Philosophy Through Fiction

A project of Commonwealth Foundation (see other related projects).

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions. We provide the following information as an archive.

About

As philosophers, we frequently tell stories in the form of brief thought experiments. In the past and today, philosophers have also written longer, richer stories. Famous examples include Simone de Beauvoir, Iris Murdoch, and Jean-Paul Sartre. Fiction allows us to explore ideas that cannot be easily dealt with in the format of a journal article or monograph, and helps us to reach a broader audience, as the enduring popularity of philosophical novels shows. The aim of this competition is to encourage philosophers to use fiction to explore philosophical ideas, thereby broadening our scope and toolkit.

No Fees! This contest does not charge mandatory fees.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Magic Realism
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Magic Realism
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Alternate History

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Philosophy.
Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than prize specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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Go to contest webpage

Report:
Correction/Update

Philosophy Through Fiction Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026