A CULTURE FOR HUMANITY. AN APPEAL TO PHILOSOPHY
PRESS RELEASE – PHILOSOPHICAL NEWS
A CULTURE FOR HUMANITY. AN APPEAL TO PHILOSOPHY
The collapse of the humanities has been exposed in “An appeal to the human sciences,” which was published on December 23 in Il Mulino publisher http://www.rivistailmulino.it/news/newsitem/index/Item/News:NEWS_ITEM:2457/.
Recently, also, the newspaper reported the elimination of theoretical philosophy from many Italian university courses and from testing in high schools. A shorter cycle – of four years – would imply the loss of one year of instruction in philosophy. The initial reporting led to a strong dissent, primarily by scholars of philosophy, although the information was later denied.
Following this warning, the website Editrice La Scuola posted “An appeal to philosophy” signed by Roberto Esposito, Adriano Fabris and Giovanni Reale, and signed by a number of scholars and intellectuals. We invite others to join the initiative.
http://www.lascuola.it/it/home/editrice_detail/un-appello-per-la-filosofia/tutte_le_news/.
In Europe there is an increasing tendency to reduce or even eliminate humanities disciplines from the education system. According to this mentality, which strongly distances itself from the origins of European culture, humanistic disciplines like art, philosophy, history, and literature, are often seen as mere supplements to the techno-sciences.
In opposition to this tendency it is important to note that a society that excludes its tradition – the study of the roots of culture, of language and of civilizational – from its educational system, instead priveleging science and technological progress, does so in folly. Instead it’s necessary to recuperate a culture that looks to the “human” with a critical gaze, recognize its creativity and dignity.
From this perspective, the next volume Philosophical News n.9 – September 2014 will focus on the concept of ‘Humanitas’.
Submission: philosophicalnews@gmail.com (within 30 June 2014)
Milan, 26 February 2014
Elisa Grimi
Editor-in-Chief Philosophical News
