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Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy

Volume 2 (2017)

Editor's Note: Issue 2

It is with great pleasure that I bring you the second issue of our undergraduate journal, Acta Cogitata.

It remains the case that this journal is a vaulting point for some of the best and brightest ideas from the ground floor of professional philosophy. Further, my note in the first issue – that an idea’s greatness is not determined by its point of origin, but rather the attention it garners in the public domain and, one hopes, its proximity to the truth – continues resonate.

This second issue begins Acta Cogitata’s new peer review process. Our first issue’s contents were selected and reviewed by professional philosophers, which remains the case for most of the articles in this issue. This issue, however, has articles that were reviewed by student reviewers. I expect this new practice to take over and dominate future instances of the journal. This level of peer review offers a wealth of benefits, not the least of which is that submissions will receive peer comments and feedback as part of the submission process.

This year’s authors cover a lot of ground, from troubling social injustices to mind bending metaphysics. Once again, I have to say that I am both impressed and pleased by the time and energy our authors poured into their work. Publication is not only an endorsement of one’s work by other philosophers, it stands an impressive accomplishment – an accomplishment built on the back of diligent reading and writing, careful thinking, and the powerful turn of a creative mind. To produce a published paper, at any level, marks the move from student to teacher, and that is no small step. I am pleased to be a part of bringing our authors’ ideas to others, and I sincerely hope that these articles will provide a building block for further ideas and discussion.

I look forward to the coming year’s submissions and the opportunity to work with student authors, reviewers, and journal staff. Acta Cogitata is off to a fabulous start, and handful of new ideas and changes promise to expand the journal in meaningful ways.

Enjoy!

Dr. W. John Koolage
Editor in Chief