CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

for a topical issue of Open Philosophy

TOWARDS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN OBJECT-ORIENTED ONTOLOGY (OOO) AND SCIENCE



Open Philosophy (https://www.degruyter.com/opphil) invites submissions for the topical issue "Towards a Dialogue Between Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) and Science," edited by Adrian Razvan Sandru (Champalimaud Research, Portugal), Zach Mainen (Champalimaud Research, Portugal) and Federica Maria Gonzalez Luna Ortiz (Tuebingen University, Germany).


DESCRIPTION


While Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) has received much attention across diverse fields, it has remained somewhat overlooked in scientific discourse. The aim of this issue is to bring Graham Harman’s OOO into dialogue with contemporary perspectives on and from science. By doing so, we hope to bring to light novel dimensions of both OOO and scientific inquiry. We encourage interdisciplinary participation from a broad range of disciplines.

      Graham Harman’s Object-Oriented Ontology proposes that knowledge comes in three forms: undermining (downward reduction to an underlying reality), overmining (upward reduction to a grounding system), and their combination in duomining (simultaneous reductions in both directions). Within this general framework, Harman makes a finer distinction between two styles of knowing that may inform a critical analysis of science, its practices, and narratives from a novel perspective. On one side, Harman speaks of a literal style of knowing that takes phenomena to be the sum of their features as they appear to us. On the other side, he describes a metaphorical one that hints at the infinite interiority of objects and brings about the awareness that there is always more to them than meets the eye. Harman argues that literalism is the mode by which science knows things, while the way that art and aesthetics approach objects is instead metaphorical. In contrast to literalism, which, according to OOO, ignores the tension between how an object appears in relation to other objects and what an object is, “the metaphor seems to give us the thing in its autonomy from the other things to which it relates" (Harman, 2018). In Harman’s reading, the metaphor suspends the sensuality of the object and alludes to its real core.

This topical issue will explore whether Harman’s assessment of science’s method is apt and whether a dialogue between the two ways of knowing might benefit the endeavors of both aesthetic and scientific inquiry. This dialogue may prove to be a fruitful and timely opportunity for both science and philosophy to make sense of novel phenomena such as global pandemics, climate change, or the advent of artificial intelligence, all of which pose challenges to classically rationalistic or subject-centric scientific and philosophical systems.


Contributions may address, for instance, the following topics:

- Literalism

- The concept of metaphor in OOO and related frameworks

- Real and sensual objects and qualities

- Interactions and relationality in Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO)

- Cognition and the role of the subject in OOO

- Alternate ways of knowing (art, architecture, literature, film, etc.) in OOO

- Science and OOO

- Political, ethical, and social dimensions of flat ontologies


Authors publishing their articles in the special issue will benefit from:

· transparent, comprehensive and fast peer review,

· efficient route to fast-track publication and full advantage of De Gruyter's e-technology.


Because Open Philosophy is published under an Open Access model, as a rule publication costs should be covered by so-called Article Publishing Charges (APC), paid by authors, their affiliated institutions, funders, or sponsors. Authors without access to publishing funds are encouraged to discuss potential discounts or waivers with Managing Editor of the journal, Katarzyna Tempczyk (katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyter.com) before submitting their manuscripts.


HOW TO SUBMIT


Submissions will be collected until March 31, 2024.


To submit an article for this special issue of Open Philosophy, authors are asked to access the online submission system at: http://www.editorialmanager.com/opphil/

Please choose as article type: OOO and Science


Before submission the authors should carefully read over the Instruction for Authors, available

at: https://www.degruyter.com/publication/journal_key/OPPHIL/downloadAsset/OPPHIL_Instruction%20for%20Authors.pdf


All contributions will undergo a critical review before being accepted for publication.


Further questions about this thematic issue can be addressed to Razvan Sandru at razvan.sandru@research.fchampalimaud.org. In case of technical problems with submission please contact AssistantManagingEditor@degruyter.com


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