The Jordanian Philosophical Society opens a discussion on the centrality of knowledge
A 3-day conference titled "Arabs and Eastern Philosophies"
Amman3 min read
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The Jordanian Philosophical Society, headed by Dr. Lina Jazrawi, is preparing to hold its fourteenth annual philosophical conference under the title "Arabs and Eastern Philosophies," starting on Thursday the 24th of this month for three days, at the Society's headquarters in Jabal Al-Hussein, with the participation of a number of researchers, thinkers, and those interested in philosophy.
The conference discusses the position of Eastern philosophies in the history of human thought and whether modern philosophical narratives have contributed to establishing a cognitive perspective that places Western philosophy at the center of the scene, in contrast to a lesser presence of philosophical traditions in Eastern civilizations.
The conference is supervised by a scientific committee that includes Dr. Muwaffaq Mahadin, Mr. Rami Abu Ali, and Dr. Maher Al-Sarraf, alongside Dr. Lina Jazrawi. It stems from an attempt to re-read the philosophical heritage in China, India, Japan, Persia, and Islamic regions in Asia, and to pause at the contributions of these traditions to issues of humanity, existence, knowledge, ethics, and nature.
The conference also addresses the presence of Eastern philosophies in contemporary debates and the concepts they propose regarding the relationship between knowledge, ethics, practice, and daily life in light of issues faced by contemporary humans, from existential alienation to the imbalance in the relationship with nature and the dominance of instrumental reason.
The conference also opens a discussion on the concept of Western centrism in the production of philosophical knowledge, and the factors that contributed to consolidating certain philosophical references as a center for modern intellectual narrative, against the decline in the presence of other philosophical traditions.
In the Arab context, the conference pauses at a number of factors that influenced the presence of philosophical and rational thinking while reclaiming models from Arab and Islamic heritage, foremost among them the rational heritage represented by Ibn Rushd and the Mu'tazila, as part of the history of Arab philosophical thought.
The conference does not present Eastern philosophies in opposition to Western philosophy, but rather seeks to expand the space for dialogue between different philosophical traditions, reconsider the idea of a single cognitive reference, and open a discussion on the multiple forms of rationality and ways of philosophizing.
Through the conference, the Jordanian Philosophical Society looks forward to revitalizing the dialogue between Arab thought and Eastern philosophical traditions, raising questions related to the production of knowledge and the position of Arab thought in the global philosophical scene, and the possibility of building a philosophical space that is more pluralistic and open to different intellectual experiences.
The Society invites researchers, thinkers, intellectuals, and those interested in philosophy to attend the conference proceedings and participate in its sessions and discussions, which will be held over three days at the headquarters of the Jordanian Philosophical Society in Jabal Al-Hussein, Nablus Street, Building No. 94, Al-Haj Yassin Al-Rawashdeh Complex, Ground Floor.
