2027 Annual Conference

Look Before You Jump

July 22-24
The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City
320 East 9th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202

Abstract Submissions — NoW OPEN

We invite submissions for the annual meeting of the Society for Philosophy in the Contemporary World, to be held July 22–24, 2027 at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City in Charlotte, North Carolina. Of particular interest are papers that engage with this year’s theme: Look Before You Jump. However, we also welcome and encourage papers on any topic related to philosophy in the contemporary world, broadly construed.

SPCW seeks to provide a forum for new areas of research in philosophy, and we aim to build a community of scholars who provide supportive feedback and constructive criticism. We welcome papers on all topics, from any philosophical tradition. SPCW is especially interested in supporting individuals from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds, as well as anyone working to expand the scope and quality of philosophical discourses.

In addition to traditional papers and presentations, SPCW welcomes diverse formats such as spoken word, script readings, performances, and other approaches that invite and broaden philosophical reflection. We welcome graduate students, independent and nontraditional philosophers, and thinkers from other disciplines or with non-philosophical specializations. Undergraduate students are also invited to submit under the conditions below.

CONFERENCE THEME: Look Before You Jump

“Look before you jump” asks us to consider where we stand, what we might leave behind, and where we hope to land. However, even the counsel to pause is open to question: to what extent does reflection foster transformation, and when does circumspection become an excuse for quietly condoning injustice? What are the risks involved with taking a leap versus refusing to take one?

This year’s theme invites submissions relating to preservation and change across ethics, politics, culture, religion, technology, and the environment. Some questions to consider are: What happens when valued traditions or institutions allow for continued exclusion or unequal power? Can transforming inherited practices preserve what matters about them, or does effective change sometimes require their abolition? What do we owe to endangered languages, cultural knowledge, environments, and collective memories, and what makes their disappearance a loss?

We also invite submissions dealing with issues of borders and openings: who is allowed to cross, who must be kept out, and what options develop when boundaries are relocated. How might habits and categories become sedimented thereby making contingent arrangements appear necessary? In what ways could disability studies and crip theory challenge assumptions about normality, independence, movement, and the very image of a “jump”? These questions prompt us to consider how to act amid uncertainty without treating either preservation or transformation as unquestioned desiderata.

Suggested Topics

  • Preservation, transformation, and what is worth keeping

  • Tradition, exclusion, and unequal power

  • Reform, abolition, and institutional change

  • Open borders, migration, and belonging

  • Openings, closures, and possibilities for collective life

  • Sedimentation, habit, and inherited categories

  • Disability, access, and crip theory

  • Endangered languages and cultural knowledge

  • Collective memory, forgetting, and historical responsibility

  • Environmental preservation and ecological transformation

  • Technology, innovation, and the costs of disruption

  • Religious and cultural inheritance

  • Risk, uncertainty, and practical judgment

  • Any topic related to philosophy in the contemporary world

ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS

Submit an abstract of approximately 500 words by February 15, 2027. Include a bibliography, which does not count toward the word limit. Abstracts should provide a substantial overview of the proposed presentation; creative and nontraditional proposals should also explain their format. Presentations should be prepared for 20–30 minutes, followed by questions and discussion.

Submissions will undergo anonymous peer review. Remove identifying information from the abstract and provide author and contact details in the submission email rather than in the abstract.

Email your anonymized abstract as an attachment to Dr. Raman Sachdev at rsachdev@cau.edu, with “SPCW 2027 Submission” in the subject line. Include your name, affiliation (if any), and contact information in the email body.

Programming inquiries: Dr. Raman Sachdev, rsachdev@cau.edu.

Conference Logistics

The conference will take place at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, 320 East 9th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. Participants should plan to arrive July 21, 2027 and depart July 25, 2027. Further information about accommodation, transportation, and accessibility will be posted here as arrangements are confirmed.

Logistics inquiries: Dr. Eddy Souffrant, esouffra@charlotte.edu.

Registration and Fees

Registration information, fees, and payment instructions will be announced here.

Philosophy in Community

SPCW brings philosophical discussion into a shared setting for conversation, collegial exchange, and time together beyond formal presentations. Participants are encouraged to take part in as much of the conference program as possible. Information about social and recreational activities will be announced as plans are confirmed.

Note to Graduate Students

SPCW considers all accepted graduate-student papers for the annual Joe Frank Jones III Memorial Award for the best graduate-student submission. The award includes a special mention in the program, a permanent listing on the SPCW website, and a $500 cash prize. Full papers for award consideration are due April 30, 2027.