Dear Colleagues and friends,
After the great success of the works of the International Conference “Aristotle-Confucius Symposium on Ethics for the 21st Century,” which was co-organized by the Academy of Athens, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the China Confucius Foundation, and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies (DIKAM), AUTh, I feel the need to communicate with you and present a report of what we have had the great joy, honor and deep satisfaction to experience during the three days of a historic Conference (you can watch the highlights of the Conference here).
The “Aristotle-Confucius Symposium on Ethics for the 21st Century,” which was held under the auspices of the XXV World Congress of Philosophy, Rome 2024, the Chinese Embassy in Greece and the Municipality of Athens, started its activities at the Academy of Athens (July, 3-5, 2023) and continued at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in ancient Stageira and in ancient Mieza (July 6-8, 2023). This second part was organized by DIKAM and its President, Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou, Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Professor Emerita of Philosophy of Science.
Renowned scholars from China, Greece, Europe, and other parts of the world gathered in a promenade in the footsteps of Aristotle, to explore ways in which we can help to build a new global ethics for the 21st century, drawing from the wisdom of two ancient civilizations, those of China and Greece, and in particular from the teachings of Aristotle and Confucius. This is an urgent need in our time, which faces global challenges in many areas, including those of ethics, politics, economics, society, paideia, with pressing issues such as the climate crisis, the wealth inequality, the development of AI, and the lack of understanding of the core elements that unite different civilizations.
The Conference was honored by the presence of the former President of the Hellenic Republic, Full Member of the Academy of Athens, Honorary Professor of the School of Law of Athens, Prokopios Pavlopoulos, who delivered the opening speech in the Ceremonial Hall of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, on the topic “Aristotle and Confucius: In Search of Certain Common Philosophical Grounds,” as well as by the video-recorded address/speech, of the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, who highlighted the enormous contribution of the Stageirite philosopher, Aristotle, to the formation of the European culture.
The Opening Ceremony was also honored by the addresses of the Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Dimitrios Koveos, the Dean of the School of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Konstantinos Bikos, the President of the Academy of Athens, former Minister of Justice, Michalis Stathopoulos –recited by Nikos Paraskevopoulos, Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the School of Law, of AUTh- the President of FISP (International Federation of Philosophical Societies) and of the XXV World Congress of Philosophy, Rome 2024, Luca M. Scarantino, and last but not least, the President of the United Nations Sustainable Solutions Network (UN SDSN), Professor of Columbia University, Jeffrey Sachs, the inspirer and co-ordinator of this Symposium of global impact.
Noteworthy is the fact, that this is the first time that a meeting of such a scale and significance between the two civilizations, those of ancient China and ancient Greece, has taken place at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as in the two emblematic places of ancient Stageira and ancient Mieza. This is an event of exceptional importance— after the extremely successful World Congress “Aristotle 2400 Years”, organized by DIKAM in 2016—that contributes to the promotion of the universal figure and teachings of Aristotle.
One more highly significant event within the context of the Aristotle-Confucius Symposium, is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), after the initiative of the Chinese Embassy in Greece. The Memorandum was co-signed during the first day of the Conference at the Academy of Athens (July 3, 2023) by the following members: United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Confucius Foundation of China, Academy of Athens, Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies, AUTh, Athens University of Economics and Business, and “ATHENA” Research Center.
The purpose of the Memorandum is to promote scientific cooperation between Greece and China, focusing on the relationship between the two ancient civilizations of Greece and China, and in particular between the two emblematic philosophers, Aristotle and Confucius. The first action that has been decided is the hosting of the next Conference (July 2024), in China; the Conference will be organized every year alternately in Greece and in China.
It is, finally, worth noting that, after an officially submitted proposal by the President of DIKAM, Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou, to the Ambassador of China in Athens, Xiao Junzheng, the Vice-President and Secretary General of the Confucius Foundation of China, Guo Chengyan, and the Mayor of the Municipality of Aristotle, Stelios Valianos, it has been decided with enthusiasm to proceed with the twinning of ancient Stageira, the birthplace of Aristotle, and Qufu of China, the birthplace of Confucius.
A rich photographic material has already been uploaded on the photo gallery of this website. The posting of the video recordings of the Conference will follow soon.
With most warm regards,
Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou
President of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies, AUTh
Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
