World Philosophy Day 2016

This year’s World Philosophy Day will be celebrated on 17 November 2016, with special events taking place from 16 to 18 November at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Organized by UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme, World Philosophy Day is a collaborative initiative towards building inclusive societies, tolerance and peace.

This year’s programme falls in line with the International Day for Tolerance celebrated on 16 November 2016. In this context, events for World Philosophy Day will highlight the need for new philosophy practices in today’s world, encourage dialogue on the connections with tolerance and explore new ways to increase accessibility of philosophical teaching and learning.

Key events throughout the 3-day celebration include:
• 15th International Encounters on New Philosophical Practices (16-17 November)
• Roundtable on Tolerance (17 November)
• Launch of the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children (18 November)
• Roundtable on Teaching Aristotle (18 November)
• A Night of Philosophy (18-19 November)

In establishing World Philosophy Day in 2005, UNESCO’s General Conference highlighted the importance of this discipline, especially for young people, underlining that “philosophy is a discipline that encourages critical and independent thought and is capable of working towards a better understanding of the world and promoting tolerance and peace”.

By celebrating World Philosophy Day each year, on the third Thursday of November, UNESCO underlines the enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought, for each culture and for each individual.

UNESCO leads World Philosophy Day – but does not own it. It belongs to everyone, everywhere, who cares about philosophy. If you would like to have your WPD events mentioned on the UNESCO website, simply send brief details to: wpd@unesco.org.