In July 2024, the 3rd Confucius-Aristotle Symposium was held with great success in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, and Beijing from July 8 to 12, 2024. It was an event, in collaboration between esteemed institutions from China and Greece: Among them, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), led by President Jeffrey Sachs, and the China Confucius Foundation. The Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies (DIKAM), of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), together with the Academy of Athens, were the Greek partner Institutions.
The President of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies (DIKAM) of A.U.Th., Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou, Professor Emerita of Philosophy of Science and Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, was an invited keynote speaker at the Opening Ceremony in Qufu (the text of the speech here); she also addressed a welcoming remark at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing part of the Symposium. At the same time, the team of DIKAM gave a dynamic presence: Zacharias Scouras, Vice-President of DIKAM, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Nickolaos Paraskevopoulos, member of the Scientific Committee of DIKAM, Professor Emeritus of Law, former Minister of Justice, Sophia-Eleftheria Gonida, Professor of Psychology, Collaborator of DIKAM, and the Scientific Associates of DIKAM and Drs of Philosophy: Christos Pechlivanides, Christina Papachristou, and Dimitra Balla. With their extremely interesting speeches, they highlighted the timeless value of Aristotle’s multifarious work, in the context of an event of global scope.
It is worth noting that this year’s 3rd Confucius-Aristotle Symposium in China comes as a continuation of the Aristotle-Confucius Symposium, which was organized a year ago in Greece with co-organizers the Academy of Athens, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the China Confucius Foundation and the Interdisciplinary Center for Aristotle Studies, AUTh (the highlights of the Symposium here). This 2nd Aristotle-Confucius Symposium, which was held under the auspices of the 25th World Congress of Philosophy, Rome 2024 (WCPRome 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 part was organized by DIKAM and its president Professor Emer. Demetra Sfendoni-Mentzou (the highlights of the Symposium here).
This year’s Symposium in China comprised two sections. The first, titled “Ancient Wisdom for Modern Challenges” (July 8-10 in Qufu), was hosted by the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies and the China Confucius Foundation. The second section, “Commons in Intellectual Traditions and Future Practices” (July 11-12 in Beijing), was hosted by the Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences and the Mencius Foundation (a photo-album of the Symposium here).
Renowned scholars from China, Greece, Europe, and other parts of the world, as well as promising new-generation Aristotle scholars, gathered in the birthplace of Confucius, 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.
Approximately 150 world-famous scholars and leaders from over 10 countries gathered to discuss the contemporary relevance of Confucianism and Aristotle, Comparative Philosophy, Global Ethics, as well as other topics of Aristotle’s work in the field of Sciences, which are deeply connected to contemporary challenges.
In the closing session of the Symposium, of particular interest was the opportunity offered to the participants by the Mencius Foundation, led by Meng Liang, the 79th descendant generation of Mencius, to talk with the holograms of Aristotle and Mencius. The delegates enjoyed Mencius’ and Aristotle’s thorough and well-organized answers through AI to the questions put to them by the Confucianism and Aristotle scholars from different countries, but also by Aristotle’s “compatriots” from A.U.Th., (a short video here) as they referred to his multifarious work, which has a unique impact in the history of human thought for 2400 years and continues to be present today.
The benefits of the recent extension of DIKAM’s collaborations to China are very important for A.U.Th., and also for Greece. In addition to the promotion of the deep relationship that connects the philosophical heritage of China and Greece, the Academic ties that connect the two countries and, in particular, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with major Chinese Institutions have been strengthened. Of particular importance is the Memorandum of Cooperation that was signed in July 2023 at the Academy of Athens by the China Confucius Foundation, the Athens Academy, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies (DIKAM), of A.U.Th., and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) (for more, here). Recently, the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies, in Qufu, and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Aristotle Studies, of A.U.Th. is in process.
It should, also, be mentioned that after the official proposal of the President of DIKAM to the Ambassador of China in Greece, all the necessary actions have quickly been made, for the twinning of ancient Stageira, the birthplace of Aristotle, and Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius.
Finally, one cannot help but be impressed by the huge difference in the way the people of China, the local authorities, and the State, in general, show their deep respect for their tradition and Confucius, in particular, as opposed to the great indifference of the Greek State as a whole and diachronically, for Aristotle and the enormous legacy of global scope that he has left us with his work (a short interview-video here).
More on DIKAM’s Facebook page:
https://web.facebook.com/interdisciplinarycenterforaristotlestudies/?_rdc=1&_rdr
