Under the guise of wanting to standardise everything, because this is the first time that a health crisis has affected the whole planet, we sometimes find it difficult to describe the multiplicity of situations.
And it is UNESCO's very function to make these pluralities intelligible, with the help of a discipline that allows a real diagnosis of the ways in which the crisis is spoken of, experienced and managed from one region to another. Everywhere, very concrete questions have been asked in the context of the emergency response to the pandemic: what remains open or closed, what is treated or not, what is essential or not. And often, the answers are about cultural and social values, with significant differences between countries and across periods of the pandemic – and this tells a story about who we think we are.
This is why all the events, echoing each other, will mutually contribute to the planning of World Philosophy Day on a common ground: to discuss the different interactions of the human being with his or her social, cultural, geographical and political environment, with the underlying objective of better understanding the contribution of philosophy in our contemporary societies and the challenges they face. This ambition is all the more relevant when it is linked to the issue of multilateralism, and then confronted with an approach that emphasizes the very integration of influences from different cultures. Philosophy, and even more so intercultural philosophy, is concerned with context and is therefore, in its very essence, concerned with the transformation of society.
In 2005, the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed that World Philosophy Day would be celebrated every third Thursday of November.
In establishing World Philosophy Day, UNESCO strives to promote an international culture of philosophical debate that respects human dignity and diversity. The Day encourages academic exchange and highlights the contribution of philosophical knowledge in addressing global issues.
World Philosophy Day 2021 Theme: World Philosophy Day 2021 opens the discussion on the different interactions of human beings with their social, cultural, geographical and political environment, with the underlying objective of better understanding the contribution of philosophy in our contemporary societies and the challenges they face, the pandemic in particular. Philosophy, and even more so intercultural philosophy, is concerned with context and is therefore, in its very essence, concerned with the transformation of society.
Philosophy is the study of the nature of reality and existence, of what is possible to know, and of right and wrong behavior. It comes from the Greek word phílosophía, meaning ‘the love of wisdom.’ It is one of the most important fields of human thought as it aspires to get at the very meaning of life.
World Philosophy Day was introduced in 2002 by UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) with the following objectives:
- to renew the national, subregional, regional and international commitment to philosophy;
- to foster philosophical analysis, research and studies on major contemporary issues, so as to respond more effectively to the challenges that are confronting humanity today;
- to raise public awareness of the importance of philosophy and its critical use in the choices arising for many societies from the effects of globalization or entry into modernity;
- to appraise the state of philosophy teaching throughout the world, with special emphasis on unequal access;
- to underline the importance of the universalization of philosophy teaching for future generations.
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