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CALL FOR PAPERS "EDUCATIONS AND THEIR PURPOSES: A PHILOSOPHICAL DIALOGUE AMONG CULTURES”
The Ninth East-West Philosophers Conference will be dedicated to the singular importance of “educations”— purposely plural—in the shaping of a pluralistic world. Education is the point of departure for the cultivation of human culture in all of its different forms. While there are many contested conceptions of what the curriculum of education might be, no one would challenge the premise that education is a good thing for the future of humanity, and that we should continue to invest heavily in it. In fact, many of us would allow that the only resolution to the many problems that continue to beset the human species is a mutual accommodation of cultures made possible by a dialogue that only education can sustain. The only antidote to violence and injustice is the cultivation of a broad social intelligence. Not long ago a human being could live and die in a world that remained relatively constant and familiar. But no more. Humanity has arrived at the edge of the third millennium. The past century has witnessed a veritable explosion in the growth of technologies, affecting every aspect of the human experience -- education, health, economics, environment, communication, politics, security. And none of the world's cultures has remained unchallenged as the half-life of these technologies grows shorter, and the speed and power they have to shape our lives accelerates. And the pace just gets faster. But all of the contemporary issues that people of good-will need to address ultimately return to education. The collective and overruling responsibility of each generation of humanity has been to sustain the world for the children yet unborn. In our historical moment, more than ever before, this prime directive means that technological power must be accompanied by the considered wisdom that only education can provide. We need to continue a global conversation that enables us, with deliberation, to see where we are going, and why. Some possible themes might be: Educating Whole Persons for Whole Lives: The Educated Body An Epistemology of Feeling: Education and the Emotions Education and the Visual Arts Islam, Peace, and Education Education, Indoctrination, and Indigenization: Civilizing or Colonizing? Innovation, Improvisation, and the Value of the Unexpected: Education as Creativity Music and Moral Education From the Abacus to the Supercomputer: Educations and Their Technologies Education and Negotiations of Power Education and the Environment Education and Poverty Education and the Prisons Education and the State: Civic Education The Privatization of Education: Education or Training? Religious Education: Terror, Militarism, and Peace The Media and the Curriculum: Who Will Educate, Teachers or Journalists? Academic Standards and the Standardization of the Academy Education as Activism and Resistance We are inviting philosophers to propose a paper or a panel that will address these or other themes relevant to the general topic. A short abstract can be sent to the organizing committee by mail, fax, or e-mail to the address on this letterhead by October 1, 2004. As in past, we will be preparing a volume with selected papers from the conference. We are anticipating that this conference will be an historic event.
Roger T. Ames, Director
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