Journal of Contemporary Thought

The Forum on Contemporary Theory, Baroda, India invites papers for the current and future issues of the Journal of Contemporary Thought. Revived after a hiatus of seven years, the Journal returns with fresh resolve to offer a platform for cutting edge research in the field of Theory. Our past contributors include scholars such as Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Etienne Balibar, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Fred Dallmayr, Gianni Vattimo, William V. Spanos, Martin Jay, S.N. Balagangadhara, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Shannon Bell, Gauri Viswanathan, Stephen Greenblatt, Ashis Nandy, Simon Gikandi, Gaurav Desai, among others.

In resuming its role, the Journal once again aims to foster interdisciplinary research and critical inquiry in contemporary theory, especially in areas such as culture and politics, and including literature and life-worlds, philosophy, and the human sciences. It approaches contemporary critical issues from a variety of politically and theoretically informed perspectives by exploring concepts, interpretations, and methodologies. It aims to reconsider existing concepts and theories while also opening itself to expanding frontiers of thought.

Researchers and scholars from diverse disciplines are invited to bring their insights and perspectives to this academic forum. The Journal encourages the submission of original research articles that demonstrate innovative thinking and push the boundaries of disciplinary terrains. Interdisciplinary approaches that bridge gaps between different fields, and foster deeper understanding of complex social, cultural, and theoretical phenomena are welcome.

Submissions

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal undergo a double-blind peer review process. Authors are therefore requested to submit the anonymised manuscript, with name and affiliation appearing on a separate cover page and accompanied by a covering letter addressed to the Editor stating that it has not been submitted to any other journal and that it contains no plagiarised content. The Journal follows the MLA format (9th edition) and manuscripts should be prepared accordingly. Submissions can be mailed to the Managing Editor at jct.submissions@gmail.com, and further details on manuscript preparation and submission guidelines can be found on the Journal of Contemporary Thought  and the Forum on Contemporary Theory website. The Ethics Policy of the Journal is also available on this site. Articles are solicited until 31 July 2024. Manuscripts received after this date would be considered for the next issue.

Submissions are currently open. 

Possible themes and topics

1.  Expanding parameters of Theory

2.  Theory in India

3.  Theory and social, political, and cultural phenomena.

4.  Theory, criticism, poetics, politics and aesthetics of literature.

5.  Uses and abuses of Theory across disciplines.

6.   Philosophical interpretation of literature and literary treatment of philosophy.

7.   Death of Theory and After Theory.

8.   Intersectionality and identity politics.

9.   Investigations into systematic methodologies, viz. semiotics and narratology.

10.  The globalization of Theory and its impact on societies.

11.   Political Theology

12.   States of Exception.

13.   Environmental studies and ecological thought.

14.   Posthumanism 

The Journal encourages submissions that demonstrate relevance to contemporary issues, theoretical depth, and methodological rigour. It tends to publish 7-10 articles (6000-8000 words), 2-4 book reviews (about 1500 words), one review essay (5000 words), and an interview/conversation with a theorist or scholar of theory. Additionally, readers will have the opportunity write in their comments on the Journal’s content and engage in meaningful discussions in a section on Critical Exchanges.

Publishers of critical works on all aspects of theory may request reviews by sending two copies of the book to the JCT. However, commissioning rights for such reviews rest with the JCT. 

For any queries or clarifications, please contact the editorial team at the email address provided. We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions towards fostering intellectual exchange and critical dialogue through the Journal of Contemporary Thought.

Book Reviews

The Journal seeks reviews of books that are pertinent to its areas of interest. It tends to publish reviews of about 1500 words that play the role of an anchor around which a larger idea is developed. Book reviews should not merely be a summary of a book split into a sequential progress of the chapters. It must contextualise the text in its milieu, have a discussion with the scholarship, which is to say, talk to other scholars/books in the sub-field. As this is an interdisciplinary journal, our ideal audience, while erudite, may not necessarily be familiar with specific areas of scholarship. So, the purpose of the review would be to spark intrigue, lay the foundation, and embrace a larger readership beyond its area of specialisation. It is hard to both address a generalist and yet please a specialist at the same time. And to aim for that is what distinguishes this journal. A curious reader, unaware of the field, should come away with the pleasure of having comprehensively learnt something from it. 

In terms of prose, we encourage our authors to take a cursory look at the London Review of Books, the New York Review of Books or the New Yorker for a sense of what can be rich, yet dense, writing. One may think of "Chomsky and his Critics" by Ian Hacking in 1980 (NYRB) or "Where is my mind?" by Jerry Fodor in 2009 (LRB). James Wood's "The Uses of Oblivion" on Kazuo Ishiguro in 2015 (New Yorker) bears witness to how one may weave in other works in the discussion, lay out the context and instil in the reader a sense of accomplishment. Certain philosophical or theoretical texts, no doubt, will rely on necessary academic jargon. For more, we would encourage you to get hold of older issues of the Journal of Contemporary Thought and peruse some of the book reviews previously printed in it. 

Journal Details

Name : Journal of Contemporary Thought

Publisher: Forum on Contemporary Theory, Baroda

  Website : https://www.jctportal.com

Manuscript Submission: jct.submissions@gmail.com