The Department of Philosophy at the University of Malta has announced the launch of its Summer Festival, which will be held on July 3 at the Campus Hub.
The festival, taking place between 5 and 11pm, will include a number of provocative talks as well as live music, NGOs and artisan stalls.
Head of department Claude Mangion says that, while the department has been organising monthly research seminars to encourage debate on various philosophical questions, the audience for these has tended to be chiefly composed of academics and students.
“With the Philosophy Summer Festival, the department hopes to open up the space for debate with the public,” says Mangion.
“The aim of the festival is precisely that of raising awareness of the research conducted by local philosophers. To this end, the festival will provide a platform where the public can listen to philosophers discuss various questions that have been selected for their relevance to every person’s life.”
Among the questions to be tackled is the age-old question of the meaningfulness of human existence in this life, as well as whether it makes sense to talk of another life in a world beyond this one.
Other questions concern how persons should behave towards others or in relation to the law.
“The festival will also provide a space where the public can interact with philosophers and discuss any points they might find interesting,” continues Mangion.
“The central and unifying theme for the festival is the philosophical question of what it means to be human.”
The philosophically themed band Zeno’s Paradox will be playing live at the festival between 5 and 7pm and again between 8 and 9pm, while interested participants may meet and chat with philosophers between 6 and 7pm.
The festival will also provide a space where the public can interact with philosophers and discuss any points they might find interesting
The first set of talks between 7 and 8pm, moderated by Mangion, will centre around several pertinent philosophical questions. Among them is ‘Have we lost our souls?’ which will be tackled by Robert Farrugia. Following this, Duncan Sant will consider the question ‘Is there a meaning to life?’
Vanessa Camilleri asks ‘Can Al be a good Samaritan?’, during which she will delve into the ethical considerations for a technological future. The first set of talks concludes with Keith Pisani’s question ‘Are we morally obliged to obey the law?’
Zeno’s Paradox will play live music once more between 8 and 9pm while audiences have the opportunity to meet the authors Joe Friggieri, David Vella and Dominic Garcia.
A second batch of philosophical questions ensues between 9 and 10pm, again moderated by Mangion.
Friggieri asks ‘Can we have a decent conversation, please?’ while Jean-Paul de Lucca considers ‘Is a good person always a good citizen?’
Mark Sultana muses on ‘A world beyond this one’ and asks ‘Can we even talk about it?’ while Clive Zammit considers ‘Can we stop these murderous wars?’
The final batch of talks for the festival will take place between 10 and 11pm in the form of philosophical conversations centring on what it means to be a human being today.
Moderated by Farrugia, the conversation will include Francois Zammit’s ‘Treat me like a human being’, Christian Colombo’s question ‘Do computers rule our lives?’ and Niki Young’s question ‘Are humans animals?’
The discussion will then open to the public.
A philosophy information table will be open during the festival between 8 and 10pm, while stands manned by the Student Philosophy Society (SPS) and several NGOs and artisans will be open between 5 and 11pm.