Lecture on Philosophy as a way of life: Significance and potentialities of "listening, reflection, and practice”

To celebrate World Philosophy Day 2019, Kyoto University will organize the lecture: « Philosophy as a Way of Life: Significance and Potentialities of ‘Listening, Reflection, and Practice’» by Marc-Henri-Deroche (Associate Professor, GSAIS). The event will be held on 21 November 2019 at Kyoto University Tachiban Kaikan, in Japan.

To answer: “What is the role of philosophy?” we first need to answer, “What does philosophy do better than others”? Can it be explaining the world around us? If the role of philosophy is answering the question, “What is?” then we have a problem: science does a better job at it.

Philosophy cannot explain the world as accurately as science does. If philosophy cannot properly describe what surrounds us, maybe it can prescribe how we should navigate through the reality that becomes intelligible to us through science.

In other words, if philosophy’s role cannot be a descriptive one, perhaps it should be a normative one. In this case, philosophy’s role wouldn’t be asking, “What is?” but rather “What should be”? This essential topic will be discussed in Marc Henri Duroche’s (Associate Professor, GSAIS) lecture: “Philosophy as a Way of Life” during the Mini-Workshop celebrating UNESCO’s World Philosophy Day that will take place November 21st at Kyoto University.

The lecture will deal with crucial questions that any citizen in a democratic society should be asking himself: “How should I live?” or “How should I live considering I have to cohabit with other human beings?”. The lecture will be followed by a discussion led by Masatake Shinohara (Specially Appointed Associate Professor, GSAIS) and Taizo Tokoyama (GSAIS Alumnus/Lecturer, St. Andrew University, Osaka). Finally, there will be research presentations by GSAIS students to close the event.