Submissions should explicitly engage with one or more of the following 11 methodological procedures for addressing the question “What is X?”. These procedures are intended as heuristic tools, designed to guide and enrich conceptual inquiry, rather than to functionas rigid or mandatory constraints. Nevertheless, they have have been carefully conceived, organized into four groups, and arranged in a meaningful order.

Group 1 - General View

1. DEFINTIONS. Analysis of dictionary, encyclopedic, technical, or contemporary AI-generated definitions as starting points for conceptual clarification.

2. PROVERBS. Examination of anonymous or traditional sayings as expressions of collective conceptual intuitions.

3. QUOTATIONS. Use of philosophical, literary, or scientific quotations that highlight a salient aspect of the concept under investigation.

4. JOKES. Analysis of humorous formulations as sources of philosophical insight and conceptual tension.

Group 2 - Diagrams

5. WORD CLOUDS. Exploration of semantic neighborhoods through synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, and related lexical structures.

6. VENN DIAGRAMS. Diagrammatic analysis of a concept in relation to other concepts.

7. THEORY OF OPPOSITION. Use of contradiction, contrariety, subcontrariety, and related structures (e.g. squares or hexagons of opposition) to clarify conceptual boundaries.

8. PYRAMIDS OF MEANING. Semiotic analysis distinguishing word (language), thing (reality), and idea (thought).

Group 3 : Characterization

9. CATEGORIZATION. Exhaustive and exclusive division of a domain in order to situate a concept within a structured taxonomy.

10. TYPIFICATION. Use of paradigmatic cases or typical examples to achieve conceptual understanding beyond mere enumeration.

11. SYMBOLIZATION. Representation of a concept through a unifying metaphor or symbol that condenses multiple dimensions of meaning.

Happy End !

Instead of ending with a conclusion that simply summarizes in detail what has already been said and culminates in a definitive definition or strong final claim, it is better to leave the door open, offering questions and suggestions for further investigation.

The notion of aporia was fundamental for Socrates and Plato. At some point, philosophical inquiry may leave us feeling lost at sea, without a clear route ahead. But that is not necessarily a failure. We may simply have to remain attentive and keep searching—waiting for a dolphin, a siren, or even an angel to come to our rescue!

Two examples of papers based on these methodological procedures