A Philosophy for Europe: German Philosophy, French Theory, Italian Thought

- Presentation speakers
  - Corrado Claverini, University of Salerno, Italy
Abstract:

What are the characteristic features that distinguish “German Philosophy” from the “French Theory” and “Italian Thought”? The central research hypothesis of this paper is that, since its origins in Renaissance humanism, each tradition has particular characteristics. For example, in Italy, there has never been great attention paid to the philosophy of science and logic which is ever-present in the Anglo-Saxon context, nor a philosophy of the interior as seen in France from Pascal to Maine de Biran; nor again a highly metaphysical tradition as in Germany, from Leibniz, to Kant up to Idealism. The nature of the Italian tradition of thought is to be a “philosophy of praxis” (political and civic vocation, great attention to history, etc.). The structurally plural soul of European philosophy will be shown: the big difference between “German Philosophy”, “French Theory” and “Italian Thought” is only one of the several examples of the richness of European culture. Far from being an obstacle, Europe’s diversity of languages, cultures and traditions is a great treasure to be preserved. The process of construction of European identity should not be based on the cultural homogenization, but on the enhancement of the diversity of cultural expressions. It will therefore be useful to show the possible dialectic of political unity and cultural diversity.