STATEMENT OF SPANISH PHILOSOPHY

Madrid, May 5th 2012 The Deans Conference of Faculties of Philosophy of Spain, The Institute of Philosophy of CCHS-CSIC (Centre for Human and Social Sciences-Spanish National Research Council), and different Spanish philosophical associations representing a large part of University and secondary school teachers, have celebrated during the 4th and 5th of May, 2012, at the Faculty of Philosophy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a debate conference about The situation of Philosophy in the Spanish education system . As conclusions of this conference we have adopted these agreements: 1. We consider that a democratic society must allow for, among other essential requirements, a public system of education which covers every formative stage (preschool, primary secondary, and higher education) which provides with an education of quality, and which is accessible to every person, without any discrimination based on sexual orientation, nationality, social class, etc. We deem that a democratic society must also allow for a public system of research comprised by Universities and specialized research centres, provided with enough resources in every scientific, technologic and humanistic field, and based on merits/achievements, creativity and the social responsibility of researchers. regional governments in the last three years, which only in 2012- exceed 20% in education and 25% in research. Likewise, we reject the RD 14/2012, of April 20th (BOE April 21st), of urgent measurements for the rationalization of public expenditure in the educational field, because it is a head-on confrontation against one of the fundamental pillars of our Welfare State: the Spanish public system of education and research. 4. In particular, all these economic cuts and legislative changes are putting at risk the quality and even the continuity of teaching and research in Philosophy. Because of it, we are forced to remind to public administrations that studies in Philosophy are one of the fundamental axes of Western cultural tradition, and that nowadays the most advanced democratic societies usually reserve a specific place for these studies within its different educative levels: secondary schools, universities and research centres. cannot be understood without it, but since the period of Renaissance Humanism, it has been spreading all over the world, entering into dialogue with other cultural traditions and adapting itself to the historical transformations. This way, it has become a living heritage for all humankind, through which all the people of the world can understand and be understood among each other. Proof of this is that the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) regards Philosophy as playing a fundamental role in the cultural and civic education of citizens of all over the world. This is why, in 1995, UNESCO published the Paris declaration for Philosophy, and edited the Report Philosophy and democracy in the World, in 2005 established the Philosophy Day (celebrated the third Thursday of November each year), and in 2007 edited the Report Philosophy, a school of freedom. 6. Philosophy is a school of freedom, since educates children and the youth in the autonomous and rigorous exercise of thinking, it shows them to reflect about the world and about themselves with a critical viewpoint, and enables them for the rational dialogue with their peers, the recognition of the plurality of different points of view and for the search of mutual understanding in the diverse fields of human experience, according to common criteria such as truth, justice, beauty, and so on. This is why, against the conflicts and uncertainties of a growing complex and globalized society, studies in Philosophy are a fundamental tool for the understanding of the world, and the rational communication among all human beings. Philosophy can be practiced in different places and by different means: teaching, research, ethical advice, social mediation, cultural management, artistic and literary creation, etc. Nevertheless, and

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3. For all these reasons, we completely reject the drastic budget cuts carried out by central and

5. Philosophy was born and developed itself in Europe, to the extent that, European civilization itself

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according to the UNESCO advices, we consider that studies in Philosophy should have a specific place in the public system of education and research, because this is the only way in which its generational transmission and permanent renovation are guaranteed, and because every person has the right to Philosophy, i.e. the right to receive a specialized education that allows them to gain access to the heritage of Philosophical thinking and to acquire the necessary knowledge for the exercise of the Philosophical profession. 8. Spanish Philosophical community is experiencing a change of historical cycle. Since the years of the democratic transition, a new period of growing expansion, modernization and diversification of the studies of Philosophy in all educative levels was initiated. This period was played by a brilliant generation of teachers, researchers and writers who located Spanish Philosophy on equal footing with the Philosophies of other countries in the world. This internationalization of Spanish Philosophy is an important contribution to the common heritage of Spanish language as a privileged vehicle to situate our culture in the rightful place in an ever growing globalized world. Moreover, we need to add the praiseworthy work made in the other official languages of our country. However, the generation who made the Philosophical transition is already retired, and the generational change-over of those who have continued this task is being affected by very diverse processes, that are setting out new challenges, and also some difficulties to the Spanish Philosophical community: consecutive legislative reforms, the so called Bologna process, the new role of evaluation agencies in teaching and research professions, drastic budget cuts in education, universities and research, and last but not least, the threat of reducing centers, degrees, and subjects of Philosophy. In this change of historical cycle, we, the attendees to the conference in Madrid, have decided to join forces, very dispersed until now, and start a process of articulation of the Spanish Philosophical community. As of now, we have established ourselves as the Spanish Network of Philosophy (Red Espaola de Filosofa, REF), to facilitate the co-operation among every person and organization related to the Philosophical profession, and to defend this profession before the public administrations and the Spanish citizenry. REF will be composed by a coordination board, where there will be representation for The Deans Conference of Faculties of Philosophy of Spain, The Institute of Philosophy of CCHS-CSIC, and Spanish philosophical associations of secondary and University education. The first steps entrusted to this coordination board are: a) Creation of a web page to be used as a means for internal communication, documental archive, and public diffusion of REF activities. b) Setting up three working committees, representative of University and non-University professors, which will elaborate particular proposals in three different fields: A) Curriculum of Philosophical subjects in secondary school; B) Renovation of Degree, Master, and Doctorate studies, which must include a bigger attention to the specific didactics of Philosophy; and C) Improvement of criteria and procedure of assessment applied by the different state and regional evaluation agencies. These proposals will be debated and agreed within REF, for its subsequent presentation to and negotiation with the Ministry of Education, the Autonomous Communities and evaluation agencies. c) Organization of a Spanish State-wide Conference of Philosophy, open to teachers and researchers from all Philosophical, and all educative levels; open as well to professionals of Philosophy who perform their work outside the academic institutions. d) Support to the diffusion of important Reports edited by UNESCO: Philosophy and democracy in the World (1995), and Philosophy, a school of freedom (2007). The Spanish edition of these two reports will be coordinated by SEPFI (Spanish society of Philosophy teachers). 10. We hope that the startup of the Spanish Network of Philosophy (REF) will allow the creation of a space for communication among all of us who love and practice Philosophy in this country. We invite every Spanish person and organization related with the Philosophical profession, to participate in the activities of REF. And last, we compromise to establish ties of collaboration with other national and international philosophical networks.

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Entities signign this Statement Conferencia de Decanos de las Facultades de Filosofa de Espaa Instituto de Filosofa del CSIC (IFS, CCHS-CSIC) Asociacin Andaluza de Filosofa (AAFi) Asociacin de Estudiantes de Filosofa de la Regin de Murcia (ASEFI) Asociacin Espaola de tica y Filosofa Poltica (AEEFP) Asociacin de Filosofa Bajo Palabra (AFBP) Asociacin de Filosofa Prctica de Catalua (afpc) Asociacin de Hispanismo Filosfico (AHF) Asociacin Profesional de Filosofa (APF) Red Ibrica de Estudios Fichteanos (RIEF) Sociedad Acadmica de Filosofa (SAF) Sociedad Espaola de Estudios sobre Friedrich Nietzsche (SEDEN) Sociedad Espaola de Fenomenologa (SEFE) Sociedad Espaola de Filosofa Analtica (SEFA) Sociedad Espaola Leibniz para Estudios del Barroco y la Ilustracin (SeL) Sociedad Espaola de Profesores de Filosofa (SEPFI) Sociedad de Filosofa de la Provincia de Alicante (SFPA) Sociedad de Filosofa de la Regin de Murcia (SFRM) Sociedad Hispnica de Antropologa Filosfica (SHAF) Sociedad de Lgica, Metodologa y Filosofa de la Ciencia (SLMFC) Organizations related with the Philosophical profession willing to subscribe to this statement and to be linked to the Red Espaola de Filosofa (REF), can do it by sending an e-mail with contact details to: conferdecafilo@gmail.com

Translation to English by: Damian Omar Martnez Arias