Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
October 17-18 and October 24-25, 2025
This year’s conference will be held online.
Submission Deadlines:
- Book Session: December 1, 2024, 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time
- Papers and Panels: January 20, 2025, 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time
Submission Categories:
- Single paper submissions: submit complete papers of no more than 3,000 words, along with an abstract of 75-100 words.
- Panels (2- or 3-person): submit a panel abstract of no more than 500 words, as well as complete papers from each panelist (each paper up to 3,000 words).
- Book submissions: submit a book to be considered for a special session.
Papers, panels, and books from diverse philosophical perspectives in all areas of Continental Philosophy (broadly construed) are welcome.
Membership Requirement:
All participants must be registered for the 2025 conference and have paid membership dues for the 2025-2026 year. Failure to do so will disqualify you for future considerations until outstanding balances are paid.
1) Single Paper and Panel Submissions
- All submissions must be submitted using the 2025 Paper Submission Form. This includes single paper submissions and papers that are being submitted as part of a panel. Authors who are submitting their paper as part of a panel will be asked to link their paper to the panel using the panel organizer’s email address.
- Panel organizers must also complete a separate 2025 Panel Information Form.
Selection Process:
Submissions will undergo anonymous review. The conference has a highly competitive selection process. Please be certain that you can attend the meeting before submitting.
Further Instructions for Submission:
- Complete papers (both single papers and papers submitted as part of a panel) must be uploaded as a PDF document prepared for anonymous review.
- Papers (both single papers and papers submitted as part of a panel) may be no more than 3,000 words, exclusive of notes and references.
- Authors of single-paper submissions and panel organizers must indicate five keywords, as well as primary and secondary areas of specialization, for their paper or their panel.
- A person may submit only one paper for consideration each year.
- If you have a book under consideration for a book session, you may still submit a single paper for consideration, but you may not appear on a panel submission. Should your book be accepted for a book session and your single paper submission accepted for presentation, you will be asked to choose between the book session and presenting your paper.
- The author (of both single paper submissions and papers submitted as part of a panel) must indicate on the submission form if they wish to have their papers considered for any of the available prizes. (See further information about prizes below.)
- Please use gender-inclusive language in accordance with the “Guidelines for Non-Sexist Use of Language” published by the APA and available at: http://www.apaonlinecsw.org/apa-guidelines-for-non-sexist-use-of-language.
Notification:
- Upon receipt of your submission, you will receive an automated electronic acknowledgment from the Secretary-Treasurer indicating that he has received your submission. If you do not receive a response within one day, please send a follow up email to lueckspep@gmail.com.
- Authors of single-paper submissions and the panel organizers of panel submissions will hear from the Executive Committee by June 1, 2025 whether their submission has been accepted or rejected for inclusion in the 2025 SPEP Conference Program.
Prizes:
SPEP is pleased to offer six prizes for exemplary submissions. Each prizewinner will be awarded $500, and will be recognized on the SPEP program and at the SPEP Business Meeting. Winners of the Junior Scholar and Graduate Awards are eligible for the other prizes, but no individual can win more than one of the Young, Wynter, Toombs, and Lee prizes. All prizewinners, including those receiving an Honorable Mention, are strongly encouraged to submit their papers to the SPEP special issue of the Journal of Speculative Philosophy.
Authors are advised to carefully read eligibility criteria (e.g., regarding the identity and rank of authors) for each individual prize before indicating that they wish to have their paper considered for a prize.
- Best Submission by a Junior Scholar. To be eligible for the SPEP Junior Scholar Award, you must have earned a PhD in the last five years (no earlier than January of 2020). You must declare your desire to be considered for this prize on the cover sheet that accompanies your submission. In addition to the $500 prize, the winner will be granted a travel and hotel allowance. The runner-up for the award will be featured on the program as the SPEP Junior Scholar Award Honorable Mention. An individual may win this prize only once. Winners will be notified by June 15, 2025.
- Best Submission by a Graduate Student. All currently enrolled graduate students are eligible for the SPEP Graduate Student Award. You must declare your desire to be considered for this prize on the cover sheet that accompanies your submission. In addition to the $500 prize, the winner will be granted a travel and hotel allowance. The runner-up for the award will be featured on the program as the SPEP Graduate Student Award Honorable Mention. An individual may win this prize only once. Winners will be notified by June 15, 2025.
- The Iris Marion Young Prize for the Best Paper in Feminist Philosophy, awarded by the Committee on the Status of Women. You must declare your desire to be considered for this prize on the cover sheet that accompanies your submission. The winner will be chosen by the CSW through anonymous review and will be notified by June 15, 2025.
- The Sylvia Wynter Prize for the Best Paper considering anti-blackness, Africana and Indigenous diasporas, colonialism, post-colonialism, settler-colonialism by a Black, Indigenous, and/or person of color junior scholar (that is, a pre-tenure scholar or graduate student) awarded by the Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. You must declare your desire to be considered for this prize on the cover sheet that accompanies your submission. The winner will be chosen by the REDC through anonymous review and will be notified by June 15, 2025.
- The S. Kay Toombs Prize for the Best Paper addressing disability, ableism, research in philosophy of disability, and/or research in critical disability studies by a junior scholar (that is, a scholar who has earned a PhD in the five years prior to the submission date) or graduate student awarded by the Committee on Accessibility, Disability, and Inclusion. You must declare your desire to be considered for this prize on the cover sheet that accompanies your submission. The winner will be chosen by the CADI through anonymous review and will be notified by June 15, 2025. The author of the prize-winning paper will also be invited to submit their paper to the Journal of Philosophy of Disability.
- The Kyoo “Q” Lee Prize for Best Paper on LGBTQ Issues in Philosophy by a junior scholar, graduate student, or independent scholar/researcher that either 1) engages LGBTQ philosophy, addressing issues of gender, sexuality, queer theory, and/or trans philosophy (especially papers engaging LGBTQ issues in conversation with questions of race, ethnicity, indigeneity, disability, culture, class, migration, religion, and/or age) and/or 2) is submitted by a self-identified LGBTQ philosopher. Priority will be given to scholars who work across genres (broadly construed) in innovative ways. You must declare your desire to be considered for this prize on the cover sheet that accompanies your submission. The winner will be chosen by the LGBTQ Advocacy Committee through anonymous review and will be notified by June 15, 2025. Awardees will be invited to be formally recognized at the annual LGBTQ Advocacy Committee Session on the main SPEP program.
2) Book Submissions
- Eligible books: Monographs on topics of interest to continental philosophers, published on or after January 1, 2021. Edited volumes are not eligible. Translated books will be considered, if the book author (not the translator) commits to attending the conference and responding to comments and questions in English. A book can be submitted for consideration no more than three times.
- To have your book be considered for a special session, please fill out the online Book Submission Form.
- The form will ask you to upload a digital copy of your book. Please also submit two copies of the book to the Book Selection Advisory Committee Chair whose address is below. The deadline for receipt of the form, digital book, and print books is December 1, 2024.
- An author may submit only one book for consideration. It is the author’s responsibility to verify that their book has been sent to the Book Selection Advisory Committee Chair. NOTE: If you have a book under consideration for a special session, you may still submit a single paper for consideration, but you may not appear on a panel submission. If your book is selected for a book session and your single paper submission is accepted for presentation, you will have to choose whether to have a book session or a paper presentation on the 2025 conference program.
- Send books to:
Verena Erlenbusch-Anderson
Department of Philosophy
200 Gregory Hall, MC-468
810 S Wright St
Urbana, IL 61801
Selection Process and Notification:
- Books will be reviewed by the Book Selection Advisory Committee, who will forward their recommendations to the SPEP Executive Committee.
- Authors of the books chosen for special sessions will be notified by June 1, 2025.
For further information, please contact either one of the Executive Co-Directors:
Antonio Calcagno: acalcagn@uwo.ca
Shannon Mussett: shannon.mussett@uvu.edu
Members of SPEP are also encouraged to submit their papers to the APA for consideration. Guidelines for submission can be found at: http://www.apaonline.org/