidelines, as required by the Journal Ecos (Faculdade Católica do Maranhão), available at: http://revistaecos.facma.com.br/index.php/ecos/about/submissions.

More information at: revistaecos.facma.com.br/index.php/ecos/announcement/view/4

Or email Marcos Antônio Ferreira até: [email protected]

References 

ARENDT, Hannah. Sobre a violência. Tradução de André Duarte. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 2022.

FANON, Frantz. Peau noire, masques blancs. Paris: Points, 2015.

FREUD, Sigmund. Considerações atuais sobre a guerra. In: FREUD, Sigmund. Introdução ao narcisismo: ensaios de metapsicologia e outros textos (1914-1916). Tradução de Paulo César de Souza. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2010.

FREUD, Sigmund. Obras completas. v. 18: O mal-estar na civilização, novas conferências introdutórias à psicanálise e outros textos (1930-1936). São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2010.

LACAN, Jacques. A relação de objeto (1956-1957). Rio de Janeiro: Jorge Zahar, 1995.

LACAN, Jacques. O tempo lógico e a asserção de certeza antecipada. In: LACAN, Jacques. Escritos. Tradução de Vera Ribeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar, 1998. p. 197–213.

MBEMBE, Achille. Políticas de inimizade. Tradução de Marta Lança. Lisboa: Antígona, 2017.

ROUSSEAU, Jean-Jacques. O contrato social. Tradução de Antonio de Pádua Danesi. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 1999.

WEIL, Simone. Contra o colonialismo. Tradução de Carolina Selvática. Rio de Janeiro: Bazar do Tempo, 2019.

ŽIŽEK, Slavoj. Violência: seis reflexões laterais. São Paulo: Boitempo Editorial, 2014.