Invitation to an International Conference

Re-Learning to Be Human for Global Times:

Philosophy as Love of Wisdom and Its Relevance to the Global Crisis of Meaning

Georgetown University, Doha, Qatar

January 7-8, 201

Conference Program

Theme

Within the general framework of the RVP’s focus on "Re-Learning to be Human for Global Times: Challenges and Opportunities," the Doha conference will be centered on the theme "Philosophy as Love of Wisdom and Its Relevance to the Global Crisis of Meaning." The conference goal is to explore the ways in which philosophy has provided, in various civilizations, not only an avenue of intellectual inquiry but also practical, spiritual and ethical means of achieving "the good life" both individually and collectively. The philosophical paradigms of Neo-Platonism, Advaita Vedānta,  Daoism and Confucianism, and Islamic philosophy, among others, can provide particularly fertile grounds for such an inquiry.  

Capitalizing on the etymology of the word, the conference will also be an opportunity to explore the articulation of love and desire, within the widest range of meaning of those terms, and philosophical pursuits. Presentations and discussions will converge on the various ways in which a holistic concept of philosophy is relevant to our current, environmental, spiritual and socio-economic global crisis, and provide ways to address its challenges.

The conference will address central questions such as:

- What is the relationship between philosophy and contemplative practices?

- How can philosophy inform religious and spiritual perspectives?

- What are the ethical and spiritual contributions of philosophy to the current crisis of meaning?

- Philosophy as inter-religious and inter-civilizational domain.

Abstract

Please send 300 words and a brief C.V. to Professor Patrick Laude [laudep@georgetown.edu] and [cua-rvp@cua.edu] until November 10, 2017. Presentation of accepted papers will be 20 minutes in length followed by 20 minutes discussion. Full papers (for which in order to promote in-depth investigation there is no upper page limit) will be published by the RVP.

Logistics

There is no registration fee. There will be no registration fees. Accommodations will be provided to speakers for three nights.

Contact

Patrick Laude

Georgetown University 

Doha, Qatar

Email: laudep@georgetown.edu