Projects / Programmes
Between Politics and Ethics: Towards A New World Culture of Hospitality and Non-violence
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.10.00 |
Humanities |
Philosophy |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H001 |
Humanities |
Philosophy |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.03 |
Humanities |
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion |
intersubjectivity, ethics of nonviolence, ethics of hospitality, intercultural philosophy, philosophy of religion, religious ethics
Researchers (11)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The research proposal aims to be an original contribution towards a new theory of intersubjectivity, based on the interpretations and comparisons of key Western philosophers as well as different world philosophies, read and compared in an intercultural key. The aim and importance of this project is to establish an entirely new platform for philosophical thinking of intersubjectivity and interculturality and to awaken contemporary philosophy towards a more sensitive approach needed in our times. The ground-breaking importance of the project lies in the fact that the research in philosophy and ethics has not yet provided an ethical theory of non-violence which would be informed by key personalities of intersubjective ethics on the one side, and by key intercultural readings, regarding various cultural, philosophical and religious contexts, on the other side. In the first part, the proposed project will address the problem of the many layers of violence inherent in a variety of Western philosophical theories pertaining to ethics and political philosophy. At the same time the project will critically examine the major theories and theoreticians of violence to suggest it is within the notion of ethical intersubjectivity (as proposed by Levinas, Derrida, Irigaray and others) that a search for a new platform of thinking about non-violence can begin. Having this aim, the project will introduce the concept of hospitality as a bridge towards a new ethics of intersubjectivity. By analyzing selected philosophical discourses from different world cultures and world philosophies (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Daoism, Confucianism) the project team will propose a prospective new world culture of hospitality and non-violence, having a potential for conflict resolution at personal, social and political levels.
Significance for science
The principal aim this project, as indicated in the project proposal, was to relate and reground the research on the fields of philosophy and ethics as well as intercultural studies in humanities (philosophy, religion, ethics). The importance for scientific development lies in a nes theory, proposed by the project team for thinking of hospitality and nonviolence. The research has offered a new approach to the ethics of intersubjectivity as well as towards a new global ethics, informed by intercultural thinking. The research in this project has linked two fields of hospitality: firstly within an ethics of intersubjectivity, where we have studied Continental and American thinkers (Feuerbach, Mead, Derrida, Irigaray, among others) in a new and original way. Apart from this, we have included into our research a rich intercultural spectrum of ethical questions dealing with hospitality and nonviolence: here we would like to point to the following main results: we have developed a new ethics of hospitality, based on Christian ecofeminist thought; furthermore, we have developed an extension of Derrida's and Irigaray's fondations for a transspecies ethics (animal ethics) in our new monograph on this topic. Finally, within Asian contexts, we have analysed both political consequences of an ethics of hospitality (Tagore) as well as Buddhist ethics of mindulness offered an original view on spaces of hospitality and nonviolence. With two monographs (one published by Routledge - "Poesis of Peace"; another one published by Annales - "Mišljenje nasilja"). Ethics of hospitality has also been applied to the models of contemporary political ethics (global ethics, global justice: Singer, Sen, Appiah, Nussbaum, Pogge) and have thus analysed and further developed the ethical field of cosmopolitanism.
Significance for the country
Research field, where the notions of hospitality and non-violence meet, has not been systematically explored in Slovenia. Sporadic research was done by researchers within other thematic frameworks – most prominently tourism studies – but they mostly focused on the narrow meaning of the term. In Slovenia, only several reviews and/or historical presentations of hospitality were published (e. g. M. Skok and S. Slapšak). Non-violence was researched in a greater number of partial and mostly applicative studies in the domain of pedagogy, social work, psychology and psychotherapy etc.. In philosophy and religiology on the other hand – apart from the studies of gandhian model (e. g. A. Ule) – systematic study of these notions is largely lacking. The research project therefore strived to analyze the notion of hospitality through its more complex meanings and meaningfully relate it to the notion of non-violence, understood through the perspective of philosophy and religiology and thereby introducing a systematical philosophical and interdisciplinary research of this field into Slovenia. The time when Europe is closing its borders against the “economic migrants” and refugees, such critical thought, transcending the contemporary national political ontologies, is of a great importance. The project group published many scientific research papers, professional papers, monographs and edited volumes. Its members participated in numerous media events (radio, TV, newspapers and journals), significantly contributing to the debate about hospitality and ethics of non-violence. In the framework of the project, an innovative monograph, Thinking about violence, was also produced, approaching hospitality and non-violence from a broader intercultural context.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
2015,
final report
