Mediterranean Roots of Philosophy: Praxis philosophy in the Mediterranean

Croatian Philosophical Society and the Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split are organizing the international and interdisciplinary symposium XVII Mediterranean Roots of Philosophy – Praxis philosophy in the Mediterranean: on the 60th anniversary of the Korčula Summer School, which will take place from April 13 to April 15, 2023, at the University of Split, Croatia.

Western philosophy and science begin their historical development at the start of the 6 century BC on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean sea, specifically in Asia Minor, in the Greek colonies of Miletus and Ephesus and surrounding islands; it then spreads to Elea and Sicily and reaches its peak in Athens, one of the centers of ancient Mediterranean. Later development of ancient philosophy, from Hellenism to the medieval epoch, through new intellectual centers of Alexandria, Antioch, Carthage, and Rome is also crucially related to the Mediterranean. Creation, conflict, and mutual permeation of Mediterranean cultures, a distinctive Mediterranean multiculturalism gave an essential mark to the future growth of philosophy in the West. Ancient Greece and Rome, the Hellenistic-Roman heritage, the Byzantine world, and Oriental Arabic traditions all blend into Arabic medieval philosophy, culture, and civilization. The Byzantines introduced the Arabs to Greek philosophy, and they, with their leading philosophers Avicenna, Averroes, and Ibn Haldun returned the forgotten legacy of Aristotelian philosophy to Europe. Because of it, permanent focus is on exploring the Mediterranean roots of philosophy. 

The next aspect relevant to the topics of the symposium refers to the foundation of Croatian philosophy which, both in its beginnings and at its zenith, has its roots in the Mediterranean part of its multiregional cultural identity (Hermann of Dalmatia, Marko Marulic, Matthias Flacius Illyricus), Franciscus Patricius, Roger Joseph Boscovich). 

The third set of themes congenial to the idea of this symposium relates to the philosophical and interdisciplinary reflection of the peculiarities of the Mediterranean multicultural space which gave birth to the current inter-civilizational tensions threatening to escalate into the clash of civilizations, but also open the possibility of dialogue and reconciliation. That situation naturally suggests the following set of questions discussed at the symposium:

• Do the Mediterranean roots of philosophy influence the origin and development of the contemporary philosophy of the Mediterranean?
•  Philosophical reflection on the Mediterranean multiculturalism
• Incentives of the Mediterranean philosophy for the establishment of global ethos as a prerequisite of inter-civilizational dialogue
• Philosophy of the Mediterranean as a globalization paradigm

This year's symposium has the subtitle Praxis philosophy in the Mediterranean: on the 60th anniversary of the Korčula Summer School. In the past century, there have been several international philosophical symposia held in centers of the Croatian Mediterranean: from the Interuniversity Center in Dubrovnik, through the Mediterranean Roots of Philosophy in Split, to the Lošinj Days of Bioethics and the Frane Petrić Days in Cres. The oldest and most famous among them is certainly the Korčula Summer School, where, in the company of eminent world-renowned and recognized philosophers and sociologists, contemporary Croatian theoretical orientation under the name of philosophy of praxis or Praxis School was affirmed. The Korčula Summer School (1963-1974) and the Croatian Philosophical society journal Praxis (1964-1974) are two core institutions of the Praxis School. In addition to the 60th anniversary of the launch of the Korčula Summer School, in 2023 we are also marking the anniversaries of the Praxis School's most prominent protagonists: the 100th birthday of Rudi Supek, 100 years since the birth of Milan Kangrga, Branko Bošnjak and Ivan Kuvačić, and 30 years since the death of Gajo Petrović and Rudi Supek. All these are the reasons that, in addition to the aforementioned permanent topics, participants devote their attention to researching and presenting the achievements and legacy of the Praxis School.

After the conference, conference participants are invited to submit their papers for publication in scientific journals (indexed in WOS, Erih Plus, and Scopus). Submitted papers undergo an independent double-blind peer review process, as defined by the respective journals and publishers. 

The conference fee is 50€. Organizers are providing lunch on the 13th and 14th of April and snacks with coffee breaks. Unfortunately, we cannot support travel and accommodation costs. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Please submit your abstracts (max. 400 words) together with your personal details (name, affiliation) by e-mail no later than 5th March 2023 to the following e-mail address: [email protected].

We are looking forward to meeting you in Split!