Philosophy at UNESCO UNESCO has always been closely linked to philosophy, not speculative or normative philosophy, but critical questioning which enables it to give meaning to life and action in the international context.

 

UNESCO was born from a questioning process on the possibility of and necessary conditions for the establishment of long-term peace and security in the world. It is therefore an institutional response to a philosophical question, one that had already been asked by the Abbé de Saint-Pierre and Emmanuel Kant.

And, one could also declare that it is a philosophical institution, since it intends to contribute to maintaining peace and security by heightening collaboration between nations through education, science and culture in order to ensure the universal respect of justice, of the law, of human rights and fundamental liberties for all, regardless of race, gender, language or religion, that is recognized for all people in the Charter of the United Nations. This end goal involves the recognition and implementation of a certain philosophy of law, of human rights and of universal history through means that are also philosophical.

But it is better to say that UNESCO does not have a philosophy in the literal sense of the word since it wants to be a privileged place for exchange and dialogue on the pluralism of experiences of thought and of world cultures.

One could then state instead that UNESCO is a philosophy. And it is possible to tell the story of this philosophy.

Indeed, UNESCO has always used the memory of its traditions to reinvent its present and remains loyal to its Constitution.

Patrice Vermeren gives one of the possible interpretations of this tradition through his description of the philosophy used by UNESCO in his book La philosophie saisie par l’UNESCO.

It deserves credit for strengthening our commitment to revitalizing this tradition and to contributing, by all possible means, to popularize an international philosophical culture.

I want our Social and Human Sciences Sector to be a true laboratory of ideas and of anticipation as well as an international place for research, reflection, exchange, and the drafting of principles, of norms and of policies in the fields of forecasting, social and human sciences, philosophy, human rights and the ethics of science and technology.

We must try to harness the strength of ideas in order to influence social transformations.

On this path, the “philosophical detour” – expression borrowed from Jeanne Hersch in her famous study on human rights from a philosophical point of view, undertaken at the request of UNESCO – is called for every day, and today more than ever.

Pierre Sané
Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences

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News

An international celebration of World Philosophy Day 2009  2009-11-09 10:00 am SHS e-News 44 / November 2009
The international celebration of World Philosophy Day 2009 took place in Moscow and Saint Petersburg from 16 to 19 November 2009. A country with a long tradition in philosophy and a true passion for thought and word, this year the Russian Federation took the place of honour, as organizer and host of this international event.
Symposium “Renaissance of tragedy. Poetics, philosophy, aesthetics, music” 2009-09-16 2:00 pm University of Paris – Sorbonne
The international and interdisciplinary symposium “Renaissance of tragedy. Poetics, philosophy, aesthetics, music”, organized by the University of Paris IV – Sorbonne, the Università degli Studi Federico II of Naples and CNRS, will take place from 17 to 19 September 2009 at the Sorbonne.
Regional philosophical dialogue gains widespread interest  2009-05-15 9:00 am UNESCO
Philosophical dialogue was highlighted during May by the organization of regional meetings in Asia and the Arab region co-organized with UNESCO.
The Director-General signs an agreement for the establishment of a UNESCO Chair in Philosophy and Human Rights at Maltepe University (Turkey) 2009-05-14 10:00 am UNESCO
On 13 May 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, and the Rector of Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey, Professor Kemal Köymen, signed an agreement establishing a UNESCO Chair in Philosophy and Human Rights at Maltepe University.
Information and exchange meeting on philosophy 2009-04-22 1:25 pm UNESCO
An information and exchange meeting with Permanent Delegates and Observers to UNESCO took place on 13 March 2009 at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris. The international celebration of World Philosophy Day in Palermo, Italy, in November 2008, and the position of philosophy at UNESCO were discussed.
Celebrating World Philosophy Day 2008 in the world and at UNESCO Headquarters 2008-11-14 12:00 pm UNESCO
World Philosophy Day, an annual celebration of philosophy initiated by UNESCO in 2005, continues to extend its scope. In 2008, the event was held in Palermo (Italy) on November 20 and 21, while numerous other initiatives took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and in over 80 countries around the world. The 2008 celebration was held in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.

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