Thematic Issue of Discipline Filosofiche XXVI, 1, 2016: Phenomenological Ontologies: Individuality, Essence, Idea. Volume Editors: Simona Bertolini and Faustino Fabbianelli

Husserl’s interest in the concepts of eidos and essence marked the beginning of the phenomenological debate about how to define and distinguish them. In the twenty years following the publication of Jean Hering’s “Bemerkungen über das Wesen, die Wesenheit und die Idee” (1921), several attempts have been made to examine the structure of essence and idea, with respect to their relation to individual objects. In the works of Roman Ingarden and Herbert Spiegelberg, and even in those of more independent phenomenologists like Edith Stein and Nicolai Hartmann, these concepts were the primary subject of systematic investigation ranging from the self-foundation of  eidetic science (as in Ingarden’s ontological project) to Stein’s reinterpretation of Thomistic metaphysics. The phenomenological model offers a ground for the development of a variety of ontologies that, despite differences in their methodological assumptions, share a common focus on the objectual conditions of eidetic vision, thus expanding the thematic field of phenomenology and connecting it with the age-old questions of traditional metaphysics. The reality of individual objects, whether “bracketed” or not, is considered by the cited philosophers as the base of an ontological structure that has the multiplicity of essences and the ideal dimension as determining moments. The aim of our issue is to explore this field of discussion developed within the phenomenological tradition after the publication of Hering’s essay. Among the topics we invite authors to consider:

1) the definitions of and distinctions between the concepts of idea and essence;

2) the different methodological contexts and possible meanings of the phenomenological ontology underlying such a discussion;

3) comparisons to past metaphysics (Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, etc.).

Submission guidelines: Submission can be made in English, Italian, French, and German and should not exceed 9,000 words including abstract, references and footnotes. Manuscripts are welcome in English, Italian, German or French. They should be prepared for anonymous refereeing and sent by email attachment in Microsoft Word together with a .pdf version to Simona Bertolini bertolini1980@gmail.com.  Contributions are sent to two independent reviewers in a double-blind procedure prior to the publication decision. Authors may be requested to change or improve their articles when suggested by reviewers. Please attach both a fully blinded version of your paper as a “Manuscript” and a separate “Cover page” indicating full name of the authors, academic title, university affiliation and full contact details. The submission should contain an abstract in English, not exceeding 150 words. For further details, please see guidelines (all submissions will be acknowledged). Submitted manuscripts can be formatted in any clear and consistent style, but authors finalizing their papers for publication will be required to hand in a final version that respects the journal’s stylistic rules (download Style guidelines). Submission of a manuscript is understood to imply that the paper has not been published before and is not being considered for publication by any other journal. The publication of the papers implies that authors waive the copyright; they could request the copyright to the journal for future publication of them.

Deadline for submission: February  28, 2016.

Notification of acceptance, conditional acceptance, rejection: April 15, 2016.

Final version due: May 31, 2016.