World Philosophy Day provides an opportunity to underline once more the importance of critical thinking to understanding changes in contemporary society. Change forces us to find new ways of living together and building fairer societies, but it can also erode trust and spark tension. In these circumstances, 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. Such a shift of focus is crucial in a world of rising diversity. 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 rights.
世界哲学日让我们有机会重申批判思维对于理解当今社会变革的重要意义。变革迫使我们找到共同生活和建设更公正社会的新方式。变革也可能破坏信任,引发矛盾。在这种背景下,哲学成为我们宝贵的盟友,它依托思辨推理和对话实践,为我们打开心灵之窗,拥抱多元意见和观点。在一个多样性的世界里,这种去自我中心化至关重要。它既是宽容与和平的基础,也是在尊重人权的条件下,释放出推动社会进步的创新能量的方法。
“If, by speaking and expressing their view of the world, people change the world, then dialogue is the means by which people find significance in this”. – this message by Paulo Freire is enshrined in the Philosophy Manual, a South-South perspective, which will be launched officially by UNESCO on World Philosophy Day, produced with the support of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Programme for a Culture of Peace and Dialogue. There is no genuine philosophy without dialogue and, in a globalized world, dialogue must embrace the diverse strands of wisdom that have influenced people throughout history and which are not always sufficiently detailed or documented in conventional textbooks. It is this genuine intellectual and philosophical pluralism that will enable us to identify the best viewpoints for the future. By initiating pupils, teachers and the public in the diversity of these traditions, we can lay the foundations for a global community. I hope that the manual will inspire younger generations of students and teachers and I call on all Member States and our partners to support this initiative and all others that help us to reflect on philosophy with others.
“如果人们通过对世界的谈论和表达而改变世界,那么对话就是人们发现做人意义的途径”,保罗·弗莱雷教授在其《哲学手册:南南视角》中如是说。该新手册于世界哲学日由教科文组织正式推出,手册的编制得到沙特阿拉伯国王阿卜杜拉·本·阿卜杜勒·阿齐兹对话与和平文化国际计划的支持。没有对话就没有真正的哲学,在全球化的世界里,对话应涵盖在历史上曾对各国人民产生影响但却不一定在教科书里得到充分介绍和记载的各种智慧。正是这种真正的智力和哲学上的多元化使我们能够鉴别最佳的未来观。让学生、教师和其他公民了解多元的哲学传统,我们可奠定世界公民意识的基础。我希望年轻一代的学生以及教师从该手册中受到启发,我也呼吁所有会员国和合作伙伴支持这一倡议以及有助于我们与他人一道思考哲学的其他倡议。
This is the spirit of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), and it is this wisdom that UNESCO will continue to promote in order to construct the defences of peace in the minds of men and women, in accordance with its Constitution.
这是国际文化和睦十年(2013—2022年)的核心精神,也是教科文组织要继续倡导的智慧,以便按其《组织法》所言,“在人之思想中筑起保卫和平之屏障”。