Call for Papers | Topographies of risk. How to navigate uncertainty
Call for Papers Teoria 2024/1
Although its use is traced back to medieval times, the concept of "risk" takes on a central value, especially in modern times. Used in various disciplines (financial, legal, psychological, sociological, engineering), it has been the defining feature of the twentieth century, so much so that Ulrich Beck has called ours a true "risk society." A unified definition of this notion is not easily traced, both because of its interdisciplinary nature, which makes it differentially understood according to context; and because of the absence of a unified philosophical reflection on it. In its most general use, it usually means a situation in which it is possible, but not certain, that an undesirable event will happen. The main aspects related to it are usually uncertainty but at the same time probability and its calculation. Thus, an internal tension is implemented in the term, between control and indeterminacy.
The next issue of "Teoria" aims to investigate this key concept in contemporary thought, elaborating a "topography of risk" that will provide a more solid understanding of the meaning of this notion and connect the various fields of application in which it is used. The other goal is to find original strategies for confronting or countering risk, especially through an ethical approach. The questions to be answered will be: how to inhabit this state of uncertainty? Is it still possible, in this day and age, to rely on calculation and the search for control in the face of risks that increasingly assume global dimensions? From what criteria is it possible to interact with situations of risk that manifest the limitedness of the human being?
In particular, the following research directions are proposed:
- Analysis of the concept of risk on an epistemological level: its meaning, its applications to various contexts and fields
- Risk, danger, uncertainty
- Relationship between risk, knowledge and decision
- Risk and technology
- Risk and artificial intelligence
- Global risk and ecological crisis
- Risk and global political order
Those interested in submitting a contribution should send, by August 31, an abstract of up to 500 words with a bibliography to follow, in Italian and English, through the appropriate uploading mode. To make the upload and proceed with the proposal, it is necessary to register with the site.
The file should be submitted under the name "abstract First Name Last Name." Abstracts will go through a review process, and a response regarding acceptance or non-acceptance of the proposal will be sent by September 15, 2023. After this date, authors of accepted abstracts shall submit the completed essay via the journal’s electronic platform by December 15, 2023. The essays will then undergo the peer review process. However, the editors reserve the right not to accept final contributions that do not correspond to the accepted abstracts, or that do not pass the further selection procedure that will be carried out on the final contributions. It also reserves the right to ask authors to revise their contributions to bring them in line with referee evaluations and/or editorial standards.
Abstracts and contributions may be submitted in Italian or English. The extended version of the proposal must be received anonymously and uploaded to the journal’s online platform, updating the record already open at the first selection phase (under “submission file”; the new file must appear below the “abstract” file). The final response on acceptance, and any changes requested, will be provided by January 8, 2024. Accepted proposals, possibly modified, are due by January 31, 2024. Submissions should follow the editorial standards provided by "Teoria" and found on its website and should not exceed 5000 words (30.000 characters).
Deadlines:
Abstract submission (Max. 500 words): August 31, 2023
Notification of abstract acceptance: September 15, 2023
Full proposal submission (Max. 5000 words): December 15, 2023
Notification of full proposal acceptance: January 8, 2024
Submission of revised contributions: January 31, 2024
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