Invitation to an International Conference

Philosophy Emerging from Culture

Seoul, South Korea

July 27-29, 2008

Theme 

The theme of the 2008 World Congress of Philosophy in Seoul, "Rethinking Philosophy Today" is most appropriate. The year 2000 proved not only to be the beginning of a new millennium, but also the end of the 400 years of the modern era. Philosophers had already begun to speak of a post-modern era, and the attempt to enter this new global arena in terms of the old coordinates of control for national self-interests has quickly shown itself to be a formula for disaster. It is truly time to rethink the philosophical enterprise, to look for a new paradigm able to integrate the achievements of the past while moving into a radically new era.

 As groundwork for this broad task The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP) -- with the International Society for Metaphysics (ISM), the World Union of Catholic Philosophical Societies (WUCPS) and Soongsil University and the assistance of National University of Taiwan -- will hold a conference in Seoul during the three days immediately prior the World Congress of Philosophy distinct therefrom and focused specifically on "Philosophy Emerging from Culture".

Global times now endow -- and challenge -- philosophy with a broad diversity of cultures and civilizations. At the same time the progressive deepening of human concerns reaches beyond what is clear and distinct to what is of meaning and value, and beyond that which is universal and necessary to free human creativity. That is, to persons and communities which over time and space have cumulatively generated cultural traditions. These two dimensions: one of global breadth and the other of the depth of the human spirit, now combine to open new sources for philosophy as the work of the human spirit.

The intent of this pre-Congress conference will be to examine this new dynamic of philosophy, moving now not only top-down to restrictively apply broad principles, but bottom-up from the full breadth of human experience and creativity to evolve more rich vision which can liberate and guide.

The conference will elaborate this theme in three carefully sequenced plenary sessions: "The Dynamics of Change"; "The Nature of Cultures"; and "The Challenge of Global Interchange of Civilizations". Each of these plenary session will consist of two or three subthemes treated in a substantive 20 minute introduction, followed by a 10 minute comment and 30 minute open discussion. This will assure a penetrating unfolding of each issue and reflect the full breath of the global philosophical horizons of the participants. In the afternoon, parallel sessions will enable the participants to delve further into the day's theme with 15 minute papers followed by time for open and substantive reflection upon the perspectives introduced.

Program Overview
  
Plenary Sessions:
Parallel sessions in the afternoons will be devoted to the day’s subtheme.
 
July 27

1. The Dynamics of Change: What remains of modernity and why is it no longer adequate for philosophy? 
a. an evaluation of modernity its strengths and weakness

b. the philosophical hermeneutics of the transition to a global era

July 28

2. The Nature of Culture and its Potential as a Philosophical Source
a. the subjective turn 
b. the new awareness of values and virtues as cultures and civilizations 
c. the emergence of philosophy from culture

July 29

3. The Challenges and Opportunities for Philosophy from the Global Interaction of Cultures and Civilizations
a. philosophy expanded to and by global horizons 
b. philosophy deepened to basic meaning and values 
c. a new paradigm for philosophy as the integration of radical diversity of persons and peoples: again, the one and the many 

July 28

8.00pm

Administrative meeting of The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (Soongsil University)

Program for Plenary Sessions