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AN INVITATION

 


 

THE ANNUAL SEMINAR  

Education in a Global Context

Interdisciplinary, Intercultural, and Interreligious Approaches

August 2-8, 2014                                                                                                     Vallendar, Germany

  

 A Cooperation with

the Catholic University Vallendar (PTHV)

Seminar Program

 

Theme

Education or "paideia," "Bildung," or the formation of an outlook and way of life has been a central issue throughout the human history, both East and West. For Plato, education was not simply to put knowledge into people's mind 'like putting sight into blind eyes' but rather to free the entire soul for what was 'brightest.' For the educator is to go to society, as with Socrates, this meant turning to society to draw out its sense of truth, justice, courage and moderation, thereby enabling people to be friends of wisdom.

 

However, the theory and hence the pressures of modern life have associated knowledge with power which humans could use for their own benefit, both personal and professional. Recently the purpose of education has become further rationalized as a training process to enhance human instrumental reasoning. With the rapid development of science, technology, and industrialization, as well as of finance, market economics, and commercialization, education was turned into a means for learning skills and techniques. Thus, schools and universities have come to serve only utilitarian purposes, namely, to train students to learn skills or techniques to fit into the job market, in order to be promoted, to gain high salaries, and so on. In this sense, education is considered part of the commercial market focusing on competition for profits and interest, which neglecting such important dimensions of education as formation, cultivation and moral education.

 

The value which the Catholic University of Vallendar would seek to add is to open the meaning of an education and human striving to the formation of an enriched sense of personhood. It seeks to relate education, e.g.,

 

- to a life of caring with the means now provided by science and technology in this explosive and fast developing age of information and communication;

- to the meaning of this for life in a democratic society, and

- to promote intercultural dialogue in these ever more complex global times.

 

In sum, education faces many challenges today: social, economic and political. These emerge from modern technology, the sciences, and globalization and entail rapid transformation of traditional ways of life.

 

As these challenges tend to reduce education to job training they will be addressed in a series of annual one week seminars about education at the Catholic University of Vallendar, Germany. The seminar will bring together experts from different disciplinary, cultural, and religious backgrounds for a creative rethinking about education. Eachseminar will focus on one main topic:

 

Education and the Human Person (2014)

Education and Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue (2015)

Education and Technology (2016)

Education and Democracy (2017)

 

Application

Applications for participation in this seminar should be sent by email by February  1, 2014, toH.Zaborowski@pthv.de and cua-rvp@cua.edu. Participants will cover their own travel costs. The PTHV will provide simple room and board. The seminar will be held at the Catholic University in Vallendar, Germany (www.pthv.de). The participants will arrive on August 2 and depart on August 8. The University is about 90 minutes away from Frankfurt International Airport.

 

The application should include:

 

(1)  a vita describing one's education, professional positions and activities;

(2) a list of the applicants' publications;

(3) a letter stating your interest and involvement in this theme and its relation to your past and future work in philosophy and related studies; and

(4) an abstract of a study(s) you might present as an integral part of the seminar.

 

Further Information:

Contact: Prof. Dr. Dr. Holger Zaborowski

Lehrstuhl für Geschichte der Philosophie und philosophische Ethik

Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Vallendar

Pallottistr. 3

56179 Vallendar

Deutschland / Germany

H.Zaborowski@pthv.de

This program is also supported by the European Academy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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