Public lecture: Philosophy and our present moment in history - A perspective from the global south

On the occasion of UNESCO World Philosophy Day 2024, Wageningen University will be hosting a public lecture by Professor Pascah Mungwini entitled ‘Philosophy and our present moment in history: a perspective from the global South’.

Abstract:

In this presentation I proceed from the perspective that we study philosophy not only to understand its enthralling ideas and theories but also and more importantly to continue to find out how to practice philosophy in a manner that can make a difference in this world. In other words, the main concern should not simply be to grasp that which has already been established by some of philosophy’s greatest minds but to go beyond and open the window into that which is yet to be explored and that which has been excluded or occluded and to which intellectual debt is owed. I argue that critical expositions and enquiries into the ideological substratum of modern philosophy including the quest for transformative engagements places on philosophers the responsibility to continue to reflect on our relationship with history and with the world. This is an ethical imperative we cannot shirk and for which we must be prepared to confront our own philosophical allergies. I pay attention to these and similar issues that drive the need for transformative engagements through the lens of African philosophy and to illuminate other intellectual pathways.

This lecture is co-organised by the African Studies Centre Leiden, Stellenbosch University, University of Ghana, University of Gondar, University of Limpopo, University of South Africa, University of Pretoria.

Registration:

Participation is free of charge, but registration is mandatory for both online and in person attendance. Please register through the following link. Online participants will receive a link to the livestream prior to the lecture. Kindly note that registration closes on November 14th.