Call for Abstracts

The Bear and Philosophy

Edited by Mark D. White

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

Both fans and critics praise The Bear for its intense and unflinching portrayal of the chaos of restaurant workplace culture as well as the private and family lives of the people who work there. The show raises numerous philosophical issues regarding the aesthetics and meaning of food and eating; the ethics of work and management; personal issues of obsession, devotion, and purpose; and interpersonal matters dealing with family, friendship, and romantic connections.

We invite submissions focused on any of the show’s myriad philosophical themes. 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:

Fire! The Philosophy of Food

The Bear or The Beef? Thinking of High and Low Food Culture

Gathered Here: Why Do So Many Important Life Moments Seem to Take Place at Restaurants?

Beyond Hunger: Fine Dining as Experience

The Kitchen as Canvas: What it Means for Food to Be an Expression of Creativity

Cooking Is Caring: The Real Reason We Make Food for Others

Are All Restaurants This Crazy? Workplace Culture

“At the Pass”: Does Chaos Come from Culture or Commerce?

“You’re Terrible at This”: Workplace Abuse in the Kitchen

From Line Cook to Legend: Are Genius Cooks Born or Made?

“Yes Chef”: The Importance of Respect among Kitchen Staff

“Every Customer is Family”: The Philosophy of Unreasonable Hospitality

Forks and More Forks: We Must Imagine Sisyphus as Kitchen Staff

Calling Plays, Drilling Technique, and Demanding Discipline: What Chefs Can Learn from Sports Coaches about Leadership

Non-Negotiables: Reasonable Expectations or Perfectionist Demands?

Working at The Bear

When Does Work End? The Bear and Work-Life Balance

Carmy and Claire: Are Romance and Kitchen Life Irreconcilable?

“It’s My Life”: Must a Job Be a Passion or Can It Be Simply a Vocation?

The Fall of Carmy: What Happens When Your Work Is No Longer Your Passion?

Becoming Who You Are: Richie’s Existential Transformation

“Every Second Counts”: Living by Intention

“In the Weeds”: Gender, Power, and Creative Authority in the Kitchen

Cooking Up Commitment: Syd’s Dilemma of Staying or Leaving

Everyone Is a “Bear”: The Characters and Their Relationships

Why Does Carmy Hate Himself (and Why Claire Suffers for It)

The Aftermath of Mikey: Living after the Suicide of a Loved One

“Cousin” or Not? The Meaning of Family

Of Fishes and Bears: The Intolerability of Family Dysfunction

“I’m not like this because I’m in Van Halen….”: Essence and Existence in The Bear

Raking the Mind: What Zen Gardens Reveal about Us

Submission Guidelines:

1. Submission deadline for abstracts (350-500 words) and CVs: January 16, 2026
2. Submission deadline for drafts of accepted papers: June 15, 2026

Kindly submit by e-mail (with or without Word attachment) to profmdwhite@hotmail.com