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Announcement "Suffering and Humanity in East-West Philosophy Comparison" Straniak 2008 Philosophy Prize Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation Sarnen, OW (Switzerland) __________________________________________________ Regulations for the competition on the topic of Suffering and Humanity in East-West Philosophy Comparison How were and are events, experiences and interpretations of human suffering philosophically reflected in Eastern and Western cultures in terms of their effect and significance on humanity in history, and how were and are they processed into new forms of self-interpretation, interpreting the foreign and the nature of existence? The terrible tsunami disaster of Christmas 2004, the discussion on stem cell research and experiences of existential poverty and bellicose violence very different circumstances which have triggered ethical reactions both in the West and in Eastern Asia. These and other similar topics are linked to the question as to how human suffering and the challenges of humanity against the background of specific values, standards and ethical notions can, should and must be handled, both in the West and in Eastern Asia. Against the background of these events, joining the worlds regions and simultaneously dividing the philosophical and ethical-normative viewpoints, the 2008 Straniak Philosophy Prize is principally asking about philosophys sample explanations and approaches in the West and the East when it becomes a matter of overcoming suffering and locating human conditions. The key questions include: how is human suffering interpreted and reflected in the philosophical ethical conceptions of Western and East Asian tradition? Can systematic comparative analyses be undertaken which can contend before the common objective of respecting and strengthening humanity? How do Western and Eastern thoughts differ in their approach to the philosophical ascertainment and penetration of the problem of human suffering in history? How do the philosophical traditions of the West and Eastern Asia deal with the limits of combating and preventing human suffering? 1. The Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation was established as a Swiss foundation by the Austrian graduate economist Hermann Straniak, Salzburg. The founder and his wife Marianne Straniak (who died at an early age) were engaged throughout their lives in asserting human rights and creating a connection between Eastern and Occidental philosophical schools of thought, with the objective of generating a synthesis. For this purpose, Hermann Straniak also established a foundation to promote both these aspects, describing the foundations purpose in its charter this way: Promoting the objectives and thoughts set out in the European Human Rights Convention, in particular safeguarding freedom of thought for individual human beings. Promoting efforts to connect the philosophical schools of thought in the Eastern (Asian) and Occidental (Western) worlds with the objective of creating a synthesis by interconnecting these schools of thought. The founder issued a comprehensive set of regulations to supplement the charter, including detailed stipulations on setting up a prize contest in order, said the founder, to help prevent the ideological fragmentation of the world (Fig. 1[3]B). The foundations council, consisting of three members, is responsible for undertaking everything possible to achieve the foundations goal and administrating the foundations assets appropriately. The councils members: Dr. Herwig Liebscher attorney in Salzburg the foundations President Dr. Ferdinand W. Hinteregger financial advisor financial administrator in Zurich Lic.oec. Roland Furger trustee in Lucerne 2. The prize The Council of the Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation again announces the prize contest as the founder intended. As mentioned at the outset, the topic of the 2008 Straniak Foundation Prize is Suffering and Humanity in East-West Philosophy Comparison The prize is SF 30,000.00. The foundation council reserves the right to award the prize in partial amounts (none of which to be less than SF 10,000.00). 3. The essay The 2008 Straniak Philosophy Prize is aimed at all scholars involved in philosophy and political ethics who feel called upon to address the question of comparing Asian (East Asian) and Western philosophical approaches. Submissions of high scholarly quality are requested which can contend in international competition and which can combine profundity of mental reflection with breadth of cultural-comparative approach, posing the question as to how experiences with suffering in Western and East Asian cultural areas have influenced philosophical concepts of humanity and historical philosophical thought from the philosophical and ideological standpoint. High quality scholarly treatises are invited which deal with the question from the comparative viewpoint and which, in the sense of the founders wish, contribute to promoting understanding for commonalities and sensitivity to the differences in the philosophical and ideological sense between the West and Eastern Asia. The announcement of the 2008 Straniak Philosophy Prize goes out to all who are capable of analysing historical experiences, upheavals and continuities from the perspective of philosophical interpretation in the sense of promoting understanding between the West and East Asia. The foundation is in complete agreement that, apart from individual researchers, teams of researchers made up of an author from Western culture and one from a East Asian land also prepare and submit a contest essay. The essays should be unpublished and be expressly conceived and executed from a comparative perspective as well as demonstrate the authors involvement with both Western and East Asian viewpoints, experiences, interpretations and debates. The essays should not be shorter than 50 pages and not exceed 250. Deadline for submission: October 30, 2008. 4. Organisation and general provisions 4.1. The prize will be awarded by the Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation, represented by its foundation council. The council will be advised by a prize jury committee consisting of the Messrs. - Prof. Dr. Ludger Kühnhardt, Bonn University, European Integration Research Centre - Prof. Dr. Walter Schweidler, Bochum University, Institute of Philosophy - Prof. Dr. Franz Martin Wimmer, University of Vienna, Institute of Philosophy The prize jury committee will not enter into any correspondence. Upon request, the prize-winner will receive a certificate on the awarding of the prize from the Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation. The Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation reserves the right without entering into any obligation in this regard to announce the awarding of the prize in a suitable manner in specialised magazines. 4.2. The contest is open to everyone. Contestants may submit one essay only. 4.3. Essays must be in German or English. 4.4. Contestants should submit their essays typewritten, five copies (photocopies), without name or address but with a code ID. A sealed envelope bearing the code ID is to be enclosed with the five copies, containing the contestants given name, surname and address as well as a short résumé and the ID code. Essays must be unpublished. If theses, dissertations or habilitation essays are submitted, they will only be accepted if they have not been approved prior to January 1, 2008. Contestants must state if the essays have already been submitted to another body awarding prizes or subsidies, which body it is and whether and how this body has treated the essay. Statements will be handled confidentially. 4.5. Essays submitted will not be returned. 4.6. Deadlines Deadline for submission: not later than November 30, 2008 (postmark) Prize award: likely spring/summer 2009 4.7. Address all correspondence, enquiries and submissions to the Straniak 2008 Philosophy Prize Office Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation c/o Dr. Herwig Liebscher Paris-Lodron-Strasse 19 A-5020 Salzburg Tel. 0043 662 87 23 50 Fax: 0043 662 87 12 14 e-mail: [email protected] 4.8. Correspondence is to be conducted in German or English. All contestants will be informed in writing of the prize-winners names. 4.9. The Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation reserves the right to introduce the first prize-winning essay in the language it was written into retail bookshops to a reasonable extent via a publisher selected by the Foundation and at the Foundations expense. The 2008 Straniak Philosophy Prize will be mentioned in the publication. The prize-winner shall receive 25 free copies. 4.10. At the request of the Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation, the prize-winner shall give a lecture on the topic of his/her essay. 4.11. These rules and regulations are constituent components of the competition and are binding on all contestants. March 2007 Hermann and Marianne Straniak Foundation The Foundation Council __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
