PHILOSOPHY AND THE EXISTENTIAL CHALLENGES OF HUMANITY

Dear colleagues!

I congratulate you on World Philosophy Day and acknowledge Malaysia’s outstanding contribution to the regular celebration of this event, which undoubtedly contributes to the development and popularization of philosophy worldwide.

Why is it so important to value and develop philosophy today? The answer to this question lies in the extremely complex situation that has developed in the globalized world.

Indeed, under the influence of globalization by the beginning of the 21st century, humanity has become globalized and completely isolated territorially – on a planetary scale. At the same time, it is barely regulated but completely lacking governance. As a result, global challenges and threats from the “population explosion,” anthropogenic impact on the climate and environment, nuclear war, and the destruction of life on Earth have become extremely acute, yet adequate action to save humanity is not being taken.

It’s clear that under these conditions, the most important task is to develop a new way of thinking and a corresponding worldview among people, who, for the most part, simply cannot keep up with the dynamics of the changes unfolding around them. However, there is no alternative to a united humanity, and therefore, in the interests of preserving civilization on the planet, not only common principles and rules for living together must be established, but also shared responsibility for the fate of each person

Thus, we find ourselves on the eve of a second “axial age,” the era of Dialogue, which demands a profound transformation of consciousness, similar to the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. An important step toward such change is the transition from a discrete understanding of society to a comprehensive, systemic vision.

The realization and implementation of these demands is absolutely impossible without philosophy, since philosophy is not only a form of worldview but also a form of social consciousness, a spiritual activity that reflects the general principles of human existence and cognition, as well as their relationship to the world. In other words, philosophy is a generalized system of views on the world and man’s place in it. This means that holding the next World Philosophy Day in Malaysia plays a crucial role in overcoming the global challenges facing the world community today.