SYMPOSIA PHILOSOPHIAE ANTIQUAE

This series provides a forum for high-level, specialized meetings on mainly (but not exclusively) ancient Greek philosophy. The meetings are meant to be substantive but informal, aiming to advance the edge of understanding in the chosen area. Their pattern involves long sessions of presentation and discussion for each paper, among a select group of distinguished scholars with significant work in the field.


The idea is further to encourage an in-depth debate on ancient Greek thought that may also reveal its universal and diachronic validity, as well as in particular, its contemporary relevance and functionality. Classical Logos as a master key to reality and a valuational scheme that poses at the focal point knowledge and individual excellence, are ancient Greek preoccupations that are tellingly congruous to New Epoch emphasis on self-realization, skills, enriched rationality, competition, freedom and open systems. Not only respective general features converge, but the specific application of ancient Greek theories and modes of thinking to questions of economy, strategy, cultural in either historical or systematic perspective, yields fascinating results of high explanatory power, strong predictive value and direct usefulness.


These colloques can significantly contribute to the foundation of an enhanced awareness of the nature, operation and utility of ancient Greek thought, esp. in a transition era like ours, where the need for a new understanding of principles that can explain realities and especially developments in human affairs is maximal. One may call this feature the pragmatism of ancient philosophical thinking.