Rules without Words:
Inquiries into Non-linguistic Normativities
Special Issue
Deadline for paper submission: March 13 th , 2019
The issue will be published by December 2019
Call for Papers
In the common thinking, rules are often considered linguistic entities. However, forms of
normativity not necessarily connected with verbal or written language emerge in the social
reality. A number of normative phenomena (e.g. folk law, customs, pictorial law, graphic
rules, hostile architecture, animal societies) widely described in the literature do not seem to
involve the use of words. Indeed, apparently, in these cases, rules have non-lexical nature.
Phenomenology and Mind invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to “Rules without
Words: Inquiries into Non-linguistic Normativities”. This special issue aims to bring together
researchers from all around the world who focus on non-linguistic rules from different
philosophical perspectives: social philosophy, philosophy of law and jurisprudence,
epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of language, media studies, philosophy of
architecture, philosophy of design, performance studies, ethology, cognitive science and
social psychology, gender studies.
The main purpose of this special issue is to provide a critical overview of some of the most
interesting topics and methodologies from the current philosophical debate, focusing on (but
not limited to) the following issues:
1. Ontology of non-linguistic rules
● What are the distinctive ontological features of non-linguistic rules?
● What are the relations between non-linguistic rules and social reality?
● Are non-linguistic rules essentially connected to human societies or do they regulate
the social life of some non-human members of the animal kingdom?
2. Epistemology of non-linguistic rules
● What are the distinctive epistemic features of non-linguistic rules?
● What are the cognitive and psychological aspects of non-linguistic rules?
● How is it possible to understand a non-linguistic rule?
● Is it possible to have a normative experience independently from language?
3. Deontology of non-linguistic rules
● Do non-linguistic rules contribute to the development or the maintenance of
traditional and new social inequalities?
● What are the seminal cases of non-linguistic rules in disseminating or imposing
political and social values and habits?
● How can non-linguistic rules promote the social good?
● How do architecture and design shape social reality through the creation of tacit
normative social constraints?
Phenomenology and Mind is the Journal of the Faculty of Philosophy of San Raffaele
University (Milan). It was founded in 2011 and since then has hosted works of outstanding
philosophers such as Lynne Baker, Thomas Fuchs, Anna Elisabetta Galeotti, Shaun
Gallagher, Margaret Gilbert, Jürgen Habermas, Edward Harcourt, Robin Jeshion, Dieter
Lohmar, Michael Pauen, John Searle, Nadia Urbinati, and many others. The journal is
anonymously peer-reviewed and open-access. We are committed to publishing papers of high
academic quality and making them accessible to a wide audience. Submissions from
underrepresented groups in philosophy are particularly encouraged.
Confirmed Invited Authors
Amedeo Giovanni Conte (University of Pavia)
Giuseppe Lorini (University of Cagliari)
Patrik Maynard (University of Western Ontario)
Guest Editors
Sanja Bojanić
(University of Rijeka, Academy of Applied Arts Rijeka, Center for Advanced Studies -
Southeastern Europe)
Olimpia Loddo
(University of Cagliari)
Marko-Luka Zubčić
(University of Rijeka, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Rijeka, Center for
Advanced Studies - Southeastern Europe)
Submission Guidelines
Submissions must be prepared for double blind review. Manuscripts – in .doc format –
should not contain any identifying information and they cannot exceed 6000 words
(references included). Moreover, they must contain:
- An abstract of no more than 150 words,
- The section to which the author(s) wants to contribute to;
- 4/5 keywords.
All manuscripts must be in English.
For stylistic details, see:
http://www.fupress.net/public/journals/60/pam_guidelines.pdf;
Submissions should be sent via the Phenomenology and Mind website
(
http://www.fupress.net/index.php/pam) by the 13th of March, 2019.
The author should register here and then log in to submit her paper. Please, be sure to register
as author in order to submit your paper (flag the option "Author" in your Profile), and to
indicate your current affiliation (if applicable).
For information, please contact:
[log in to unmask] Important dates:
Deadline for submissions: March 13th, 2019
Notification of acceptance: May 13th, 2019
Publication of the issue: December, 2019
