A Journal?

But what, then, is a journal? What is its purpose? 

In the academic context, the answer would seem relatively straightforward. The purpose of a journal is to invite contributors to share their work, their scholarship, select among the very best of the submissions, edit and organize, and eventually make the work available to an eager readership. Its aim is ultimately to shepherd the very best work on a given theme, field, discipline, or sub-area, and encourage (by fostering) a public conversation on its titular topic. And, above all, it is a record.

I don’t know, something like that. But then there’s a question about what it might or can be. Why use the word “journal”?

A journal, I suppose, in whatever context, is a means of communication that might also serve as a space for exploration, discovery, creation, and criticism – perhaps always with an implicit prefix of “self-“. It can take a stance, affirm or challenge the status quo, or do nothing at all. It can introduce the new or preserve the old. It can build, represent, or break a narrative, or a community.

So what, then, will be the purpose of our “journal of Mexican philosophy” or whatever we decide to name it? 

Great question.