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Conference Announcement "Philosophy Emerging from Culture: Islamic Thought and Indonesian Culture" A Set of Conferences across Java International Society for Islamic philosophy (ISIP) Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP) Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang (Indonesia) 4-16 January 2009 __________________________________________________ Background Global times now endow - and challenge – us with a broad diversity of cultures and civilizations. At the same time the progressive deepening of human concerns reaches beyond what is clear and distinct to what is of meaning and value, and beyond what is universal and necessary to the free human creativity of diverse peoples. This directs attention to the way persons and communities, working cumulatively over time and space have generated their cultural traditions. These two dimensions: one of global breadth and the other of the depth of the human spirit, now combine to open new sources for the human spirit. There is a need to “rethink philosophy” in order to enable the vision of philosophy to be more inclusive and profound. In this light, there is an opportunity of many world cultures and civilizations to formulate their own heritages their philosophical insights and contributions. The goal will be to enrich philosophical awareness so that its horizons can be broad enough for all peoples to be truly at home therein. In relation to those efforts, The International Society for Islamic philosophy (ISIP) has been founded in conjunction with the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP), which is a Washington-based non-profit research center. This constitutes a special opportunity for the many parts of the Islamic world, each with their cultures and civilization, to formulate their own heritages and contributions? Its goal is to enable Islam can be at home in the modern world, to enrich and to be enriched in order for its peoples to be truly at home in the present age. A series of conferences in Indonesia will discuss the emergence of philosophy from culture both in general and the specific contribution of the islands of Indonesia such as Java and Bali as well as the philosophy of Pancasila that has been adopted by the founding fathers of Indonesia. In reference to that purpose, this coming conference (4-16 January 2009) at several leading universities in five cities (Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang) in Indonesia, a list of leading philosophers and scholars will discuss the emergence of philosophy from culture, related to Islamic thought, both in general and the specific contributions of the cultures of Java. As but one instance, Javanese culture has a distinctive notion called Memayu Hayuning Bawono. This notion sees human consciousness not as a solipsistic entity but as a disclosure. According to this cultural conception, human consciousness is not trapped within a microcosm (bawono cilik), but reaches toward the macrocosm (bawono gede). This brings new meaning to self consciousness and its ethical implication inasmuch as self-consciousness is not a substance but a relationship. Further it suggests a radical shift in our ethical paradigm: we develop ourselves not only through fulfilling certain universal maxims, but are continuously developing an ethic of cosmic solidarity. We need to gather and formulate many such insights from the culture of Java. Our hope would be to gather and formulate many such insights from the culture of Java. If were possible to explore as well a hermeneutic of how such elements can help to live the Islamic vision, it could be an important contribution to all Moslems and indeed to all philosophers. Moreover, in this it is a central hope that the sense of harmony in our Southeast Asian temperament which has pervaded our Islamic self-understanding might be able to contribute to Islam across the world and thereby to enrich its contribution to building world peace and cooperation among peoples. Each conference will be arranged in depth (a roundtable discussion) a full day in length, with a team of visiting scholars joining local scholars and graduate students in order to favor direct, penetrating and creative interchange. The resulting papers will be substantive and will be published and distributed both on its web in full text and in print to 350 university libraries across the world. This series of conference is organized by The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (CRVP) in collaboration with The Islamic College for Advanced Students (ICAS) Jakarta. Objectives The overall purpose of these series of conferences is to review papers presented by the 5 visiting scholars and 18 local scholars, identify local heritages on philosophy and cultural values and prepare summaries and recommendations. Participants (from each province/university) will discuss specific theme/topic within the framework of philosophy emerging from culture with support of conference organizers. Through this conference, philosophical insights from local culture will be gathered and formulated, particularly in the analysis of living tradition in relation to contributions to human values and creativity. The conference will also be a venue for representatives of local culture to share their view on local heritages. To explore how Islam can be at home in the modern world. The International Society for Islamic philosophy (ISIP) has been founded in conjunction with the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP). To enable Islam to enrich and to be enriched in order for its peoples to be truly at home in the present age. Specifically, the following outputs are expected at the end of the conference: - Collection of papers presented by 5 visiting and 18 local scholars within the range of philosophy emerging from culture as well as publication of its edited ones. - General summary and recommendations for formulating philosophical insights from local culture - Cultural representative-specific recommendations by chosen topics - Comments from all participants of each Round-table discussion - Feedback from paper presenters. Format The conference, in the form of Round-table discussion, is conducted in series in ten hosted universities, with a day for each. A number of philosophers and related professors and graduate students are invited in order to favor direct, penetrating and creative interchange. The medium for communication for the series of conferences will be English with national language used as desired in sessions of the hosted universities. Conference Organizer The Islamic College for Advanced Studies, Jakarta, and The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy are primarily responsible for organizing this conference, in close collaboration with: University of Indonesia, Islamic State University Syarif Hidayatullah, Islamic College for Advanced Studies, Driyarkara School of Philosophy, Islamic State University Sunan Gunung Jati, Gajah Mada University (Center for Religion and Cross-cultural Studies), Islamic State University Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Islamic State University Sunan Ampel, University of Muhammadiyah Malang. Paper Presenters The proposed topics are: - Islamic State University Syarif Hidayatullah: Public seminar on “ Wisdom (hikmah) and Rationality in Islamic Thought” - University of Indonesia: Contemporary Philosophy, Islamic Thought and Local Wisdom in Multicultural Society: An Indonesian Case - Islamic College for Advanced Studies: Connecting Islamic Philosophy and Modern Challenges in a Post-Modernist Age - Driyarkara School of Philosophy: Religious Ethics, Java Ethics, and Global Ethics - Islamic State University Sunan Gunung Jati: Towards Interfaith Dialogue in a Cultural Framework - CRCS- Gajah Mada University: Islamic Thought and Javanese Culture - Islamic State University Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta: Islamic Mysticism and Javanese Culture - Islamic State University Sunan Ampel and Airlangga University: Islamic Thought in Developing Cultural Values: Rural and Urban Communities - University of Muhammadiyah Malang: Cultivation of Education in Islamic Perspective and Cultural Pesisir Contact: Prof. Husain Heriyanto The Islamic College for Advanced Students (ICAS) Pondok Indah Plaza III, Blok F5 Jln TB. Simatupang Street South Jakarta 12310 Indonesia Fax : +62 (0)21 7651601 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.crvp.org/conf/2009/java.htm __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
