Research Theme: “Cultural Heritages and Contemporary Change”

“Cultural heritages” are the values and virtues by which responsible human freedom is exercised in a consistently creative matter, enabling in turn the formation of succeeding generations and the preparation of the way ahead for the advancement of human life.

“Contemporary change” is the series of decisive transformations, e.g., in Central and Eastern Europe, China and Islam as well as the dramatic impact of globalization as cultural heritages intersect and of the new search for personal and social identity.

“Human progress” includes the physical and economic welfare of peoples in the context of their environment. It includes as well their spiritual welfare as realized in their interior consciousness, their social relations to other persons and peoples, and their appreciation and response to their created origins, present dignity and transcendent goal. The search is for an ever more rich appreciation and realization of these in the context of family and civil society, nation and world.

 Hence, mutual critique is needed to assure the rigor and balance of the work. This is first in regular team meetings to discuss the chapters as they are drafted by the individual team members, second in regional meetings with representatives of related teams, and third in extended seminars drawing philosophers from all areas of the world for joint explorations of basic emerging issues.

The focus of the overall effort is:

(a) Philosophical: drawing upon the full resources of the field, as concerned with the deepest human problems related to culture and human progress.

(b) Cooperative: the team structure makes it possible to draw upon multiple approaches to philosophy and, as needed, of allied sciences, that is, to call upon the many modes in which the spirit is at work in the world; working at specific university centers allows for regular interchange as the work is in progress. Here mutual critique assures the rigor and balance of the work. This is first in regular team meetings to discuss the chapters as they are drafted by the individual team members, second in regional meetings with representatives of related teams, and third in extended seminars drawing philosophers from all areas of the world for joint explorations of basic emerging issues.

(c) Global: while each team chooses its own theme and applies the cultural resources of its peoples, the results are exchanged and the horizon is global in terms not of an economic or political hegemony, but of a meeting of unique cultures each bearing its proper gifts.