XIX-1, 2027 – Pragmatism between Peace and War: History, Conflicts and Proposals for the Future
Edited by Núria Sara Miras Boronat & Matteo Santarelli
The theme of war and peace is a classic subject for pragmatists. Jane Addams devoted her influential 1907 book, Newer Ideals of Peace, to this subject, and she also contributed to international pacifist activism. This commitment was recognized when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. William James’ reflections on the moral equivalent of war in 1910 influenced and provoked discussion among subsequent generations of theorists and activists concerned with peace and war. War is also a recurring theme in the life and intellectual biography of John Dewey, from the traumatic shift towards interventionism in 1917 to his involvement in movements to outlaw war in the 1920s. Finally, George Herbert Mead addressed key issues in this regard in his articles on international-mindedness and its problematic relationship with war. Recently, some authors have used theoretical and interpretative resources from pragmatism to address issues related to peace and war. Such contributions include the works of Hans Joas (2003) on the relationship between values, war and violence; Pol Bargués (2020) on the relationship between peace and peacekeeping; and Marija Antanavičiūtė (2023) on pragmatism and international ethics.
This symposium brings together pragmatist contributions on issues of war and peace. Both historical and theoretical contributions are welcome.
The indicative list of issues includes:
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the relationship between pacifism and moral psychology;
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the analysis of the relationship between violence and conflict, and its consequences for the understanding of war;
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the influence of pragmatist authors on pacifist thought in different cultural and national contexts;
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the reconstruction and critical discussion of pragmatist authors’ interventions with respect to specific war episodes, e.g. the World Wars and the Iraq War.
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pragmatist proposals for arbitration through law, mediation and international relations.
All contributions must be prepared for blind review and submitted by 30 November 2026 to both editors:
Núria Sara Miras Boronat: nsmiras[at]ub.edu
Matteo Santarelli: matteo.santarelli4[at]unibo.it
The symposium is scheduled for publication in Issue 1, 2027. Submissions must not exceed 8,000 words (including notes and references). Papers must be prepared in accordance with the journal’s guidelines. Please note that linguistic revision is mandatory for all papers written by non-native English speakers that are accepted for publication.




