July 17-21 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Sponsored by the Department of Humanities and Arts
and the Department of Integrative and Global Studies

Abstract Submissions Due by Wednesday, February 28th, 2024

We invite submissions for the annual meeting of the Society for Philosophy in the Contemporary World, to be held July 17-21 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. Of particular interest are papers that engage with this year’s theme: Precarity, but we welcome and encourage papers on any topic related to philosophy in the contemporary world, broadly construed. 

Conference Theme: Precarity

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. Furthermore, we welcome the camaraderie of graduate students, nontraditional philosophers, and thinkers from other disciplines or with non-philosophical specializations. Simply put, we seek to foster productive philosophical exchange in a constructive environment.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Precarity of Self

  • Precarity of Identity

  • Precarity of Gender

  • Precarity and Critical Race Theory

  • Precarity of/in Health/Mental Health

  • Precarity of Medicine

  • Precarity of Nations

  • Precarity in Community

  • Precarity of Democracy

  • Precarity of Human Rights

  • Precarity of/in Social Justice

  • Precarity in Protest

  • Precarity and War

  • Precarity of Borders

  • Precarity of/in Education

  • Precarity of Home

  • Precarity of Land

  • Precarity of Ecosystems

  • Precarity of Resources

  • Precarity of Economies

  • Precarity of the World Order

  • Precarity of Societies

  • Precarity of/in Philosophy

  • Precarity of Consciousness

  • Precarity of Meaning

  • Precarity of Work

  • Precarity of Rationality

  • Precarity in Art

  • Precarity of Trust: Science, Government, Expertise

  • Precarity of Aging

Conference Submission

Abstract submissions should be approx. 500 words and are due by Wednesday, February 28th, 2024. Abstracts for traditional papers and presentations should provide a substantial overview of the details of the final presentation. Abstracts for diverse format presentations and creative proposals should also include a brief description of the proposed format. Papers should be prepared for 20-30 minute presentations, followed by Q&A. 

All submissions are circulated for anonymous peer review. Please remove all identifying information from the submission. To submit your abstract, use the link below and complete the form.    

Authors will be notified by March 15th, 2024.

Note to graduate students

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. To be considered for this award a complete paper would need to be submitted by April 30.

For more information please contact the Program Committee: 

Conference Participation and Logistics

Conference registration costs include one year of membership with SPCW and online access to all issues of our journal, Philosophy in the Contemporary World. Access to the journal is provided by the Philosophy Documentation Center after we notify them of your registration.

Registration Fees

Registration fees will be due in spring 2024, and additional information will be sent to individuals who are invited to present at the meeting.

  • Faculty: $130 per person

  • Students and Independent Scholars (no institutional affiliation/support): $40 per person

  • Fee waivers and adjustments: if you would like to request a reduced or waived registration fee for reasons related to income and financial circumstances please contact Christian Matheis at matheiscg@guilford.edu and these will be considered on a case by case basis.

Philosophy in Community

Pursuant to the goals of SPCW, the conference program will offer equal attention to all participants. Included in conference arrangements are opportunities to combine serious professional activities with recreation—as a conference group, alone, and with family and friends. Recreational activities often include organized hikes, cultural or historical trips, and evening events. We will select, whenever possible, conference sites that enable participants to take meals together in a dining commons where they can be joined by friends and family members. Therefore, those attending and participating in the conference are encouraged to take an active part in as much of the conference program as possible. 

Questions about the conference site, lodging, registration and other details should be sent to Geoffrey Pfeifer at gpfeifer@wpi.edu.

Journal Submission

The journal, Philosophy in the Contemporary World, welcomes submissions from conference participants.  More detail regarding submission guidelines can be found on the journal page.