Masthead CMC Magazine September 1, 1995 / Page 5


SPECIAL CALL

Call for Papers: Philosophical Perspectives of Free Speech in CMC Environments

Deadline: October 15, 1995

The August 1995 issue of CMC Magazine only touched the surface of the issues surrounding free speech, pornography and censorship in computer-mediated communication. These issues warrant a closer and more in-depth examination.

Debates about free speech, pornography, and censorship often begin with limited and unstated philosophical starting points--e.g., libertarian and atomistic conceptions of the individual--and then reason based on preferences for minimal norms as established by communities and states. These arguments also often favor preferences for adversarial speech styles as a means to truth and place high value on preserving the expression of alternative viewpoints as an end in itself.

In order to shed greater light on these debates, CMC Magazine will devote a special issue to philosophical perspectives on free speech and its possible limits in CMC environments, including the Internet. Articles in this issue will broaden the circle of possible philosophical starting points, so as to approach these topics from a wide range of explicitly stated philosophical positions (e.g., libertarian, communitarian, feminist, Kantian/Rawlsian, etc.).

The guest editor, Dr. Charles Ess (Drury College), requests brief (1500-2000 words) articles which approach the issues surrounding free speech in CMC environments from a variety of clearly stated philosophical standpoints.

Articles should presume the broad audience of CMC Magazine, and include an introductory summary of the pertinent philosophical concepts. Deadline for receipt of candidate essays is October 15, 1995.

See CMC Magazine's submission guidelines for general guidelines for style, format, and audience.

Readers interested in discussing possible essays, and/or nominating appropriate authors, should contact Dr. Ess directly via e-mail: cmess@lib.drury.edu. [CMC TOC]


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