2014 ISSEI Porto Conference

Images of Europe: Past, Present, Future

Section V: Language, Philosophy, Anthropology, Psychology, Religion

Workshop: Split and convergence of Religion and Philosophy in the Three
Mediterranean Cultures.
Chair: Jacinto Choza, University of Seville and Maurizio Pagano, University Amadeo
Avogadro, Vercelli.

Philosophy and Religion has been working together in the beginning of religious and
philosophical thought in the realm of Judaism with Filo of Alexandria, in the realm of
Christianity with Justin and the Ephesian Council, and in the realm of Muslims with Ibn
Hazam of Cordova and the first Persian thinkers. The split between philosophy and religion
happened in the Muslim realm after Averroes, and in Jew and Christianity thought at the
end of the European Middle Age.
In the European 20
th
century, from Rosenzweig and Buber, the Jew thought focused on
religious problems. The Western Christian thought pay attention on religion after the crisis
of Modernity. Muslim thought focused on legal, social and political problems, according to
Muhammad doctrine, in the 20
th
century in order to cope with the challenges of
modernization of Muslim world.
In the European and global world in which it happens a convergence between religion and
philosophy the thought ought to take into account, the role of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam in this new state of humankind.


It is possible a civil religion in Europe and Christian world? It is possible in Jew and
Muslim world? It is possible an interreligious dialogue as religion in Europe?
It is possible to get this interreligious dialogue after the dropping of the
methodological atheism widespread in the modern thought?
Which is the role of philosophy and of religion in the task of setting up an
interreligious dialogue for the global world?
Which is the role of religion in the relationships among all European countries?
Which role has been played and can be played by mystical and by philosophers in
the convergence of religion and philosophy?

Workshop: Neolithic categories and Aristotelian categories.
Chair: Jacinto Choza, University of Seville and Juan Jos Padial, University of Mlaga

The nine Aristotelian categories as are described in the book of Categories could be
depending of some practices and social organizations, which began in the Neolithic period.
These practices and kinds of social organizations are determined by: the use of the stone,
the sedentary lifestyle of communities, the emergence of real state, the grammaticalization
needed to megalithic constructions, the quantitative organization of time needed to
coordinate the work of many people. These practices lead to the formation and definition of
the category of substance, quantum, ubi and time, and the determination of time after
quantum. The Paleolithic mind is not an alogic one as Levy-Bruhl has said in the thirties,
and maybe it uses binary combinations as Levy Strauss has said in the sixties. Probably it is
tamed by writing as said Goody in the eighties.
This problem could be clarified by showing the formation of Aristotelian categories as
categories of the Neolithic way of life.

The fundamental category of Paleolithic could be this one of fluid and that of the
Neolithic this one of standing up, i.e., substance?
It can be said that Paleolithic time is a qualitative one and that the Neolithic time is
a quantitative one?
The category of substance and of quantitative time has something to do with the
birth of cities and writing?


Workshop: Three Religions of Mediterranean in the new configuration of Europe
Chair: Ana Salto, University of Mlaga and Juan Jos Padial, University of Mlaga

Europe has been configured on the basis of Christianity and Judaism, and on the basis of the
expulsion of Islam. From 21th century on, Europe cannot be defined by its rejection of
Islam. Not only by the Islamic population that grows and lives in Europe, and not only
because of the big amount of Islamic elements that are unwarned in European culture, but
above all because if Europe and West must give to the world an example of interreligious
dialogue as the only way for a peaceful world, Europe and the whole America should show
how it is possible to construct a society made of Muslims, Jews and Christians. This aim,
not achieved in past times, must be achieved in a next future.

How many dogmatic elements the Three Cultures of Mediterranean can share?
How many liturgical elements the Three Cultures of Mediterranean can share?
How many legal elements the Three Cultures of Mediterranean can share?
How many moral elements the Three Cultures of Mediterranean can share?
How many mystical elements the Three Cultures of Mediterranean can share?


Guidelines for Chairs:
1. The Chair will promote the workshop in collaboration with the ISSEI central office.
2. Workshops with 8-10 participants will be held in a single 4-hour session (with a 30-
minute coffee-break). Workshops with more than 8-10 participants will be
conducted in two sessions.
3. Papers are to be presented rather than read. A presentation will be 20 minutes long.
4. Papers should not exceed 3,000 words, or 10 double-spaced pages, including
Notes. (Notes are to be included in the papers submitted to the Conference
Proceedings).
5. The Chair should send copies of the abstracts to all participants in his/her workshop
so that they may have some idea of the various themes and thus be better prepared
to take part in the discussions.
6. Chairs are responsible for selecting and editing the papers recommended for
publication in the Proceedings.
7. Workshop chairs may present a paper in their own and/or in other workshops


Conference Co-Chairs:
Yolanda Espia
School of Arts
Catholic University of Portugal
Porto Regional Center
Diogo Botelho, 1327
4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Email: yespina@porto.ucp.pt

Ezra Talmor
Kibbutz Nachshonim
D.N. Merkaz, 73190
Israel
Tel: +972-3-938-6445
Fax: +972-3-761-7778
Email: ISSEI@nachshonim.org.il