Rome, July 24, 2024 – During the week in which Rome becomes the World Capital of Philosophy by hosting the World Congress of Philosophy for the first time, spotlights turn towards the Palatine Stadium at the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum for three evenings with free admission – the 3rd, the 5th and the 6th of August – with “Philosophies Under the Stars,” a special event promoted by Roma Capitale.
The event, an integral part of the “Roman Summer 2024,” is being held in conjunction with the XXV World Congress of Philosophy – Rome, 2024, organised by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP), the Italian Philosophical Society (SFI) and the University of Rome “La Sapienza,” hosted from the 1st to the 8th of August on the campus of the University of Rome “La Sapienza.” One-hundred and twenty-five years after its first edition in Paris in 1900, the Congress is being held in Rome for the first time and in Italy for the fourth time (after Bologna in 1911, Naples in 1924 and Venice in 1958), Italy being the only country in the world to boast such a record.
The intent of “Philosophies Under the Stars” – a free event open to all, congress participants as well as citizens and tourists – is to broaden the scope of this year’s congressional debate – centred on the theme Philosophy Crosses Borders – by giving intellectual reflection and critical thinking a wider audience. In the course of three evenings, we will go beyond the borders of the University Campus and reach the Palatine Stadium, a location that has recently seen the success of the International Literature Festival of Rome, from which “Philosophies Under the Stars” intends to receive the baton in an ideal relay dedicated to in-depth studies and to the humanities.
Acting as a further bridge between literature and philosophy, will be the first evening’s special guest on Saturday, August 3, Joyce Carol Oates (Princeton University). An American writer as well as a poet, playwright and university professor, Joyce Carol Oates will open the event with an unpublished text of hers, a conversation with Fabrizia Giuliani (University of Rome “La Sapienza“) and a moment of discussion with the public. In successive event days, speeches by other prestigious guests will follow, held by teachers, writers and philosophers of national and international fame such as Yuk Hui (Erasmus University, Rotterdam), David Chalmers (New York University), Maximo Ibarra (Engineering), Nathalie Tocci (Acea, IAI), Maurizio Ferraris (University of Turin) and Sofia Bonicalzi (Università di Roma Tre); they will be joined by the musical interludes of Archivio Futuro, Teho Teardo and the Rodrigo D’Erasmo and Roberto Angelini Duo.
During the course of the three evenings – open to all – three different thematic paths will be presented.
On the opening evening of Saturday, August 3, INSPIRATION is the theme, and JOYCE CAROL OATES herself will be entertaining the audience with a text on this subject. Dialoguing with her during the evening, will be FABRIZIA GIULIANI, a professor of Philosophy of Language at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and the author of numerous essays on the topics of communication, the relationship between language, ethics and politics, and gender studies. Throughout the evening, as a musical counterpoint, there will also be a performance by ARCHIVIO FUTURO, a duo composed by Lorenzo BITW and Danilo Menna, known for experimenting with psychedelic sounds, using a combination of beat house and garage crossed with jazz and prog-rock trajectories.
Our second evening, scheduled for Monday, August 5, is entitled BEYOND NATURE and will open with the participation of YUK HUI, a professor of Philosophy at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam and among the founders of the Research Network for Philosophy and Technology. Yuk Hui is considered one of the most important theorists of digital technology, seen through a rereading of traditional Chinese thought and Asian philosophers. He will be followed by NATHALIE TOCCI, political scientist, columnist, director of the IAI-Institute of International Affairs and non-executive and independent director of Acea. Her scientific interests range from integration and European foreign policy to issues related to the Middle East and Eastern Europe, passing through transatlantic relations, multilateralism, conflict resolution, and issues related to energy and climate. Together with them, taking to the stage with his own text, will be MAURIZIO FERRARIS, professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Turin, where he directs the LabOnt – Ontology Laboratory. Ferraris is also director of the Rivista di Estetica and co-director of Critique and of the Revue francophone d’esthétique. The musical component of the evening is entrusted to the talent of TEHO TEARDO, musician and composer, protagonist of prestigious collaborations in the musical field and the author of numerous successful soundtracks, which have won him a number of prestigious awards, such as the David di Donatello, the Nastro d’Argento, the Ciak d’Oro and the Ennio Morricone Award.
Our third and final evening, on Tuesday, August 6, entitled MINDS, sees the participation of DAVID CHALMERS, professor of Philosophy and Neural Sciences at New York University and co-director, at the same university, of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, who will bring to the stage his experience in the fields of Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Sciences, Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics and Epistemology. Together with him, will be MAXIMO IBARRA, the CEO of Engineering, as well as a professor of Marketing and Digital Marketing at the Guido Carli Luiss University & Business School of Rome, whose fields of interest focus on new technologies, artificial intelligence and on extended reality.
Making her contribution and acting as the ideal moderator of the evening is SOFIA BONICALZI, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy, Communication and Entertainment at the Università di Roma Tre, where she teaches Philosophical Anthropology, Ethics and Cognitive Sciences, Neuroethics, and Questions of Moral Philosophy. The musical interludes of this last evening are entrusted to the duo made up of RODRIGO D’ERASMO, a classically trained violinist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer, protagonist of numerous international collaborations, who has been, since 2008, linked to Afterhours, and ROBERTO ANGELINI, singer-songwriter, musician and producer, with numerous albums to his credit and numerous collaborations in the musical world but also in the fields of cinema and television.
PHILOSOPHIES UNDER THE STARS is an event promoted by the Department of Culture of Roma Capitale – coordinated by its Cultural Activities Department – and created in collaboration with the Library Institution of Roma Capitale and the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum. Organisation by Zètema Progetto Cultura. Artistic coordination by Fabrizio Arcuri. Partners: Acea and Eng.
The three evenings begin at 9:00 pm, with access to the Palatine Stadium allowed from 8:30 pm (via di San Gregorio 30). Entry to all events is free of charge; no reservation necessary while seating is available.
