The latest book by Carlo Scognamiglio “The Common Good. Rethinking politics with Kant and Rousseau” (in Italian, Pensa Multimedia, 2016) deals with a perennial tension between particularity and generality, which is the core of modern political argument. The aim of the event is to discuss the author’s solutions to the problem.

Summary: Thinkers like Rousseau, with his “Social Contract”, and Kant, through the pages of his “Perpetual Peace”, will be interrogated, confronted, and “provoked” in order to show, that ethical ideals cannot be removed from the political discourse. It is not just a trivial claim that the greater ethical awareness for those who manage public affairs is needed – this is not the point, where the speaker intends to dispute. Instead, he is going to promote the ethical politics as such. Can it be a viable alternative for the politics obsessed with and driven by economic issues? We will look for the answers together with Carlo Scognamiglio in this intellectual undertaking.

Speaker: Dr. Carlo Scognamiglio teaches at the Faculty of Philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas  and the Faculty of Law of the University of Roma Tre. He is also a teacher of philosophy and history at the Liceo Scientifico “Cavour” in Rome. Between 2007 and 2010 he was in charge of Giovanni Gentile Foundation, taught history of hermeneutics and carried out his research at the National Research Council and the University of Rome La Sapienza.

The debate is organized by the OZSW study group “Philosophy in Central and Eastern Europe”. It will be a follow-up of a study group meeting and workshop “Democratic Culture(s)”.

Program

14:00 – 14:15 Coffee and welcome

14:15 – 15:30 Discussion:

Carlo Scognamiglio (Rome), Evert van der Zweerde (Nijmegen), Jakub Szczepański (Cracow)

15:30 – 16:00 Plenary discussion

Entrance is free, but the number of places is limited. Registration is required.

The event is supported by the Dutch Research School of Philosophy (OZSW)