Thematic Description
In conjunction with the 25th World Congress of Philosophy
entitled “Philosophy across Boundaries” (Rome, August
1-8, 2024), the Council for Research in Values and
Philosophy along with the CUA McLean Center for the Study of
Culture will hold its pre-Congress conference on the theme
of “Discerning Boundaries: Philosophy across Cultures.” The conference
is under the auspices of Sapienza University of Rome in Rome, Italy
and the 25th World Congress of Philosophy. It will be held
at the Department of Philosophy (Villa Mirafiori, Via
Nomentana 118), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy,
July 29-31, 2024.
It has been a tradition for the Council to organize
such pre-Congress conferences, for instance, in 1998 at
Boston College “Philosophical Challenges and Opportunities
of Globalization,” in 2003 at the University of Istanbul
“Philosophical Challenges and Prospects of the Dialogue of
Cultural Traditions,” in 2008 at the Soongsil University
“Philosophy Emerging from Culture,” in 2013 at University of
Athens “Culture and Philosophy as Ways of Life in Times of
Global Changes,” and in 2018 at Shandong University
“Re-Learning to Be Human for Global Times: Dialogue of
Cultures and Civilizations.” The conference proceedings have
been published respectively in the Council’s publication
series “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change.”
What do boundaries mean from a philosophical
perspective as well as in our lived experience? What kinds
of boundaries are necessary and what not? How are we to
discern boundaries (positive/negative) in our world and
beyond? How is philosophy able to play its role in crossing
boundaries, not only within the discipline of philosophy
itself – different philosophical schools, traditions, ideas,
etc. – but also with other disciplines – the social
sciences, natural sciences, and so on? What are the
relationships between philosophy and culture? Do we know the
true meaning of philosophy and culture?
In order to answer these and other questions, it is
necessary for philosophy as one of the humanities to
continue to deepen and widen its range according to the
circumstances of the times and to relearn its meaning and
relevance in the ever-changing world. This requires
philosophers and thinkers to work within the contemporary
life of all peoples, cultures, and traditions to generate
new visions of philosophy. And this requires philosophy to
embrace all aspects of the lifeworld – economics,
socio-politics, culture, ecology, science and technology,
etc. – so that philosophy can develop new inquiries into
fundamental questions. Indeed, these philosophical
investigations are significant in shaping human minds and
hearts.
Although philosophical traditions, which are as old as
humanity, are different, all have things in common. All
peoples have developed their ways of thinking, acting, and
being as well as their understandings of reality;
accordingly each culture has produced its own thought and
value systems and made its unique contribution to world
philosophy as a whole, while being open to other
philosophical traditions through dialogue and communication.
As George F. McLean once stated: there
is need for dramatically new ways of thinking in terms both
of the whole in which all are related and of the responsive
individual person by which values are shaped, freedom is
exercised, and hope is generated. Dialogue that is global
and universal—open and mutual—is necessary in the present
intercultural context; such conversation, not clash, is the
philosopher’s trade. Through such thinking what is personal
can become more social, and what is global more humane;
ethics can thereby be enriched by the cumulative cultural
experience of many peoples, and civilizations can be more
dialogical in an aesthetic context marked by harmony and
beauty. This is the real challenge to philosophers in our
day. Such a conversation is most urgent, practical, and
filled with promise and can help understand the real meaning
of philosophy and culture across boundaries.
In these complex times, the challenges have become
ever more daunting and unprecedented, but opportunities are
also plenty and foreseeable. In order to assure a better
future, the role of philosophy becomes even more vital
because philosophical wisdom can help humanity not only
understand the meaning and purpose of existence, human and
non-human, but also provide some guidance for our
socio-political lives. If philosophy means “love of wisdom,”
people who truly love philosophy should live up to its
meaning and give up their philosophical prejudices so as to
embrace as much as possible the given, with no artificial or
man-made boundaries either conceptually/philosophically or
physically.
In this light, the Pre-Congress
conference intends to explore such issues as (1) the human
person and politics: philosophizing socio-political meaning
for the common good; (2) cultural and religious values:
social imaginaries and human creativity; (3) openness to
many others and multicultural and intercultural and
interreligious harmony: engagement and encounters; (4) human
transcendence in metaphysics and religions: hermeneutical
transformations; (5) challenges and responsibilities to
nature and science-technology: contesting human conditions;
and (6) universal norms and cultural uniqueness: aesthetic
and inter-disciplinary approaches. Accordingly, more
specific topics will be allocated to different conference
sessions. A detailed donference program will be constructed
and updated.
The Council, as
usual, invites all philosophers, scholars, thinkers of the
world who are interested in the conference thematic to come
together to share insights, ideas, and experiences.
Abstract
In order to help
organize the conference program, please fill in the Registration
Form online
(www.crvp.org). An abstract with 300-500 or more words and a
proper title should be sent by April
30, 2024. Full papers sent by June 15, 2024 will be
considered to be published by the Council in its publication
series “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change.”
Logistics
There will be no
registration fees. Tea and coffee as well as simple
sandwiches for lunch will be provided during the
Pre-Congress conference. Participants will cover the costs
of their own travels and accommodations. For less expensive
accommodations, contact cua-rvp@cua.edu
Contact
Council for Research in Values and Philosophy
Email: cua-rvp@cua.edu
Telephone: (202) 319-6089
Website: www.crvp.org
