Philosophy Undergraduate Journal
We are a student-run philosophy journal at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Spring of 2022 we published our fifth edition of Epistemai, an Undergraduate Philosophy Journal with a focus on short, original, philosophical work done by undergraduates from universities across the country, and internationally.
If you are interested in learning more about our journal, what we do, and how to join our staff, fill out this form and one of our staffers will reach out to you! We look forward to hearing from you!
Our vision for Epistemai is to provide opportunities for undergraduate students to gain deep experience with academic and public philosophy through practice.
One goal of Epistemai is to provide a forum for undergraduate philosophy students to have their papers critically reviewed, edited, and published, and to publish quality works of philosophy that can be read and considered by our peers.
Additionally, it is our goal to offer undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota the opportunity to gain experience in the academic peer review process and develop skills in editing, critical analysis, organization, and writing. We endeavor to create an inclusive and welcoming space that fosters intellectual and philosophical diversity and allows undergraduate philosophy students to lead, connect, and collaborate with peers on philosophical projects.
Criteria for papers
- Must be written by an undergraduate.
- Original and concise philosophical work with a max length of 15 pages or 3,000 words.
- Include a 100–200 word abstract summarizing your paper and page numbers.
- Chicago-style citations are preferred.
- Cannot be published elsewhere.
- Include a cover page with all personal information (do not include name anywhere else in the paper): your
name, your email, and your undergraduate institution name.
Submission process
- Submit your paper electronically by uploading a .docx or .docs (must be
editable). - All papers will undergo a blind peer review.
- Papers will be selected by early spring. You will be notified as to our decision at that time.
- We have closed submissions for this spring and will provide information about our next publication sometime around October, 2023.
Current Epistemai staff
Lauren Toensing
President
Hello! My name is Lauren, and I am a senior in philosophy and art history at the University of Minnesota. I am from Richfield, MN, one of Minneapolis' suburbs to the south. I am primarily interested in the history of philosophy, with a focus on Kant and his critics. I am also interested in Existentialism, metaphysics of space and time, epistemology, and the intersections of theology and aesthetics. Outside of philosophy, I like to drink a lot of espressos, walk by the river, and go home to visit my dogs. I am the current president of Epistemai.
Robert Campbell
Editor-in-Chief
Hi folks! My name is Robert, and I'm the Editor-in-Chief of the journal. I'm from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and I'm interested in everything ethical, especially normative ethics, moral psychology, and distributive justice. These interests ground my curiosity in the history of moral philosophy, social philosophy, epistemology, rationality, responsibility, normativity, and practical reasons and attitudes. In my spare time, I do youth work, walk around the cities, cook or bake, and read history.
Tripp Dow
Peer Review, Editor, and Head Staff Writer
Hello! My name is Tripp, and I am a sophomore studying philosophy and computer science, originally from Rochester. I am interested in logic, philosophy of mind, and epistemology. Issues that are particularly intriguing to me include rationality and justification, human error and intuition, and mental illness. Besides philosophy, I love computer programming, the arts, and collecting clown-themed antiques.
Wangechi Mwaũra
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hello! My name is Wangechi Mwaũra and I'm a senior majoring in philosophy from Nairobi, Kenya. My interests include Marxist philosophy, literary criticism, anti- and post-colonial criticism, and the Left-Hegelian tradition. I like opera, mafia movies, and long novels.
Alvin Ren
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hello everyone! My name is Alvin, and I'm a senior majoring in Applied Economics and philosophy. I'm originally from China but have lived half of my life in the U.S. across various states. My recent philosophical interests are historicism, materialism, Marxism, postmodernism, and the concept of power with respect to the individual and society. On top of these, I've always maintained a strong interest in theology, especially in the works of Aquinas and various contemporary Thomist philosophers. My personal interests include playing soccer, trying different cuisines, and traveling.
Joel Miles
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hello! My name is Joel, and I am a sophomore majoring in philosophy and art history. I am originally from Greenwood, Missouri, which is just southeast of Kansas City. I have a lot of philosophical interests, but lately, I've been reading about metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and the intersection of these fields with metaethics. Outside of philosophy, I play Quizbowl on the university team, edit Wikipedia, and think about contemporary art. I also enjoy going to concerts, especially indie pop and rock.
Samuel King
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hi everyone! I'm Samuel King, a junior at the UMN majoring in philosophy. It's my first year at Epistemai working as a peer reviewer and editor. My interests are in the systematic philosophies that attempt to unify metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics into a cohesive whole, as well as the various meta-philosophies and anti-philosophies that arose in the 19th and 20th centuries, which sought to critique the entire project. Outside philosophy, I like to read and write fantasy novels, play video games, and drink unnecessary amounts of tea.
Andrew Toensing
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hello! My name is Andrew Toensing. I am a freshman at the University of Minnesota, currently planning on majoring in philosophy and biochemistry. I am from Richfield, MN, which is just south of Minneapolis. My interests in philosophy are generally in the realm of the philosophy of science, as well as the intersection between a scientific account of life and a philosophical one. While I like to think I have many hobbies, my free time is usually dominated by playing guitar and listening to music.
Carter Kochmann
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hey! My name is Carter Kochmann. I'm a freshman majoring in philosophy and psychology. I am from Fargo, ND, a cozy town situated on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota. My overarching philosophical interest is found within the human self. More specifically, how does it become what it's meant to be? How do we find meaning in this pursuit? Outside of schoolwork, I love staying active, following soccer, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Gwyndolin Anderson
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hi! My name is Gwyndolin Anderson, and I am a senior majoring in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics. I'm from a little town called Cambridge about an hour north of the Twin Cities. Most of my philosophical studies have been involved in the work of the logical positivists, particularly Wittgenstein and the philosophy of science, but I am also interested in Post-modernism and German Idealism. For physics and math, I am focusing on particle physics, particularly in particle detectors and in Algebraic Number Theory. In my free time, I enjoy studying other topics, learning languages particularly: German, French, and Latin, making art, and staring at flashing lights! (Video games/YouTube)
Blake Briol
Peer Reviewer, Editor
Hello everyone! My name is Blake Briol and I am a sophomore pursuing a major in philosophy and german. In terms of my philosophical interests, I primarily find myself studying logic, the philosophy of language, and semiotics However, I do find enjoyment in studying and hearing about many other subjects as well -so never hesitate to share anything interesting-! Outside of my philosophical pursuits, I am an ex-opera singer -long story-, avid downhill longboarder, and proud owner of an astronaut coffee mug which is used to hold my many… many G2 pens.