New Philosophy Journal Attracts Key Thinkers

A Lancaster University postgraduate has set up a journal, which intends to demonstrate excellence and originality within the study of philosophy.

MA Philosophy student Tom Randall, who graduated in philosophy and politics this summer, founded the online and hard copy publication of the Lancaster Journal of Philosophy.

The peer-reviewed journal accepts submissions on a rolling basis, regarding any philosophical discipline. Content includes, but is not limited to, metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology. The journal accepts both original papers and response papers to previously published work.

“I did this for myself to begin with really and just sourced a basic website,” explains Tom, who takes up the role of head editor. “I sent an email to the (Politics, Philosophy and Religion) PPR administrator asking for a call for papers and got a great response with MA and PhD students all wanting to meet up to discuss it further.”

“Oliver Thorne, a Lancaster PhD student, was then really helpful in getting a six-strong group of sub-editors together and we had the support of the entrepreneurial office in FASS behind us too.”

Volume 1 has now been published and can be viewed for free online. 50 hard copies have just been ordered, and will be available to access across campus; they will also be available to order through the website. Content titles include ‘The Aesthetics of Pet Sounds’, ‘Greening the Dharma’ and ‘A Philosophical Monograph Questioning the University’. An invitation to contribute to Volume 2 has just been issued.

“The Lancaster Journal of Philosophy prides itself in excellence and originality,” adds Tom. “While we recognise you may submit your paper to different journals to increase chances of publication, you must contact the editors as soon as your paper has been accepted by another journal, prior to the paper's acceptance in this journal.

“The journal is intended ultimately as a forum for anyone with an interest in philosophy as a way of sparking discussion with others, to debate important philosophical issues, and share knowledge.”

Tom, who hails from Banbury and lives in Lancaster, is planning to emigrate to Canada in the near future where he will undertake his PhD. During his second year as an undergraduate, Tom studied in Canada at Trent University near Toronto where taking a module in environmental philosophy resonated with his interests. “That was such a good experience and was very important for me as I actually did my dissertation on environmental philosophy.”

Tom was recently asked to present one of his papers on environmental philosophy, which was published in the British Journal of Undergraduate Philosophy Volume Seven, at the British Undergraduate Philosophy Society Autumn Conference 2013 at Manchester University. “It was a very worthwhile experience and a great event to attend and to be asked to present,” he says. “I actually wrote the paper for myself originally for the Lancaster Journal over the summer, then submitted it to the British Journal and one thing led to another.”

“In PPR we support a variety of student organisations, activities and events,” says Head of Department Professor Robert Geyer. “The Lancaster Journal of Philosophy, established by Tom Randall, is exactly the kind of student-led initiative that we had hoped would emerge following the creation of the new Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion.”