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Call for Publications Theme: The Othering of the Other Subtitle: Philosophical Perspectives on the African Context of Difference Publication: Edited Volume Date: 2018 Deadline: 30.8.2017 __________________________________________________ Difference is colloquially understood as the residues of, or crumbs falling off from, some selfcontained identities believed to have their respective essential properties that separates the one from the other. These residues of identities constitute bulk of human experiences of the relation between the self and the other with peculiarities in African traditional and modern societies. Difference stands under a manifold of experiences in African traditional and modern societies. The othering in African traditional and modern societies of disabled and queer beings from human beings and of the male folk from the female folk, the xenophobic and xenophilic feeling for the foreign other in traditional and modern Africa spaces, the othering of the self from the other based on ethnic, political and religious differences, the othering of the other based on economic status and class, and the notorious history of the racial othering of Africans by non-Africans and vice versa are clear manifestations of the experience of difference in African societies. These have often resulted in violence, inequality, discrimination and injustices as seen, for instance, in the Rwandan genocide, the Boko Haram saga, the South African xenophobia experience, the persistent discrimination against, and killings of persons with albinism, the sexist treatment of women and the continually unfolding racism against blacks in the diaspora. Today, much literature deals with these residues of identities. In these mainly (social) scientific studies of such residues of identities as the Rwandan genocide, Boko Haram, political violence, ethnic violence, discrimination against disabled persons and women, efforts are made to show the violence and inequality that results from differences and recommendations are made on how to improve the situation. But philosophical issues remain largely unaddressed. For example, are differences simply residues of self-contained identities? Is difference not the very essence of the unfolding of reality? What is the ontology of the visible differences we experience in an African place, or what theory of being stands under our experiences of difference? What theories of knowledge forms the basis for our experience of difference in African traditional and modern societies? What constitute the processes of knowing about difference and how is the knowledge about the othering of the other in traditional societies sustained in modern societies even in the face of counteracting evidences? What role does systemic ignorance play in the production of knowledge of the other? Do we have moral obligations toward the other or those we consider as different? If we do, what constitutes such moral responsibility toward the other in African thought? What value is placed on the other in African societies? What is the ethics and burden of care for those considered different in African societies? What role does language play in the othering of the other in African societies? These are essential philosophical questions about the experience of difference and the other in African traditional and modern societies and little or no answer has been provided in existing literature in philosophy. The purpose of this volume is to provide original and thought-provoking essays on an underexplored area in African philosophy, African philosophical approaches to difference. The volume seeks to go beyond a discussion of the empirical manifestations of differences in African societies to a critical analysis of, among other things, the very nature and essence of difference that makes such 2 manifestations possible. The idea is to explore the ontological, epistemological and moral foundations of difference in African societies, both traditional and modern. The themes to be developed in the volume include the following: - African philosophy as a philosophy unfolding from difference - Philosophical theories of difference and the other: African perspectives - Ontology, epistemology and ethics of difference in African traditions - The othering of disabled and queer beings in African traditional and modern societies - Xenophobia and xenophilia as expressions of difference in African societies - Religious and ethnic fundamentalism as expressions of difference in African societies - Philosophical perspectives on political, economic and class differences - Race and the other in Africa and African diaspora - Generational difference in the othering of tradition and modernity. Philosophical and feminist perspectives on gender differences - The essence of difference in the unfolding of the development/underdevelopment of the black race - Language and the othering of the other - The role of literature and art in the institutionalization of difference - The essence of aesthetic differences Notes for contributors Interested contributors should kindly submit well-written, philosophical essays that fit into any of the themes above or related themes. Manuscript should be prepared as a Microsoft word document (any version from 1997-2016), double-spaced Times-New-Roman font and font size 12. The first page should be single spaced containing the title, author’s details (name, affiliation and email), abstract and a brief bio of the author. The abstract should not be more than 300 words. The main work should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words. The MLA style of reference should be used (preferably the 7th edition). Manuscripts should be sent to: elvism...@yahoo.com or elvis.imafi...@aauekpoma.edu.ng If you wish to submit an already published manuscript or a revised edition of such, kindly obtain permission to reprint from the initial publisher(s). The manuscript will be submitted to Routledge, Blackwell, or a reputable University Press. Deadline for submission of topic and abstract: August 30, 2017 Notification of accepted topics and abstracts: September 30, 2018 Deadline for submission of complete paper: February 28, 2018 Notification of accepted papers and submission to press: May 30, 2018 About the Editor: Dr Elvis Imafidon teaches in the Department of Philosophy, Ambrose Alli University in Nigeria. He is currently a Writing Fellow of the Johannesburg Institute of Advanced Study (JIAS), University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research centres on African ontology and ethics. He is concerned with the extent to which African concepts of reality affect the African idea of the good, and the implications of African ontology for concepts such as corruption, otherness, disability, difference, personhood and gender. In the past few years, he has been specifically concerned with the implications of African ontology for albinism as an other in Africa, focusing on inherent ontological, epistemological and moral theories. His most recent publication in this regard is ‘Dealing with the Other between the Moral and the Ethical: Albinism on the African Continent’, Journal of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 38.2 (2017): 163-177. As a writing Fellow of the JIAS, he is completing the manuscript of the book titled, White Skin, Black Race: The Philosophical Discourse of Albinism in Africa. He is the editor of Ontologized Ethics: New Essays in African Meta-ethics (Lexington Books, 2013), The Ethics of Subjectivity: Perspectives Since the Dawn of Modernity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), and the author of The Question of the Rationality of African Traditional Thought: An Introduction (CreateSpace 2013). Contact: Dr Elvis Imafidon Johannesburg Institute of Advanced Study (JIAS) University of Johannesburg South Africa Email: elvism...@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __________________________________________________
