Russian philosophers spoke about the future of the science in their country

2023-12-13 20:20

The Eurasian Congress of Philosophy is scheduled to take place in Moscow, Russia in February 2024. The dean of the philosophical faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Alexey Kozyrev, told RIA Novosti about an Аll-Russian philosophical prize in various categories at the event.

Every year on the third Thursday of November, the world celebrates World Philosophy Day, proclaimed by UNESCO. The organization underlines the enduring value of philosophical conversations, debates, conferences, master classes, cultural events and presentations on this day. In 2023, World Philosophy Day is celebrated on the 16th of November. A year earlier, in a conversation with RIA Novosti on this day, Kozyrev expressed the opinion that Russia needs a federal philosophical prize.

“I am glad to announce that there is progress in this direction. The Eurasian Congress of Philosophy is scheduled in February 2024. This event will be different from already organized world and Russian philosophical congresses. There is such hope and almost certainty that we will be able to coincide with this congress the award ceremony of the philosophy prize,” he told RIA Novosti.

It is not certain yet whether the prize will be called Eurasian or National, but it is expected in several categories, added the dean of the philosophical faculty.

“Modern Russian philosophical studies on current issues of philosophy and high-quality translations will be noticed. As you may know, a high-quality translation into Russian of an ancient text or classical monument is no less difficult than writing an independent work, and is considered to be a separate philosophical project. Moreover, there may also be awards in nominations related to the popularization of philosophy and media projects: websites, podcasts, radio and television programs on philosophy,” said the philosopher.

Kozyrev also shows a strong belief that such a prize will make it possible to see the progress in philosophical thought in today's Russia.

Topics of discussion

According to Alexey Kozyrev, the Eurasian Congress of Philosophy will present platforms for discussion on current philosophical issues of our time.

“There will also be a problem of a dialogue or a clash of civilizations. We will talk about the idea of Eurasia and the Eurasian project, which was expressed immediately after the revolution by young Russian thinkers in exile - N. Trubetskoy, P. Savitsky, P. Suvchinsky and others. We will discuss the Russian idea: this phrase was introduced into a broad ideological context by Nikolai Aleksandrovich Berdyaev, this is the title of his work written in the 1940s. We will also talk about postmodernity, traditional values and neoliberal ethics, which are promoted by certain circles in the West,” the dean of the philosophical faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University told RIA Novosti.

Kozyrev also added that people are accustomed to the fact that rationality is synonymous with Western philosophy. It is originated from Aristotle and Aristotelian logic. The Congress will present a platform for discussion on the existence in the modern world of alternatives to this genealogy: “What are Arab philosophy, Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophy? What type of rationality is behind them? How do they exist in the modern world."

Philosophy is a tool for planning, forecasting and creating an image of the future. Therefore the Congress will present a platform for another discussion — the image of the future: man and new technologies. “This panel discussion is about all components combined into the concept of philosophical futurology,” the philosopher added.

Kozyrev also announced that the event has been made possible through the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the active participation of leading philosophical communities in Russia: the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Philosophical Society, Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, the Higher School of Economics and others.

“Our opponents sometimes have the idea that only those who have left Russia can engage in independent philosophy. But in Russia you cannot engage in independent philosophy. I am deeply convinced that we still have both the opportunities and conditions for that. Today, these conditions are turning into demands in the face of confrontations, threats, anxiety and tragedy in the modern world. This is a philosophical challenge that we must respond to, and not to respond opportunistically, ideologically and situationally, but to respond deeply, as, for example, the thinkers of Russia and the Russian diaspora did after the events of 1917,” concluded Alexey Kozyrev.