Rethinking community between education and philosophical practices

edited by Federico Zamengo and Nicolò Valenzano

Resuming the subject on the community, in theoretical and practical implications, on one side reflects the fraying of social bonds and the transformation of traditional agencies of social bond construction, on the other side induces to think about the precarious balance between individualistic derives and the annulment of the individual in community.

It is this complex interweave of factors, a specific role for philosophy can be acknowledged, both from the theoretical and practical point of view. Philosophical reflection shows how central is the topic of relationship between individual and community, inevitably referring to the sense and the role of the philosophy in contemporary society. In this perspective, the pedagogical discourse assumes an important aspect: the objective is, in fact, to outline a community education able to frame theoretically and to decline practically the complex relation among subject, otherness and community.

From a practical point of view, the role of philosophy, in this context, is developed in manifold landscape of the philosophical practices for community (Lipman, Dolci, Capitini). In this perspective, philosophy firstly means discursive practice: the theme of philosophical dialogue plays, therefore, a key role. Dialogic ethics give importance to the matter, theoretical and practical at the same time, of the link between philosophy and education, recovering the primitive educational-transformative dimension of philosophy.

Philosophy, as a social practice, is capable of generating interpersonal and community ties. The philosophical practice for community is considered a privileged place from which to develop the question about the relationship between philosophy and the bonds emergency. Philosophize has the capacity to transform, rather than inform, people: this way the role of philosophy is combined with the one of education. From this point of view, it will be necessary to investigate the specific educational content of philosophical practices for community, or if there is a specific educational nature of philosophy.

Potential papers

The theoretical, historical or operational papers may concern:

1.The relationship between individual, otherness and community and how it appears in philosophical practices

2.The contribution of philosophical practices for community in the construction of social ties and plural community.

3.The importance of Philosophical dialogue for social relationship.

4.Theoretical and practical interweaving between ethics of dialogue, education and philosophical practice.

5.The role of philosophy, and philosophical practices, on the theme of community.

6.The specific philosophical dimension of philosophical practices for community.

7.The different philosophical practices for community, with or without educational intentionality.

8.Educational intentionality into philosophical practice.

9.Planning and evaluation of community development through the philosophical practices.

10.The relationship between the philosophical practices for community and new community forms, first of all from ICT (Information and Communications Technology) point of view.

11.How philosophical practices for community allow overcoming the old division between theory and practice.

Papers suggested, and others that can be linked, should have the common goal to stimulate a discussion in the public space around a rethinking of community, the role of individual and social ties construction, from educational task of philosophy today.

“Lessico di etica pubblica” will dedicate a monographic issue to the abovementioned themes, published in 2017.

Papers must be sent within and not later than March 31,2017, in an acceptable layout for blind review-based procedure. Writings must be in Italian, edited according to the recommendations published on our website, and must be no longer than 40.000 characters (footnotes, abstract in English and Italian of maximum 150 words included). It is recommended to use the special 2style sheet” provided in the attachments.

Paper and abstract must be sent as a single file (.doc) to .