World Philosophy Day

  Join us for the first UNESCO Thought Leaders series at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, Room IX, on 5 April 2024 from 4pm to 6pm (GMT +2). Professor Joseph Wong will headline the conversation, exploring the theme of Equity and Inclusive Development in the Era of Post-Welfare Statism . The Thought Leader: Professor Joseph WangJoseph Wong is Vice-President, International, University of Toronto, where he is also a Professor of Political Science. He held the Canada Research Chair in Health, Democracy, and Development for two terms from 2006 to 2016, and the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy from 2013 to 2023. He was selected to be a Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation mentor and fellow in 2023. With a wealth of academic contributions including books Healthy Democracies and Betting on Biotech, Professor Wong's research has been published in esteemed journals such as The Lancet and Comparative Political Studies. Inspired by ...

This report is UNESCO's study of the present state of the teaching of philosophy in a changing world , emphasizing its vital role across education levels and disciplines. This UNESCO-commissioned publication scrutinizes the current landscape of teaching philosophy in a constantly evolving world. It stresses the need to update knowledge to tackle contemporary challenges effectively . Examining education levels from preschool to university and real-world applications, it addresses pivotal questions regarding philosophical education's methods , educator roles, and integration within broader education. Highlighting the necessity of integrating philosophy with other disciplines rather than isolating it , the report emphasizes its crucial role in modern education. Ultimately, it seeks to showcase not only the significance but also the vital necessity of teaching philosophy in today's educational context. Philosophy, a school of freedom: teaching philosophy and learning to phil...

  PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE

  PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE

Marking the World Philosophy Day 2016 , on November 17th, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is encouraging people of the world to share their philosophical heritages and “dare to open spaces for free, open and tolerant thinking.” Marking World Philosophy Day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) is encouraging people of the world to share their philosophical heritages and “dare to open spaces for free, open and tolerant thinking.” The Day falls every third Thursday in November, and this year, it follows the International Day of Tolerance . “This coincidence is deeply significant, given the link between tolerance and philosophy. Philosophy thrives on the understanding of, respect and consideration for the diversity of opinions, thoughts, and cultures that enrich the way we live in the world,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “As with tolerance, philosophy is an art of living together, with due r...

Marking World Philosophy Day, the head of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) has stressed that sustainability calls for new ways of thinking about ourselves and the planet and as such, “philosophy and all the humanities will be essential.” “The conviction that philosophy can make an essential contribution to human well-being, to addressing complexity, to advancing peace stands at the heart of World Philosophy Day,” UNESCO ’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, said in her message for this year’s celebration. Ms. Bokova pointed out that UNESCO puts philosophy forward as a force for individual and collective emancipation: “For to think, while reflecting on what it is to think, is to philosophize, and all of us do it constantly, driven by the truest motor of all human ingenuity – wonder.” World Philosophy Day has been observed every third Thursday of November since 2002. According to UNESCO, philosophy is dialogue of wonder, across the ages, with ar...

On World Philosophy Day, The United Nations lauds role of dialogue, diversity in multicultural world The head the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today marked the twelfth edition of World Philosophy Day with a widespread appeal for dialogue in diversity, adding that only by embracing the intellectual pluralism of our global society can the foundations of a truly global community be laid. “Philosophy is an invaluable ally that draws on reflexive reasoning and engagement in dialogue, to open our minds to a wide variety of opinions and views,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in her messasge for the Day, which this year in on the theme “Social Transformations and Intercultural Dialogue.” “Such a shift of focus is crucial in a world of rising diversity,” Ms. Bokova continued. “This is both the foundation on which tolerance and peace rest and a means of releasing the creative energy that drives societies forward, while respecting human ri...