Wittgenstein in the 21st Century
Journal: Journal of Philosophical Investigations
University: University of Tabriz
Special Issue: Issue 60, Summer 2027
Submission Deadline: May 2027 (Ordibehesht 1406)
Guest Editor: Professor Michael Peters, Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, China
The Journal of Philosophical Investigations at the University of Tabriz invites submissions for a special issue titled “Wittgenstein in the 21st Century.” The issue will explore the continuing relevance of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy to contemporary debates in artificial intelligence, climate change, digital society, cognitive science, politics, religion, aesthetics, education, psychotherapy, and decolonial thought.
1. Wittgenstein and Artificial Intelligence
Language games, rule-following, and machine learning: Can it be said that large language models follow rules, engage in language games, or possess meaning? Engage Philosophical Investigations in dialogue with AI alignment, interpretability, and the philosophy of mind.
2. Wittgenstein and the Climate Crisis
Certainty, forms of life, and environmental ethics: Apply Wittgenstein’s concepts of certainty and anti-foundationalism to climate denial, scientific consensus, and the ethical frameworks required for environmental action.
3. Wittgenstein and Social Media
Forms of life in digital societies: How do online language games alter meaning, authenticity, and community? Examine trolls, memes, and algorithmic amplification through a Wittgensteinian lens.
4. Wittgenstein and Cognitive Science
Re-evaluating the private language argument: Assess the private language argument in light of contemporary neuroscience, predictive processing, and debates concerning consciousness and introspection.
5. Wittgenstein and Political Philosophy
Rule-following, forms of life, and social critique: Can Wittgenstein’s silence accommodate political critique? Engage with thinkers such as Cavell, Mouffe, and Rorty on consensus, disagreement, and social change.
6. Wittgenstein and Religious Belief in a Secular Age
Reconsider religious belief in light of New Atheism, religious pluralism, and the phenomenology of faith. Contributions may draw on Wittgenstein’s lectures and discussions of religion.
7. Wittgenstein and Aesthetics
Seeing-as, aspect-dawning, and contemporary art: Examine aspect perception, family resemblance, and the limits of saying and showing in relation to conceptual art, film, and digital aesthetics.
8. Wittgenstein and Education
Education, initiation, and the ethics of teaching: What does it mean to enter a form of life? Connect Wittgenstein to education, curriculum theory, and debates surrounding indoctrination.
9. Wittgenstein and Psychotherapy
Language, suffering, and therapeutic philosophy: Bring the later Wittgenstein into dialogue with CBT, narrative therapy, and the idea of philosophy as a therapy for conceptual confusion.
10. Wittgenstein and Decolonial Thought
Language games, power, and epistemic injustice: Examine whether Wittgenstein’s pluralism can serve a decolonial critique or whether his Eurocentrism limits it. Engage with epistemic injustice, translation, and marginalized forms of life.
Submission deadline: May 2027 (Ordibehesht 1406)
Authors are encouraged to consult the journal’s submission guidelines before submitting their manuscripts.
Professor Michael Peters
Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University, China
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-peters-15359911/