CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
for a topical issue of Open Philosophy
AT THE LIMITS OF NARRATIVE REPARATION

Open Philosophy (https://www.degruyter.com/opphil) invites submissions for the topical issue "At the Limits of Narrative Reparation," edited by Silvia Pierosara and Sergio Labate (University of Macerata, Italy).

DESCRIPTION

From ethical, hermeneutical and philosophical standpoints, narrative practices are typically associated with bonding power. Through its compositional and organisational capacity, narrative retraces lived experience in search of meaning, connecting dimensions that would otherwise remain separate. In personal and communal life, unnecessary suffering, defective experiences, and evil in general demand to be recounted in search of an 'impossible' meaning. The desire for continuity, integrity, and coherence motivates the use of narrative as a construct that can give meaning to the whole by linking seemingly unconnected parts or experiences and fostering relationships at personal and collective levels. This connection is all the more valuable the less definitive it is considered; the nature of narration means that new textures can always be woven, and bad bonds can be undone before new ones are constructed.

The basic, trans-cultural, quasi-universal construct of narration must be investigated, with a view to its capacity to reassure, exonerate, reconcile and restore, by deepening the various ethical and philosophical implications and evaluating its potential and limitations.

The value assumptions implicit in narrative constructs must be tested and evaluated from both theoretical and ethical perspectives. This approach involves analysing the various personal and social contexts in which narratives emerge and are practised. The connective power of storytelling is indeed strongly linked to ethics and philosophical anthropology, as it concerns the good we desire, the bad that happens to us and how we integrate action and events into a single narrative. Furthermore, it raises questions about health and illness, and the connective power of narration can become a real capacity for healing.

In philosophy, the use of storytelling as a tool for 'stitching and repairing' is either praised or rejected. A brief overview of current thinking reveals a polarisation between these two positions: either storytelling falsifies reality by attributing a non-existent teleology to it, or the teleological dimension becomes an ideology that either blinds one to reality or justifies it without offering any criticism.

For these reasons, it is urgent, both culturally and existentially, to define the scope of narrative's action in public and private ethics. This would allow us to engage with evil without denying it, and to use narrative as a tool for constructing a better world without accepting compromises, shortcuts, or appeals to common sense where violence and oppression prevail.

This special issue addresses this cluster of problems by examining narrative through the demanding lens of philosophy, which aspires to uncover truth and goodness. In other words, it will conduct a 'critique of reparative reason'. Taking inspiration from Kant's concept of 'critique', this issue will offer an authentic and contemporary ethical analysis of the capabilities and limitations of reparative narratives.

Contributions may focus on the following topics, among others:

    Narrative repair and different philosophical traditions (Hermeneutics, Idealism, Narrative Ethics, Political philosophy);
    Narrative repair; reconciliation through narratives; forgiveness;
    Reparation and restoration through a narrative lens: Differences and analogies;
    The resources and limits of narrative repair in care contexts;
    Public memories, conflicting public narratives, and the (im)possibility of a philosophy of history;
    Narrative repair, theories of truth and the tension towards the common good;
    Narrative repair from an aesthetic standpoint;
    Applied ethics and models of reparative narratives (AI and storytelling; medical ethics; ethics of dwelling);
    Teleology, deontology, virtue ethics and reparative narrative practices;
    The Role of narrative practices in public ethics;
    Good and bad reparative practices: examples, criteria and proposal of guidelines.


Authors publishing their articles in the special issue will benefit from:
· transparent, comprehensive and fast peer review,
· efficient route to fast-track publication and full advantage of De Gruyter's e-technology.

Because Open Philosophy is published under an Open Access model, as a rule, publication costs should be covered by so-called Article Publishing Charges (APC), paid by authors, their affiliated institutions, funders, or sponsors. Authors without access to publishing funds are encouraged to discuss potential discounts or waivers with Managing Editor of the journal Katarzyna Tempczyk (katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyterbrill.com) before submitting their manuscripts.


HOW TO SUBMIT

Submissions will be collected due to February 28, 2026.

To submit an article for this special issue of Open Philosophy, authors are asked to access the online submission system at http://www.editorialmanager.com/opphil/

Please choose: special issue "At the Limits of Narrative Reparation"

Before submission the authors should carefully read over the Instruction for Authors, available at: https://www.degruyter.com/publication/journal_key/OPPHIL/downloadAsset/OPPHIL_Instruction%20for%20Authors.pdf

All contributions will undergo critical review before being accepted for publication.

Further questions about this thematic issue can be addressed to Silvia Pierosara (s.pierosara@unimc.it) or Sergio Labate (sergio.labate@unimc.it). In case of technical problems with submission, please contact AssistantManagingEditor@degruyterbrill.com

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