Agoriad: A journal of spatial theory

Call for Papers: ‘Geographies of the good: love and hate in a polarized world’

The question of the good has been the raison d’être of philosophy since ancient times. Once we determine what is real and true, what really matters and truly counts, then we can finally learn how to live good, ordered, and ethical lives; how to live well and die well. Yet, the contemporary liberal order tends to treat the good as merely a matter of calculation and optimization: how do we weigh freedom versus constraint? How do we distribute the good and the bad proportionally? What is a balanced approach to pain and suffering? As this liberal order comes under increasing scrutiny and pressure in an increasingly polarized world that is arguably more anguished and anxious than ever, it seems like an important and opportune moment for geographers to ask questions about this sort of calculus and how it is applied: why is promoting freedom better than fostering self-restraint or duty? Why are calculations predicated upon ancient wisdom or sacred texts better than those predicated upon an enlightenment conception of the self? Can the good only be measured by outcomes? If so, what is the right level of good? Or the right amount of suffering? Can good and evil, love and hate, and calm and anger be optimized? As the past, present, and future increasingly darken in the shadow of so many lesser and greater evils, what hope is there that the good will finally win out against all the odds? And what are the geographical and spatial aspects of all that calculation and optimization? Indeed, might geographers and spatial theorists help us to think the ‘good’ in terms other than mere calculation? Are good and evil, love and hate, calm and anger essentially incalculable? In which case, might the ‘good’ geographies of the future lie beyond the grasp of calculation?

Submissions are encouraged that explore the ‘geographies of the good’ in new and refreshing ways, that engage with the difficult transactions between a calculable and an incalculable conception of the ‘good,’ and that investigate how those transactions insinuate themselves in contemporary politics and other domains of life – and death – that affect not only humans but also places and landscapes, plants and animals, and even the earth itself. Submissions could consider questions such as:

• Can there be ‘good’ geographies? ‘Good’ spaces and places? ‘Good’ worlds and ‘good’ futures?

• To what extent is it necessary and useful to theorise the ‘good’ geographically and spatially?

• Is everyone (and everything) entitled to live / exist (and die / perish) in a ‘good’ way? Do we owe ourselves and each other ‘good’ grief? Is that a human (and nonhuman) right?

• What are the relationships between ‘good’ geographies, ‘moral’ geographies, and ‘ethical’ geographies? And how might those relationships map onto a ‘political’ geography of Left and Right, of revolution and counter-revolution, of deviation and moderation? Would ‘good’ geographies be radical or extreme?

• What is the relationship between ‘good’ and ‘love’? Would ‘good’ geographies also be ‘lovely’ geographies? Is that what a ‘good’ geographer should desire?

• Can there be a ‘good’ nationalism? A ‘good’ political economy? A ‘good’ capitalism? Or even a ‘good’ home – from the domestic to the planetary?

• Can the ‘good’ be usefully politicized in an increasingly polarized world?

• Is the question of the ‘good’ always essentially theological? If so, what would be the relationship between those ‘goodly’ and ‘godly’ geographies?

We welcome submissions from Geography and cognate disciplines that explore how the ideas, concepts, and world understandings of the ‘good’ open up complex conversations about love, hate, nationalism, politics, religion, and more. This issue will deepen our understanding of the philosophical question of the ‘good’ and its geographical and spatial aspects. Submissions can take the form of research articles (up to 10,000 words), short articles (up to 4,000 words), and creative contributions (up to 4,000 words).