November 19th: World Philosophy Day
Philosophy creates intellectual conditions needed for the peace and achievement of the global goals
Significance and History
Every year the third Thursday of November is observed as the World Philosophy Day. This day was proclaimed by UNESCO, which was first celebrated on 21st November 2002. The enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought is underlined by UNESCO. World Philosophy Day is owned by anyone, anywhere, who cares about philosophy and not by UNESCO.
In 2005, when this day was established, UNESCO’s General Conference highlighted the importance of philosophy and its impact on culture and values. UNESCO has strong ties with philosophy, especially critical questioning which gives meaning to life. On this day, all the UNESCO partners are encouraged to organize activities. The activities are usually around the theme of the day. The activities range from philosophical dialogues to workshops. The participation of scientists and philosophers from various branches is welcome.
For 2020, UNESCO’s theme is the importance of philosophy during the time of crisis. With the ongoing pandemic, dealing with the crisis is an important challenge that people need to cope up with. So this year is all about the ways philosophical thinking can be brought into practice by people.