The Witcher and Philosophy: Call for Abstracts

The Witcher and Philosophy

Call for Abstracts

Edited by Matthew Brake and Kevin S. Decker

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Please circulate and post widely. Apologies for cross-posting.

To propose ideas for future volumes in the Blackwell series please contact the Series Editor, William Irwin, at williamirwin@kings.edu

The Witcher series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski have gained acclaim for their multiple adaptations, including a lauded series of video games by CD Projekt and a Netflix television adaptation (one of Netflix’s most-watched streaming series of all time). Works focusing on any of the Witcher novels, games, the TV series, or other adaptations are welcome. Contributors of accepted essays will receive an honorarium. Abstracts and subsequent essays should be philosophically substantial but accessible, written to engage the intelligent lay reader.

Possible themes and topics might include, but are not limited to, the following:

Emancipatory Politics, Racism, and the Elves
Feminism and Women’s Agency in The Witcher
Carl Schmitt and the Nature of the Political
Is political neutrality possible? Witchers as Third Way Community.
Church, State, and Magic on the Continent
Picking the Lesser of Two Evils: Is Moral Purity Possible?
Destiny, Free Will, and the Elder Blood
A Fantasy World of Marginalized Outcasts: Existentialism and Unfairness
The Philosophy of Monstrosity
Immanuel Kant, Moral Choice, and the Problem of Predicting the Consequences of Our Actions
Player agency and freedom in the Witcher games
Geralt the god-killer as vanquisher of nihilism?
Ciri, the “Lady of Space and Time” – unlimited and untapped power and its consequences
Witcher mutations, potions – bioethics and dehumanization
Imperialism and the ever-presence of Nilfgaard
White Frost and climate change
Scapegoating and misplaced blame
Team Triss or Team Yen?
Choosing the lesser evil and critiques of utilitarianism
The Witcher as Postmodern Fairy Tale
Avoiding the Abyss: Can You Dabble with Evil Without Becoming Wicked?
Thanedd, Political Rebellion and the Question of Sovereignty
Science and Magic in the World of the Witcher
Is Geralt a Stoic?
Ciri, Justice, and Revenge
Can You Control Chaos? Philosophy of Magic
Non-linear Storytelling and Narrative Identity
Don’t Kill the Bard! Aesthetics in the Witcher