International Conference 2017

from October 19 - 22, 2017 in Graz/Austria

What is enlightenment? "Enlightenment," Kant says, "is the exit of man from his self-inflicted immaturity." And further he means: "Immaturity is the inability to use one's intellect without the guidance of another." The question of enlightenment not only arose in Kant's time, but it is also highly topical today. Is the enlightened, mature and autonomous subject in danger? Where are the most inhibitions on the way to independent thinking? Are radicalizations, emotions and irrationality in the foreground? What can a debate on enlightenment be used for today?

The International Congress of Children's Philosophy is dedicated to the topic "Enlightenment today". What does one associate with enlightenment today? What phenomena does it describe? Should we still be interested in a historicized Enlightenment? Or is it a kind of educational project?

Mündigkeit, reason, human rights, critical faculties, civil courage, the categorical imperative - these are terms that come to mind when we think of "Enlightenment". How is the Enlightenment referred to today? What norms and values are associated with it?

The complexity of the modern world, the multitude and variety of offers of all kinds, the scientific progress, the emergence of numerous expert cultures, the confusion of the circumstances present us with great challenges. What about education and enlightenment?

This year's congress is planned as an intercultural forum to enable philosophical discussions of contemporary phenomena, as well as to draw a bow to other scientific disciplines. An important goal of this event is to initiate an exchange of different approaches and thus make explicit further knowledge bases for both educational conceptions and educational policy initiatives.

The topics of the congress will focus on the following areas: