Photo Credit: Codgito: Student Journal of Philosophy & Theory
Tucked away on the third floor of the Arts and Administration building, one may find the little corner of intellectual heaven: the Memorial University Philosophy department. Albeit small, it is packed with intelligent students and faculty members, including those driven to leave their mark.
One such method for leaving a mark was Maxim Sizov’s effort to restart the department’s student journal, Codgito.
The journal name is a play on René Descartes’ phrase, “cogito ergo sum,” meaning “I think therefore I am.” I won’t go into all of the philosophical implications of the phrase. Still, in the world of philosophy, it is very well known.
The journal title is spelled differently from the Latin phrasing, but there is a reason for that. Back in 1990, the first edition of Codgito was published. It was spelt as showcased (Codgito) because of its geographic origin. The journal started in Newfoundland, and they felt it necessary to reference the land. However, when changed due to backlash and confusion, our journal lost a portion of its origins. When starting it again, Max decided that the confusion over the name’s spelling should not dictate the journal’s name and changed it back. The spelling is significant to our university and location, and it was important to Max to pay homage to where we are based and the meaning behind the name. Max themself wrote in the letter from the Senior Editor: “…we are Codgito: with a history to our name, a relation to the world, and a connection to more than just the I which dominates the Cogito.”
The journal is not solely based on philosophy. It specifies that it is philosophy and theory. In that way, we now have essays on philosophy and other subjects, like political science, in the first issue. Now that the second call for papers is out, the editorial team also invites book reviews, music reviews, and poetry (if anyone is interested).
When talking to Max about why they started Codgito, they mentioned when they first got involved with MUN’s Philosophy department, one person was running the Philosophy Society, and they would soon finish. Therefore, Max started helping organize society events like movie nights and mixers. By then, it was accepted that Max would be “the next person in line” because they wanted to help. The previous president mentioned that there was an old student journal, which interested Max, especially during the pandemic, due to the inability to host events. Thus, the rebirth of Codgito was born.
The first issue of Codgito tackles many problems, both in the world and in our little bubble of academic existence.
For example, the anonymous letter to the editor discusses student censorship within journalism. In contrast, pieces from the editors cover deeper issues within the administration as well. Within the Letter from the Senior Editor, Max wrote about the issue with Matt Barter and the severe implications of his ban from campus, including more censorship. To look at the deeper issues, Max also wrote: “We are at a point at which many of the fundamentals of our university are shifting, and we feel it is not for the better.”
While many of the essays within the journal itself are not necessarily about this topic, the spirit behind the first edition lives within each other, creating a comprehensive student voice in an uncertain time for students who try to speak out.
Codgito 1.1 was over a year in the making, with lots of time taken for copy-editing, typesetting, and all of the administrative stuff that comes with restarting an inactive journal. It is not a process Max even took on their own. It is a collective effort to be able to make something to this scale work. And to that team, I say congratulations.
To read Codgito, follow this link. If you want to keep up with the journal, there is also an Instagram account with the handle @codgitojpt if you’d like to give them some love.