Since 1999, the City of Menton has organized the Colloquiums Rethinking Our Time.
THE MENTON COLLOQUIUMS “RETHINKING OUR TIME.” Saturdays, 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd October 2011 at 2:30 PM at the Palais de L’Europe – Théâtre Francis Palmero (free entry). These conferences-debates, open to the general public, offer an opportunity to delve into various contemporary issues by tackling several topics: “Meetings on Origins,” “Science and Conscience,” “The City of Men,” and “What Philosophy for Our Time?”
Each conference gathers an audience of approximately 700 people who come to listen to and meet prestigious speakers such as Luc Ferry, Axel Kahn, Alain Finkielkraut, Jean-François Kahn, Alain-Gérard Slama, Guy Carcassonne, Jean-François Mattéi, Maurice Agulhon, Michel Winock, Gilles Kepel, Malek Chebel, Franz-Olivier Giesbert, Henry de Lumley, Etienne Klein, Claude Imbert, Bernard Guetta, Michel Maffesoli, Robert Misrahi, Pascal Bruckner, Dalil Boubakeur, Jean-François Colosimo…
At the end of the debates, a bookstore space with book signing sessions allows the public to meet the speakers.
A competition open to middle and high school students in the City of Menton offers the winners the opportunity to attend a question session with the Government at the National Assembly and to visit this institution of the Republic.
Saturday 1st October 2011: THE UNIVERSE: WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? WHERE IS IT GOING?
Until the 16th century, Earth was considered the center of the Universe.
It is now known that the Universe has neither edge nor center, and that we do not occupy any privileged position within it.
What are the laws governing the Universe? Although there is a consensus around the Big Bang model, the question of the finite or infinite nature of the Universe remains unresolved and continues to concern humanity. What is the origin of the Universe and what is its future? What is the place of Man within it? And above all, as the philosopher and mathematician Leibniz asked, “why is there something rather than nothing?”
These are some of the questions this colloquium will attempt to address.
Speakers:
André BRAHIC
Astrophysicist at the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Professor at the University of Paris VII, Director of the Gamma-gravity laboratory linked to the Physics UFR.
Etienne KLEIN
Physicist, Director of the Matter Science Research Laboratory at the CEA, Professor at the Ecole Centrale of Paris.
Marc LACHIÈZE-REY
Astrophysicist, Director of Research at CNRS.
Henry de LUMLEY
Prehistorian, Director of the Institute of Human Paleontology
Saturday, 8th October 2011: Science and Conscience
October 8th: SHOULD WE FEAR NUCLEAR?
On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake in its history, causing a severe accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
After Three Mile Island (United States) in 1979 and Chernobyl (Ukraine) in 1986, this event once again raised the specter of nuclear disasters and reignited the debate on nuclear energy in many countries.
Because nuclear energy instills fear. France is a major nuclear power with 19 plants housing 58 reactors. Can the choice of nuclear energy be reconsidered in our country?
While Italy has decided to end its program of returning to nuclear energy, Germany has announced the closure of all its plants by 2022. Is there an alternative given the current state of available technologies? Betting on the development of renewable energies, which are intermittent and diffuse in nature (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectricity…), does not seem sufficient.
Will we be ready to reduce our consumption? With nuclear energy, there is a great temptation to abandon reason and summon popular emotion. But how to think about reality from a place of fear?
Speakers:
Jean-Marie CHEVALIER
Professor of Economics at the University of Paris-Dauphine, Center for Geopolitics of Energy and Raw Materials.
Michèle RIVASI
European MP for Europe Ecology, President of the Independent Research and Information Center on ElectroMagnetic Radiation (CRIIREM)
Bruno TERTRAIS
Research Fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS)
October 15th, 2011: WHAT FUTURE FOR THE ARAB SPRING?
A wind of revolt is sweeping through Arab countries. Following the desperate act of a street vendor who set himself on fire on December 17, 2010, symbolizing the despair of a portion of Tunisian youth facing a blocked future, an unprecedented revolt took hold of Tunisia. This “Jasmine Revolution” resulted in the sudden departure of Ben Ali on January 14, 2011. It marks the starting point of a wave of protests sweeping across the Arab world. In Egypt, the protest movement led to the fall of President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. In Libya, the uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi began in February 2011 and seems to reach its goal by the end of August with the help of UN forces. Syria, in turn, is affected by the wave of protests, demonstrations are taking place in Morocco, Yemen, Bahrain… Will the democratic impulse be real, deep, and lasting? How far and for how long will the Arab Spring go?
Speakers:
Ali BENMAKHLOUF
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris Est Val de Marne, President of the Ethics and Deontology Committee of the Research Institute for Development (IRD)
Henri GUAINO
Special advisor to the President of the Republic
Mathieu GUIDÈRE
Professor and Research Director at the University of Toulouse II, holder of the chair of Islamology and the Arab world.
Antoine SFEIR
Journalist, Director of Cahiers de l’Orient, President of the Center for Studies and Reflection on the Near East, Professor at the School of Advanced Studies in Information and Communication Sciences (CLSA)
Saturday, 22nd October 2011: What Philosophy for Our Time?
October 22nd: COURAGE TODAY
In the 4th century BC, according to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, “courage is the first of human qualities because it guarantees all the others.” A character trait that signifies the ability to overcome fear to face danger, courage is the opposite of cowardice.
What about courage today? Where can we find models of courage in our society? Is it Achilles, the Homeric warrior, or the sage Socrates, is it the great man or the ordinary citizen?
Today, courage is often discussed in relation to oneself rather than to others. It is no longer about performing a necessary act to defend an external cause, but about surpassing oneself.
However, our era shows many examples of the disappearance of courage. How to rediscover the spring of courage, for oneself, for our political leaders, for our societies in the whirlwind of globalization? Every person can demonstrate courage, for we all share fear and can therefore overcome this fear.
Speakers:
Thomas BERNS
Lecturer at the Free University of Brussels, Director of the Center for Research in Philosophy, Secretary of the Institute Renaissance and Humanism (IRH)
Cynthia FLEURY
Professor of Political Philosophy at the American University of Paris, Researcher at CERSP (Conservation of Species, Restoration, and Monitoring of Populations) at the National Museum of Natural History/CNRS
Michel LACROIX
Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cergy-Pontoise
