Undergraduate Program

About Ex Nihilo

Ex Nihilo is a student-run philosophy journal, which seeks to serve as an outlet for undergraduate philosophy essays of exceptional quality. The journal is produced by the Undergraduate Philosophy Association, and supported in large part by the Department of Philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin. Ex Nihilo is published in the spring, and issues are published in print, as well as online.

Ex Nihilo was founded in 1996 to serve the University of Texas at Austin community, but was expanded in 1999 to accept submissions from English-speaking students from around the world. Though a few years passed without the publication of Ex Nihilo, the journal was revived in the spring of 2004, and has continued to the present.

In the spring, the Ex Nihilo Editorial Board also hosts an Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, inviting authors published in the preceding school year to read and discuss their respective works. This coming year's Conference will be held April 20-21, 2007.

If you are interested in submitting a paper to Ex Nihilo, please see below for further information. Any further questions about Ex Nihilo may be directed to us at exnihilo@uts.cc.utexas.edu.

Interested in joining the Ex Nihilo staff?

Being a part of the Ex Nihilo Editorial Board provides students a great opportunity to read excellent papers written by peers, on a variety of topics, and engage in philosophical discourse with fellow students. Those interested in joining Ex Nihilo are encouraged to speak with a member of the current Editorial Board. You may contact us by sending an e-mail to exnihilo@uts.cc.utexas.edu.

Senior Reader and Junior Reader positions are currently available. Both of these positions will be responsible for evaluating essays submitted to the journal for publication, while Senior Readers will also be further involved in editing papers, helping organize the Conference and other group meetings, and preparing the print publication.

All applicants who wish to be considered for Senior Reader positions within the journal should submit a writing sample. The sample must be philosophical in nature, and can be of any length sufficient to show your ability to understand and discuss philosophical issues. Papers written for classes are welcome.

All applicants should be aware that the level of commitment is, in large part, dependent on the number of submissions received by the journal. Given this, a specific time commitment cannot be established beforehand. With the exception of senior staff members, the majority of staff members will fulfill their commitments within a two-month period, beginning at the journal submission deadline and ending with staff agreement on papers to be accepted for publication.

To learn more about the Ex Nihilo Editorial Board, and applying to work with the journal, please contact us at exnihilo@uts.cc.utexas.edu.

Submissions

Submitted papers are expected to defend a substantive philosophical thesis evaluating a significant philosophical position. The paper should display close and clear inspection of pertinent texts, entertain possible criticisms, and develop responses to those criticisms.

Submissions should be 3500 – 5000 words, double-spaced, and in a consistent documentation format. While there is no specific word limit, papers within this range will receive priority. A short (300 word max.) abstract should also be included with your submitted work. Along with essay and abstract, please include a cover page with the following information: Full Name, University or College, Major or Degree, Expected Graduation Date, Email address, Phone number, and Mailing Address. Do not include any personal information on the paper itself.

Papers must be the original work of the author, with all sources and references properly cited. While we do not accept previously published papers, we do accept simultaneous submissions with the expectation that we will be informed immediately if the paper is being published elsewhere. Re-submissions are also welcome.

The deadline for submission to the 7th Issue of Ex Nihilo is Sunday, January 28, 2007.

Submissions may be e-mailed to exnihilo@uts.cc.utexas.edu, or a hard copy may be mailed to:

Ex Nihilo
Department of Philosophy Undergraduate Advising Office
University of Texas
1 University Station, C3500
Austin, TX 78712-0220

For mailed submissions, please include two hard copies of essay, and either a 3.5” floppy disk or compact disk with saved copy of submitted essay. For all accepted papers, the editors of the journal will attempt to contact author's concerning any requested editorial corrections, but final editorial rights are reserved to the staff of Ex Nihilo.

All published authors will be invited to our spring Undergraduate Philosophy Conference. Published authors will also receive five copies of the issue of the journal, in which they are published, for personal distribution.