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15 Dec 2014
14 December 2014<br />
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EU Ambassador to Jordan, Dr. Joanna Wronecka, said that Islamic civilization played a major role in human philosophy and culture, and that Arabs must take pride in and make use of this legacy, pointing to the contributions of Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd, Al Kindi and Al Farabi in the field of philosophy.<br />
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During a lecture at the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), entitled "The Need for Islamic Philosophy at the Present Time", Wronecka noted that since the dawn of time, mankind had posed the same questions. She went on to clarify that these ponderings remain unchanged, because what they really come down to are values. The ambassador stressed the need for initiating a discussion about values, and of reinforcing pluralism and open dialogue. Dr. Wronecka referred to the ongoing debate in Europe about reintroducing the study of philosophy into school curricula. She noted its importance in complementing social sciences and in promoting inter-cultural dialogue, indicating that people often do not realise that the issues they are reflecting upon are philosophical in nature.<br />
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In response to the questions addressed to her by JMI’s Master’s students in Journalism and New Media, Wronecka said that balance cannot be achieved by choosing a culture of hatred and murder. She added that the question of whether or not the world will opt for a culture of peace over one of hatred is still open. The EU ambassador wondered about the role contemporary Arab philosophers living in the West are playing in their native countries’ causes, calling on them to be more present in the media. Wronecka reiterated the European Union’s deep understanding of the Arab region’s conditions, and highlighted its continuous efforts in building bridges of mutual understanding.<br />
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The Ambassador began her lecture by discussing the importance of philosophy as it deals with values, justice, love and happiness in addition to human rights and the relationship between man and his creator, stressing that these values will continue to exist in all cultures, and that without philosophy, intellectual evolution cannot take place. Dr. Wronecka used Ibn Arabi as role model for a well-rounded philosopher who was able to learn from various cultures, and, together with other philosophers, contributed to human culture and benefited from it at the same time.<br />
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The lecture was part of the MA program’s Guest Lecture Series that provides JMI students with a unique opportunity to meet with political, social, cultural and media personalities, and to hold meaningful discussions with them with the aim of exchanging ideas and broadening their horizons.