Johns Hopkins prides itself on being the top research institution in the nation, and yet, until this year, it did not have a publication for philosophical research and discussion.
Last summer, junior Dave Kotlyar decided to rectify this omission and founded Prometheus, Johns Hopkins University's first student journal of philosophy.
"I wanted to do this since I first entered Hopkins," said Kotlyar. "A forum for philosophical discussion does exist at 35 other schools, and I thought Hopkins deserved to be among those."
"Prometheus strives to parallel the goal of Hopkins - to promote both undergraduate education and research," states the Prometheus Web site. "Prometheus' mission is to challenge academic boundaries and to publish student work on controversial ideas in the realm of philosophy."
The actual journal will be approximately 80 pages long, consisting of both "articles" and "discussion pieces." The editorial board defines articles as a work from 2000 to 4000 words (12 to 20 pages) focusing on a primary theme with several points of discussion. In contrast, a discussion piece consists of only 750 - 2000 words and concentrates on only one or two points of a discussion or argument.
Prometheus is not limited to pure philosophical works.
"We're different in that we want to accept works that are more than just straight philosophy, even poetry and anthropology," said Kotlyar. "That's different than any other undergraduate journal."
The journal will be published annually and the first edition is planned for distribution in May. Approximately 300 to 500 hardback copies will be distributed, available on campus in the Philosophy department, the Hutzler Reading Room and possibly the MSE library. Moreover, Kotlyar hopes to distribute it to undergraduate Philosophy departments throughout the nation.
Kotlyar said his eventual goal is for Prometheus "not just to be a small student magazine but to be nationally distributed."
Furthermore, every author printed in the magazine will receive a free copy.
The journal was officially founded in August by Kotlyar and four friends, who now form the editorial board. Those involved include Kotlyar as editor-in-chief, John Odito as copy editor, Dave Harris as secretary and Matt Rosenberg and Joseph Gorodenker as managing editors.
Eventually, Kotlyar hopes the journal will yield both a graduate and an undergraduate publication. Currently, the journal is limited only to undergraduates, although any college student throughout the world is encouraged to submit work as long as it is in English.
Moreover, international interest has been expressed; the journal received an e-mail from a college faculty member in Naples, Italy inquiring about the project. In fact, the journal's call for papers has even been published in The American Philosophy Association publication and Web site.
"We're the first undergraduate journal ever to have that done in my knowledge," said Kotlyar.
Kotlyar seeks to obtain further academic recognition and thus will strictly adhere to scholarly guidelines to maintain the integrity of the journal. Also, he continually stresses that the upcoming publication is not a magazine but rather a journal.
"A magazine has informal laymen's terms," said Kotlyar. "This will be a serious academic journal. It will be fairly technical, although accessible to undergraduates."
The journal has received funds from the Provost's office and the Office of Student Life. In two years, the editorial board also hopes to obtain funds form the Student Activities Council of the Student Council.
"This is the humanities equivalent of what the science research journal would be," said Koltyar.
"Philosophical discussions are a key part of academia, and it's a forum for undergraduate students that's really not been at Hopkins."
The deadline is Jan. 1, 2002, for submissions. Submissions should be sent to prometheusjhu@hotmail.com. For more information, visit http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/jg20/index.htm.
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