Philosophy Sharing Foundation Course Catalogue 2018-19

http://www.philosophysharing.org/

2

Table of Contents

Our Mission 4
5
Introducing Philosophy Sharing Foundation’s courses 6
7
General information 8
9
Course 1: Philosophical Themes in American Culture 10
11
John Ryder

Course 2: An Introduction to Christian Democracy

Andrè P. DeBattista

Course 3: Il-Filosofija tal-Emozzjonijiet

Max Cassar

Course 4: Memorja Kollettiva u Identità f’Eks-Kolonja

Charles Xuereb

Course 5: Faith and Science

Colette Sciberras

Additional information

Front cover Socrates by Leonidas Drosis, Athens © https://inktank.fi/best-philosophy-books/
Back cover Philosophy books © https://www.the-philosophy.com/10-easy-philosophy-books-read

Editing & setting of catalogue Henry-Franz Gauci

3

Our Mission

A full house attended Dr. Michael Briguglio’s lectures in the Environmental Politics and Society Course delivered last January

Since its foundation in 2012, Philosophy Sharing has sought to promote philosophical investigation and share philosophical ideas
with the Maltese public. Hence the Foundation’s courses are tailor-made for a wide audience but still held to high standards of
philosophical education as they are delivered by specialised lecturers.

4

Introducing Philosophy Sharing Foundation’s Courses

Since the delivery of its first course in February 2013, Philosophy Sharing has offered thirty unique courses. The course
commencing next September will inaugurate the seventh season running. From September 2017 to May 2018, Philosophy Sharing
will offer five new courses delivered by experts in their field of study.

Philosophy Sharing Foundation has prepared philosophy courses aimed at the general public and hence no qualifications or vast
philosophical knowledge is needed to follow the courses. In the following pages one can find information regarding the dates,
lecturers and course description of the courses on offer. Keeping with tradition, Philosophy Sharing will offer some courses in
English and others in Maltese to cater for the variety of audience that attend our courses. This season three courses will be
delivered in English while another two will be in Maltese.

One can find further information on our website http://www.philosophysharing.org/ and on our Facebook page or else one can
send an e-mail to [email protected] for further information.

Henry-Franz Gauci
Courses Coordinator

DURATION All courses offered are five lecture courses with classes held on five consecutive Mondays from 6.30pm to 8pm.

LOCATION 181, Valletta Volunteer Centre, Melita Street, Valletta.

PAYMENT Members of the Foundation, registered students and senior citizens: €15 for each course.
Non-members: €25 for each course.

BOOKING Attendance for consecutive courses by members, registered students & senior citizens: €10.
SPECIAL OFFER - Become members and enrol for a course at the same time: €20.
There is no need for booking. Enrolment and payment for the course takes place on the day of the first lecture of each
course.

5

Philosophical Themes in American Culture

Course Description

Philosophical ideas can have extensive and profound practical impact. That has been as true in
American history as in any other. This series of lectures will examine several philosophical themes
that underlie definitive aspects of American culture. The course will examine a different theme or
concept each week, discuss its intellectual origins and meaning, and explore how it has in the past
and today influenced American society, politics, and culture generally. The five topics to be consid-
ered are exceptionalism, individualism, rights, pragmatism, and community. In the exploration of
these themes major figures and documents in American philosophical and intellectual history from
various periods, including Puritanism, the Enlightenment, Transcendentalism, Pragmatism, as well as
current developments, will be discussed.

Course dates: Lecturer: JOHN RYDER
FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONDAYS
John Ryder is Provost and Professor of Philosophy at the American University of Malta. He is
from 24th September the former Rector of Khazar University in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Provost at the American University
to 22nd October 2018 of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. He also served as Director of the State University of New
York - Moscow State University Center on Russia and the United States.
Prof. Ryder is a specialist in American philosophy, especially American philosophical naturalism and
pragmatism, its historical development, contemporary applicability, and its reception outside the
U.S. Among his many publications are the monographs The Things in Heaven and Earth: An Essay in
Pragmatic Naturalism and Interpreting America: Russian and Soviet Studies of the History of Ameri-
can Thought. He is the editor of American Philosophic Naturalism in the 20th Century and co-editor
of The Blackwell Guide to American Philosophy and The Philosophical Writings of Cadwallader
Colden.
Prof. Ryder co-founded, in 2002, the Central European Pragmatist Forum (CEPF), and he is a
frequent speaker at universities and conferences across Europe and the US. Between 2002 and
2012 Ryder served as president of the Alliance of Universities for Democracy (AUDEM), bringing
together universities and academics from the US and Central and Eastern Europe and from all
academic fields.

6

Course dates: An Introduction to Christian Democracy
FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONDAYS
Course Description
from 12th November Christian Democracy is one of the key ideas which shaped post-war Europe. It is a way of think-
to 10th December 2018 ing which is deeply rooted in the social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church; however,
paradoxically, it was regarded with suspicion by several Popes in the pre-war period.
Its ethos was, for a while, deeply inspired by Roman Catholicism yet its appeal in some
countries transcended religious divides. As a political ideology, it is firmly in the centre of the
political spectrum, thus drawing criticism from both left and right. It centres on the idea that
the human person – rather than the individual – should be placed at the heart of the political
process. Some credit Christian Democracy with keeping Europe at peace in the post-War
period. However, its future, now, seems somewhat dubious.
This course looks at various aspects of Christian Democracy including its development, its core
ideas, its principles and values, its leading figures and its future. A discussion / Q&A session will
follow each lecture.

Lecturer: ANDRÈ P. DEBATTISTA
André P DeBattista is a researcher and occasional columnist in the field of the politics,
small-states, international relations and the dynamics of religion and public life.
He lectured at the University of Malta and the Pastoral Formation Institute.
He is a member of the Political Studies Association and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

7

Il-Filosofija tal-Emozzjonijiet Dati tal-kors:
ĦAMES TNEJNIJIET KONSEKUTTIVI
Deskrizzjoni tal-kors
mis-7 ta’ Jannar
Meta Dr Cassar ppreżenta dan is-suġġett f’waħda mit-taħditiet li sal-4 ta’ Frar 2019
l-Philosophy Sharing Foundation ittella’ ta’ kull xahar, tant kien hemm
konkorrenza tajba li saret taħdita oħra ftit żmien wara. Għal darba
oħra r-rispons kien tajjeb ħafna, b’kamra mbullata bin-nies, tant li
ħarġet l-idea li din it-tema tiġi żviluppata f’kors ta’ ħames lekċers.

Dr Cassar ħa jinvestiga kif il-filosofija tħares lejn l-emozzjonijiet u
s-sentimenti, kif il-filosofi matul iż-żminijiet irrelataw mas-sentimenti
tagħhom u jsaqsi jekk aħniex iddestinati li nkunu skjavi
għall-emozzjonijiet tagħna.

Lekċerer: MAX CASSAR

Max Cassar studja l-Filosofija fl-Università ta’ Malta fejn iggradwa fl-
1979. Huwa kompla l-istudju tiegħu permezz ta’ Post-Graduate Cer-
tificate in Education sentejn wara. Dr Cassar kompla jistudja l-Italja
id-dottorat fil-Psikoloġija mill-Università ta’ Padova u kompla jistudja
it-Teoloġija fl-Istituto di Liturgia Pastorale f’Padova. Huwa għallem
il-Filosofija fil-G.F. Abela Upper Lyceum u fil-Paolino Vassallo Upper
Lyceum f’Raħal Ġdid. Preżentament jgħallem il-Filosofija u r-Reliġjon
fil-Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School, in-Naxxar. Dr Cassar
huwa lettur part-time fl-Università ta’ Malta fejn jillekċerja
fil-Psikoloġija fil-Fakultà tal-Edukazzjoni. L-interessi prinċipali tiegħu
huma fil-Filosofija, fit-Teoloġija u fil-Psikoloġija u fl-interazzjonijiet u l-
influwenzi tagħhom. Fl-2010 ġie nnominat bħala Membru fil-Bord
tad-Direzzjoni tal-Istitut Agostinjan f’Malta.
Dr Cassar huwa d-Direttur ta’ Philosophy Sharing Foundation f’Malta.

8

Memorja Kollettiva u Identità f ’Eks-Kolonja

Deskrizzjoni tal-kors

Spiss nitħaddtu fuq memorja u fuq identità iżda ma nirriflettux biżżejjed biex insiru nafu min aħna,
minn fejn ġejna u għalfejn inġibu ruħna kif fil-fatt nagħmlu. Wisq anqas naħsbu fejn se mmorru bħala
nazzjon li suppost naqsmu l-istess imgħoddi, preżent u futur. Ebda kommunità ma tista’ verament
issib lilha nfisha mingħajr ma tieħu r-responsabbiltà tal-imgħoddi tagħha. Fil-każ ta’ Malta
l-kolonjaliżmu fasslilna dak li sirna llum, bosta drabi b’tiswir imbagħbas tal-identità. Dan seta’ jsir
bl-appoġġ ta’ taqsimiet tas-soċjetà li raw sa mneħirhom, li fittxew x’jaqblilhom. Xhieda ta’ dan kollu hi
l-mentalità kolonjali li fadlilna, l-memorja fl-ispazju pubbliku okkupat mill-barrani u idea mċajpra ta’
kif nipproġettaw lilna nfusna lill-barrani. Missirijietna żbaljaw? Aħna nazzjon komplut? Il-Knisja
għenet jew fixklet? Dan il-kors jipprova jwieġeb u jissostanzja fuq bazi ta’ riċerka filosofika-soċjali-
storika u fatti viżwali.

Dati tal-kors: Lekċerer: CHARLES XUEREB
ĦAMES TNEJNIJIET KONSEKUTTIVI
L-interess ta’ Charles Xuereb fil-memorja kollettiva u l-identità imur lura għaż-żmien li kien jgħallem
mit-18 ta’ Frar il-Franċiż. Wara M.Sc fil-Media Management mill-Università ta’ Stirling, huwa ħa d-dottorat
sat-18 ta’ Marzu 2019 mill-Università ta’ Malta (fl-Istitut tal-Istudji Maltin) b’teżi fuq l-identità Maltija bil-perjodu Franċiż
bħala l-isfond tal-istudju tiegħu. Huwa seta’ jagħmel dan bis-saħħa ta’ karriera t’aktar minn 45 sena
ta’ xandir edukattiv u ġurnalistiku peress li l-media, l-edukazzjoni u l-kitba kienu l-istrumenti ewlenin
li ffurmaw il-memorja tan-nazzjon f’dawn l-aħħar żewġ sekli waqt li Malta kienet ikkolonizzata
mill-Imperu Brittaniku.

Imwieled fl-1948, Dr. Xuereb huwa prodott tal-perjodu ta’ wara l-gwerra iddominat mill-imperu li
kien qed imajna u li wassal għall-indipendenza ta’ Malta fl-1964. Fl-2011 Xuereb irċieva t-titlu
prestiġġjuż ta’ Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur mir-Repubblika Franċiża għall-ħeġġa kontinwa
tiegħu sabiex jippromwovi l-kultura Franċiża f’Malta.

Dr. Xuereb jillekċerja l-Università ta’ Malta.

9

Course dates: Faith and Science
FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONDAYS
Course Description
from 8th April
to 6th May 2019 The course will begin with a tour of the conceptual and historical opposition between
religious faith and science. It will focus in depth on the first principles of philosophy, and
the way these were incorporated into modern science, divested of their traditional and
religious implications. Human experience in space and time will be considered extensively,
especially in relation to what we know from contemporary biology and physics.

Regarding faith, this will be considered in two different ways: as assent to the truth of a
proposition, and as a virtue, in the Aristotelian, Buddhist and Christian senses. The course
is intended to allow students to think more clearly about religious faith in relation to
contemporary scientific understanding of the world, and to form their own conclusions
about whether the two can be reconciled.

Lecturer: COLETTE SCIBERRAS

Colette Sciberras completed her doctorate in Philosophy at Durham University in 2010,
with a thesis entitled Buddhist Philosophy and the ideals of Environmentalism.
Dr. Sciberras currently teaches Philosophy at the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School,
Naxxar, where she has also introduced an accredited program in ‘Mind Yoga’ (Buddhist
Meditation). She also teaches Philosophy for Children at Maria Regina College Middle
School.
Amongst her publications are a couple of peer- reviewed articles and a few chapters in ed-
ited collections in Malta, India and the UK. Her most recent contribution is the first chapter
in a collection on Comparative Religious Environmental Ethics (For all to Flourish; edited by
Laura Hartman, Oxford University Press, 2018). In September 2018, she was invited to
present a paper at a Symposium on Interreligious Dialogue at Dublin City University.

10

Location of Valletta Volunteer Centre

www.philosophysharing.org/
[email protected]
/Philosophy-Sharing-Malta-1173724952658306/

Philosophy Sharing Malta Channel

Philosophy Sharing Foundation publishes its magazine SHARE Philosophy Sharing Foundation reserves the right to make
three times a year. SHARE is sold in local bookshops while paid-up changes, if necessary, to the courses presented in this catalogue.
Philosophy Sharing Foundation members receive a copy by post.

11

12