Call: “Art, Imagination, and Affect” issue of Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics

Call for Papers:

Art, Imagination, and Affect
Special issue of the Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics
Vol. 48, No. 3, Autumn 2025
https://jcla.in/journal-of-comparative-literature-and-aesthetics/call-for-papers/

Guest Editors:
Julia Langkau (University of Geneva)
Radu Bumbăcea (University of Leeds)

Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2025

Much of the philosophical literature on imagination and affective states has focused on our emotional reaction to imaginative engagement with fiction, in particular on two prominent puzzles, known as the ‘paradox of fiction’ and the ‘paradox of tragedy/horror’. While the first asks how we can (rationally) have emotions towards fictional events and characters, the second relates to our apparent enjoyment of negative emotions. Recent discussions have shifted (a) from propositional towards richer kinds of imaginative engagement and mental imagery, (b) from solving puzzles to analysing the peculiarities of affective states in our engagement (c) not only with fiction, but also with various different forms of art. This special issue is dedicated to pushing the debate forward with respect to these three recent developments and to understanding their interdependence. The aim is to take a close look at imagination and affect both in creating art and in its reception.

With respect to (a), we are interested in the creative role of imagination not only in the production of new artworks, but also in our engagement with such works. We would also like to explore the role that affective states and values certainly play in creative imagination. Another question is to what extent our engagement with works is constrained by norms and to what extent there is room for creative imaginative engagement. With respect to (b), one key issue is the role of affective states and imaginative immersion in the appreciation of art. While some authors think both are essential, others argue that the best appreciation is the detached intellectual understanding of minute aspects of the work. Further, we may wonder whether our affective engagement with art follows the same or different norms as affective states in real-life situations, and – again – to what extent the audience is constrained by norms or rather free in their engagement. Finally, with respect to (c), the question is whether fictionality plays a role in how we engage with a work of art. Some authors have recently argued that whether a work of art is considered fictional or not is a matter of genre and is not as significant as we might have thought. We would therefore like to address the general question of whether fictionality has some impact on how we should engage with and appreciate a work.

We encourage authors to submit their contributions addressing interrelations between art, imagination, and affect, with a focus on one of the following or related questions:

  • What is creative imagining in the context of art?
  • What is the role of affective states in creating art?
  • What kind of imagination is involved in appreciating art?
  • Do different norms apply to emotions towards fictional art and emotions towards real life?
  • Are emotional reactions to art relevant? Is it important for a reader to actually experience an emotion, as opposed to imagining it or realising that the passage demands that emotion?
  • Does the fact that after repeated engagement with a work we are less immersed in the fiction and our emotional reactions are much less strong pose a problem?
  • Is emotional engagement with art part of engaging properly with it? If so, how does it relate to the artist’s intention
  • What role does the distinction between emotions towards the content of a work and its form play?
  • What is the connection between artistic means and the emotions we experience in our engagement with fiction?
  • Does fictionality make a difference as to how we engage with a work?

ABOUT THE JOURNAL:

The Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics (ISSN: 0252-8169) is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Vishvanatha Kaviraja Institute of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics, India, since 1977. The Institute was founded by Prof. Ananta Charan Sukla (1942-2020) on 22 August 1977, coinciding with the birth centenary of renowned philosopher, aesthetician, and historian of Indian art Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877-1947) to promote interdisciplinary studies and research in comparative literature, literary theory and criticism, aesthetics, philosophy, art history, criticism of the arts, and history of ideas. (Vishvanatha Kaviraja, most widely known for his masterpiece in aesthetics, Sahityadarpana, or the “Mirror of Composition,” was a prolific 14th-century Indian poet, scholar, aesthetician, and rhetorician.)

The Journal publishes essays and book reviews ranging across the literary and philosophical traditions of the East and the West, addressing interdisciplinary and cross-cultural issues in literary understanding and interpretation, aesthetic theories, conceptual analysis of art, literature, philosophy, religion, mythology, history of ideas, literary theory, history, and criticism. It also publishes special issues of current critical interest and contemporary relevance.

[For more information about the journal, visit its website: https://jcla.in/ ]

Email the editors at:
julialangkau@gmail.com
radu.bumbacea@gmail.com
editor@jcla.in


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