Seoul National University

Opening Remarks
President Jang-Moo Lee
XXII World Congress of Philosophy
Seoul National University
July 30, 2008

His Excellency the Prime Minister, president of the FISP, chairman of the Korean Organizing Committee, distinguished guests, and participants from around the world,

I understand that this is the first time in its century of history for the World Congress of Philosophy to be held in East Asia. It makes our university the first one in the region to host the Congress. On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students of our institution, I would like to extend the warmest thanks to you for providing us with such an honorable opportunity.

Seoul National University is proud to be at the frontier of academic research in Korea and has been successful in its assimilation to the group of leading institutions of higher learning around the globe. As a result, numerous conferences and academic meetings have been held on our campus. I must tell you, however, that hosting the World Congress of Philosophy bears an extraordinary meaning for us. Philosophy has been regarded as the foundation of all intellectual endeavors, a position with which I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, researchers in other disciplines invariably look to philosophy as they delve deeper into their respective academic fields. In this respect, what begins here today is the congress of congresses and the conference of conferences.

Approximately a month ago, I read a New York Times article reporting the growing popularity of philosophy among academic institutions in the United States. The news did not surprise me at all. Critical thinking and the consequent adaptivity to unfamiliar ideas and situations are the characteristic assets of philosophy. It is only natural then that philosophy, with its wealth of assets, should flourish at times of uncertainty, which defines our own era. However, that is by no means all that we expect from philosophy. Indeed, we expect philosophy to teach us not only ways of adapting ourselves to the vicissitudes of the human condition but also the direction in which to steer the human destiny. I have no doubt that this Congress will produce such wisdom. Our expectations are especially high because Seoul is an ideal place for synthesizing wisdom of the East and the West.

Diverse regions of the world that have been isolated throughout human history are now beginning to merge into one large global village. We must not forget that the encounter of different cultures is a mixed blessing. It can enrich the human spirit by producing new forms of lives, ideas, arts, literature, and science. At the same time, however, it can produce various forms of violence, which we are in fact witnessing along the borders of disparate cultures. I sincerely hope that the distinguished philosophers who have gathered here will demonstrate to us that we human beings can harvest precious wisdom by synthesizing wisdom from diverse cultures and civilizations. I strongly hope, too, that you will provide insights into ways of overcoming the hurdles that confront us with grim pessimism and of making progress with optimistic dreams.

Seven days of intense and heated philosophical discussions lie ahead of you. No doubt, they will give you much joy. However, speaking from my own experience, there are times when non-stop intellectual exchange becomes too much to bear. I encourage you then to raise your head and to look around the campus. Our campus is located at the foot of one of the major mountains of Seoul, and hiking trails to and on the mountain are easily accessible. This makes our campus green and beautiful. In addition, Seoul National University provides diverse interesting experiences. Although you unfortunately will not be able to experience the wealth of cultural activities on campus due to the summer vacation, you will still be able to have a taste of Korea’s age-old cultural heritage by visiting our repository of historic documents and museum. You can also enjoy modern art at the University gallery.

At this moment, I would like to end my remark by paying my respect to all of you who have made a long journey in pursuit of philosophical contemplation. I would also like to commend the entire staff of the Korean Organizing Committee for their ceaseless efforts and devotion.

I hope that you will all enjoy your stay. Thank you very much for this memorable experience.