This week, Saudi Arabia hosted an international conference on philosophy, with the aim to encourage critical thinking towards social issues such as morality and ethics. Christopher Phillips, a renowned American author, and Harvard University professor, participated via virtual conference with the chance to interact with Saudi students at King Fahad National Library, in Riyadh. He is also the founder of Socrates Café, a venue where people gather to exchange philosophical ideas based on experience. There are currently eight branches in Saudi Arabia.
During the conference, Phillips stressed the importance of learning about our world through the lens of a child. He specifically discussed the importance of critical thinking and debate, with some students given the opportunity to share their thoughts on certain topics. Speaking to BBC, he expressed how stunned he was to see the students taking up interest in philosophy despite not having formally studied the subject
The three-day conference was an initiative by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salam, and organized by the Ministry of Culture’s Saudi Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission. This comes as the Kingdom takes keen interest in introducing philosophy to students. In fact, the conference is set to become an annual event, as the commission seeks to encourage young minds to help shape the nation’s future.
Historically, however, this wouldn’t be the first time that the region has delved into philosophy. In fact, it was one of several fields that were widely practiced during the Golden Age of the Islamic Empire, specifically from the 9th to 12th century. For instance, Kalam was a form of philosophy that dealt with Islamic doctrine, while Falsafa popularly touched on Greek philosophy. Famous philosophers included Al-Kindi, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Sina, and others.
