Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/09/2024
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
The status of philosophy in western society has known its drastic ups and downs during the three millennia of its existence. Reaching its peak in late pre-Christian antiquity (as embodied, for example, in the figure of the emperor philosopher Marcus Aurelius) it experienced an abrupt downfall with the ascendancy of Christianity as the new empire-wide religion. It was then magnanimously, almost contemptuously, allowed by the Church to re-enter the temple of humanity through the backdoor as a handmaid to theology, only to gradually reassert its lost privileges and eventually threaten to reclaim the intellectual throne it believed to have been unfairly usurped by religion. Philosophy reached its new peak of social respectability in the age of Enlightenment and managed to maintain it, with slightly varying degrees of success, over the next two and a half centuries. However, it experienced a new nosedive in the middle of the 20th century. Since then, its prospects of recovery have been appearing vague.
But what can be the causes of philosophy’s unsteady situation at present? Is it possible that its handmaid-style dependence on religion has been underestimated and never properly overcome? If that is the case, the tendency looks clear: with the steady decline of organised religion, philosophy, having existed largely in opposition to but also in cooperation with it, would be naturally expected to go into an even sharper decline. Yet, while organised religion may be nearing extinction, religious consciousness in general constitutes an essential part of human psyche and as such will always remain safe in existence. The latter cannot be said about philosophy which is too closely linked to historically defined mental stereotypes and may thus feel much less safe for its future
Dmitry will give his talk at The Crown, 102 Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5RD but the meeting will also be on Zoom see SLPC Zoom Meeting
We always welcome new speakers. If you would like to give a talk on a philosopher or a philosophical topic please contact Adrian Carter at southlondonphilosophy@gmail.com