Mexico City, September 5, 2024 - At the beginning of August, the XXVI World Congress of Philosophy was held in Mexico City. XXVI World Congress of Philosophy was held at the La Sapienza University in Rome. This congress, organized every five years by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP), had the collaboration of the Italian Philosophical Society, under the presidency of Luca Scarantino. The general theme of this edition was Philosophy Across Bordersfocusing on the dialogue between disciplines and cultures.
This objective was reflected in the use of several official languages and the organization of round tables dedicated to the philosophies of various cultures of the world. In this context, Universidad Panamericana participated with presentations ranging from ancient and pre-Hispanic philosophy to contemporary bioethics.
This article details some of the contributions of Panamericana scholars in the words of Fernando Hurtado Chaurand, alumni of the School of Philosophy.
Aristotle and the classification of animals in the New World
On the first day of the congress, most of the presentations of our School of Philosophy were scheduled. The day began with the round table Aristotelian traditions in the classification of animals in America (novo-Hispanic principality, 16th century), with the participation of Dr. Virginia Aspe, Dr. María Elena García Peláez and Dr. María Elena García Peláez.Dr. Virginia Aspe, Dr. María Elena García Peláez and Dr. Luis Xavier López-Farjeat participated.
The central theme was how Aristotelian categories were interpreted and applied in the context of the New World. Dr. García Peláez began the discussion by establishing the framework of Aristotle's biological project, providing the theoretical basis for the subsequent analysis.
Dr. Lopez-Farjeat went on to explore the reception of Aristotle's biological works in the Arab world, especially the political classification of animals by Al-Farabi in the 10th century, and suggested possible indirect influences on Novo-Hispanic thought.
Then, Graciela Zamudio of UNAM, María Idoya Zorroza of the Pontifical University of Salamanca, and Dr. Aspe discussed how these ideas were applied in the 16th century setting. This discussion led to an exchange at the end of the table with Salvador Reyes Equiguas (UNAM) on the Florentine Codex and its connection with Nahuatl philosophy.
Islamic philosophy and the challenges of women philosophers
Later in the day, the round table Arabic-Islamic Philosophy East and WestDr. Luis Xavier López-Farjeat and Dr. Mauricio Lecón participated. During this session, the influence and transmission of Islamic philosophical thought, especially in the Middle Ages, was examined.
Dr. Lecón gave a presentation on the philosophical position on gambling and betting, tracing its development from antiquity through the Islamic tradition to medieval philosophy. Of particular importance was the recognition of the continuity in the transmission of ancient texts through various cultures, a topic that was also touched upon at the table on the classification of animals, which is often underestimated in the history of philosophy.
Finally, at the session of the Mexican Association of Women PhilosophersDr. Aspe and Dr. Lourdes Velázquez (from the Pan-American Center for Bioethics, and part of the FISP steering committee), spoke about the trajectory of their philosophical careers as women. It was especially valuable to hear about the challenges and accomplishments they have faced in their careers as women in philosophy.
Transdisciplinary dialogue
On the penultimate day of the congress, the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics of the UP presented the round table on the following topics Bioethics and human dignity: a transdisciplinary dialogue.. Dr. Lourdes Velázquez gave a presentation on the topic of surrogacy, while Dr. Stéphanie Derive presented her research on dignity in the context of medical education, based on her doctoral thesis supervised by Dr. Evandro Agazzi. Both presentations addressed ethical challenges in contemporary medicine from a philosophical perspective.
Dr. Derive used case studies to illustrate ethical dilemmas in medical education. I found this presentation particularly valuable, as it addresses an issue close to friends of mine who are studying medicine and who often face difficulties with the environment in medical education.
Dr. Agazzi, honorary president of FISP and former president of the 19th World Congress of Philosophy, was unable to attend in person, but gave some video presentations that we screened during the congress, including the last invited session in the aula magna just before the closing ceremony.
Who Wants to be Immortal?
On the last day of the congress I had the opportunity to present a paper at the invited table of the Committee on Ethics in Science. Under the title Who wants to be immortal?I addressed the philosophical implications of posthumanism and advances in neuroscience, a work that I developed with Dr. Velázquez.
As the only student among established scholars such as Jacob Dahl Rendtorff, Roskilde University; Noriko Hashimoto, Aoyama University; and Mislav Kukoc, University of Split, I initially felt out of place. However, the reception of my paper was positive, and a very interesting dialogue emerged on the problem of death in relation to posthumanist philosophy.
The last table of the congress I attended was one of the highlights for me, the session Vedic Philosophy in the Context of Other Civilizationswhere Dr. Aspe presented on pre-Hispanic philosophy. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the congress, as it revealed numerous commonalities between these philosophical traditions.
In addition, there was much enthusiasm among all participants to continue exploring the connections between ancient Indian philosophy and pre-Hispanic philosophy.
Philosophy: shared ground
I found it valuable to observe how different philosophical traditions converge in the exploration of common problems, showing that, despite cultural and historical differences, philosophy is a shared terrain.
The participation of Universidad Panamericana in this conference highlighted the relevance of our institution in the global philosophical dialogue. As the only Panamericana student to attend this conference, I realized how enriching it would be for more students to have this opportunity.
The next world congress will be in Tokyo in 2028, I hope to return by then and, this time, organize a table together with my colleagues from the Universidad Panamericana.
Author details:
Fernando Hurtado Chaurand, alumni of the School of Philosophy.
Learn more about the School of Philosophy at: https://www.up.edu.mx/educacion-universidad-facultad-de-filosofia/
