Nous (journal)

Nous (journal)
Title	Nous
Discipline	Philosophy
Abbreviation	Nous
Editor	Alvin Plantinga
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell for the Philosophy Deanery of the University of Notre Dame
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1967–present
Issn	0029-4624

Nous (journal)

Nous is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in analytic philosophy that publishes articles, review essays, and book reviews. Established in 1967, it has become a leading venue for scholarship in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, metaphilosophy, and related areas. The journal has featured contributions by many prominent philosophers and maintains a significant presence in Anglo-American and continental debates through its affiliation with major universities and publishers.

History

Nous was founded in 1967 during a period of expansion in analytic philosophy, alongside journals such as Philosophical Review, Mind (journal), The Journal of Philosophy, and Analysis (journal). Early editors sought to create a platform comparable to Mind (journal) and Philosophical Review that would attract rigorous work in epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of language. Over the decades, editorial leadership has included figures associated with institutions like University of Notre Dame, Cornell University, Oxford University, Princeton University, and University of Pittsburgh. The journal’s development paralleled shifts in the field, intersecting with movements such as ordinary language philosophy linked to J. L. Austin, logical positivism traces to Vienna Circle, as well as later developments influenced by scholars from Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University. Wiley-Blackwell assumed publication duties in collaboration with the journal's academic sponsors, mirroring arrangements seen with publishers of Philosophical Studies and Synthese.

Scope and Content

Nous covers a broad range of topics within analytic philosophy, with frequent emphases on epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. Articles often engage with debates associated with figures and movements such as Immanuel Kant, Gottlob Frege, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Bertrand Russell, Saul Kripke, and David Lewis, as well as contemporary interlocutors from New York University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The journal entertains technical arguments about topics that intersect with work by authors connected to Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, and institutions represented at conferences like the American Philosophical Association and the APA Eastern Division Meeting. Review essays and discussions periodically engage with books published by presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, and Routledge.

Editorial Board and Peer Review

The editorial board typically comprises senior and mid-career scholars from universities across North America, Europe, and other regions, reflecting affiliations with departments such as Brown University, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, University College London, and Australian National University. Editors have included prominent philosophers connected to University of Notre Dame and elsewhere; past and present board members are often faculty who have held fellowships from organizations like the British Academy, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Nous uses a double-blind peer-review process similar to practices at Mind (journal) and Philosophical Review, inviting external referees drawn from specialist networks that include scholars at MIT, Princeton University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Yale University. Editorial decisions are made to balance novelty, technical rigor, and engagement with ongoing debates exemplified at gatherings such as the Society for Exact Philosophy and sessions of the American Philosophical Association.

Publication and Access

Published quarterly, the journal appears in print and online through Wiley-Blackwell platforms that also host journals like Philosophical Quarterly and Philosophical Papers. Institutional subscriptions are common among university libraries at Harvard University, University of Chicago, Columbia University, and University of Oxford, while individual scholars often access articles via campus credentials or interlibrary arrangements. Special issues have been assembled in collaboration with guest editors from places such as Princeton University and University of Notre Dame, and the journal advertises submission guidelines comparable to those of Philosophical Studies and Synthese.

Reception and Impact

Nous is widely cited and regarded as one of the central journals in contemporary analytic philosophy, along with Philosophical Review, Mind (journal), and The Journal of Philosophy. Impact is reflected in citations in monographs and articles from authors at institutions including Princeton University, Harvard University, Oxford University, and Stanford University, and in the journal’s role in fostering debates that involve figures like Saul Kripke, David Lewis, Hilary Putnam, and W. V. O. Quine. Discussions appearing in Nous have shaped subfields such as epistemology and metaphysics, influencing curricula at departments such as University of Pittsburgh and Rutgers University. The journal’s standing is recognized in academic evaluations, citation indexes, and in lists maintained by graduate programs across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Across its history, the journal has published influential articles and debates involving philosophers associated with Oxford University, Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, MIT, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Brown University, and University of California, Berkeley. Special issues have addressed themes tied to figures like David Lewis, Saul Kripke, and Immanuel Kant, and topics linked to conferences such as the American Philosophical Association meetings. Known contributions include articles that entered mainstream discussion alongside work in Philosophical Review and Mind (journal), stimulating replies and symposia involving scholars from University of Notre Dame, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Cambridge University.

Category:Philosophy journals