This year’s “World Philosophy Day” will be held on November 19. However the official international celebration of the Day will be held from November 16-19 in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia. The theme, “Philosophy in the Dialogue of Cultures”, was selected by the host in order to “foster the dissemination of philosophy in all its traditions.” Specific topics to be discussed in parallel round tables during the celebration are as follows:

* Liberating from the stereotypes concerning history of philosophy;
* Dialogue of rationalities;
* Cultural self-consciousness in the era of globalization;
* Philosophical images of human being;
* XXI century’s technological challenges;
* Values and the dialogue of cultures;
* Philosophy for children;
* Common cultural grounds of the national self-consciousness of the nations of CIS and Baltic states;
* Teaching philosophy in multicultural context.

The first World Philosophy Day was held last November 24, 2005 in Chile. It was instituted by UNESCO with the primary purpose of “making philosophy accessible to all.” With this in mind everyone is encouraged to participate in the celebration, wherever you may be.

Some ideas to celebrate World Philosophy Day:

*Invite a speaker to expound on any relevant topic.
*Read a philosophy book.
*Have a costume party where people are required to dress up as philosophers or a concept.
*Get together with a bunch of your philosophical (or just plain argumentative) friends and have a healthy debate on the following pesky topics (courtesy of David Bain’s article in BBC):
1.Should we kill healthy people for their organs?
2. Are you the same person who started reading this article?
3. Is that really a computer screen (person – since you’ll be in front of your friend) in front of you?
4. Did you really choose to do what you are doing right now?

Enjoy!

Originally posted on October 27, 2009 @ 6:15 pm

We may not all have a Ph.D. on philosophy but that doesn’t mean that we should give up learning and pondering on philosophical ideas. One of the best things that you can do with your spare time is to engage in activities that will enhance your knowledge and understanding. And one such activity is the seminar that Endicott College in Massachusetts is holding.

On February 6 and 7, the college will be holding a seminar on philosophy and pop culture. This seminar is going to held at the Visual and Performing Arts Center in campus. The event starts at 4 in the afternoon of the first day (Friday) and will end at lunch the next day. The whole seminar is open to the general public, as long as participants register. If you want to partake in the meals, there will be a minimal fee charged.

What can you expect as a participant in the seminar? Undergraduates from several educational institutions – Endicott, Gordon, Clark University, Salem State College, and Boston College – will be serving as panelists and giving their take on various aspects of pop culture with a philosophical twist. The presentations will be answering two main questions:

1. What can pop culture teach us about philosophical issues?
2. How can philosophy help us understand the workings of our culture?

If you are interested, do register asap and get in touch with Willie Young, assistant professor of humanities, at 978-232-2242, or at [email protected].

Originally posted on January 31, 2009 @ 5:37 pm

The much talked about financial bailout move of the US government is deeply under scrutiny and as concerned citizens, many would think that such a move may perhaps be a good one. But if you are in the business and political sector, it may be not necessarily a sound one.

For one, how can such a move be based on the fact that big companies such as Lehman Brothers and the ongoing sale of some others like Morgan Chase Bank be the basis of it all? Are we forgetting the concept of probably mismanagement and bad business practice? Let me reiterate, where is capitalism and what has happened to it? If this becomes a trend, what would stop smaller companies from demanding and seeking aid from the government?

That is why the philosophy of making sound decisions in office is entirely crucial. You simply cannot please everyone. But the fact remains, while such a move is viewed by many as a common good for all, you really cannot generalize at this point. How can you explain such a financial bailout plan to the smaller companies that simply fold up and not ask for help?

In fact, some may even call it a discriminate move. It is true that the US is teetering on the brink of economic disaster but still, political intervention is something that is bound to get a lot of attention. Wise move or not, the fact remains, that this economic crisis that the US is under is far from over.

Originally posted on December 30, 2008 @ 4:36 am