I'm celebrating World Philosophy
Day UNESCO and the reasons behind it with my Lady Mary Shepherd Salon. The
principles behind philosophical debating, outlined by UNESCO below, form the
values of this international salon and participation within it.
"Background
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.
Why a Philosophy Day?
Many thinkers state that
“astonishment” is the root of philosophy. Indeed, philosophy stems from humans’
natural tendency to be astonished by themselves and the world in which they
live. This field, which sees itself as a form of “wisdom”, teaches us to
reflect on reflection itself, to continually question well-established truths,
to verify hypotheses and to find conclusions. For centuries, in every culture,
philosophy has given birth to concepts, ideas and analyses, and, through this,
has set down the basis for critical, independent and creative thought. World
Philosophy Day celebrates the importance of philosophical reflection, and
encourages people all over the world to share their philosophical heritage with
each other. For UNESCO, philosophy provides the conceptual bases of principles
and values on which world peace depends: democracy, human rights, justice, and
equality.
Philosophy helps consolidate
these authentic foundations of peaceful coexistence."
UN website available at: http://www.un.org/en/events/philosophyday/background.shtml
So, to celebrate World Philosophy
Day here’s a quote which brings out how philosophy is not just for academics
but for all, including children who are, perhaps, naturally philosophical:
“Thus it
is really the case, that children possess a truer philosophy than that
contained in the modern theories, concerning cause…..”
Essay VII. in Essays on the Perception of an
External Universe and Other Subjects Connected with the Doctrine of
Causation (first edition ed.). Piccadilly, London, London, United Kingdom:
John Hatchard and Son. p319, Available at: https://archive.org/stream/essaysonpercepti00shep/essaysonpercepti00shep_djvu.txt