Sapere Aude or ìdare to know” seems a fitting title for a journal encompassing a wide array of philosophical areas. ìSapere Aude: The Wooster Journal of Philosophical Inquiry” is a peer-reviewed undergraduate journal that works, according to its co-editor-in-chief Lindsay Brainard í10, ìto facilitate intellectual discovery by encouraging students to reason independently and to explore unfamiliar philosophical territory.”
One of the characteristics that† distinguish the journal as its own publication amongst the others that circulate the Wooster campus is that it accepts entries for review from any undergraduate that wishes to submit one.† Previous volumes have included students from George Washington University, The Ohio State University, Brown University, Denison University and Trinity University as well as The College of Wooster
The idea for the journal was initiated by philosophy majors Mike Doerr í08 and Deborah Coffman í08 in the spring of 2007.† Doerr and Coffman worked to contact active students within the department and a group of five students began to get the ball rolling.† After encountering some initial start-up troubles involving campus support and funding, the journal was able to publish their first edition in the spring of 2008.
The journal, which goes to press once a year in the spring, distributes a call for submissions in the fall. Once submissions have been received, the staff reconvenes in the spring to review the submissions for publication, and then the journal goes to press.
The journal is currently under the leadership of Brainard and her co-editor in chief, Jen Barnes í11. Brainard commented that, ìthe journal has two editors-in-chief every year in order to balance the work involved and to promote continuation of the journal.” Brainard exemplifies the purpose behind this, as this is her second year as editor in chief; last year she served alongside Matthew Gorski í09.† Her experience has proved useful in her second term. ìI already had an in-depth understanding of the journal this year when I resumed the post with Jen,” said Brainard.
As for her co-editor in chief, Brainard comments that, ìJen and I function as a pretty solid team ó itís sort of uncanny how well our strengths and shortcomings balance out.† Iím sure Iíd find it very difficult to do I.S. and manage the journal if I didnít have Jen as a co-editor in chief.”
In addition to the editors in chief, the journal has about a dozen other devoted students on staff, spanning all four class years and encompassing a variety of majors and minors including publicity chair Scott Smith í10 and treasurer Tom Loughead í10. The staff meets for two hours every week during the spring semester to discuss the submissions.† Brainard has indicated that they have an elaborate voting and ranking procedure. ìOur staff is a really dynamic mix of students,” she commented, ìand we tend to have a lot of fun discussing both the papers and the philosophical issues they address.”
For more information about the publication of the journal contact Lindsay Brainard í10 at LBrainard10@wooster.edu