According to Sartre, 'everything has been figured out,except how to live'. As academics, we actually have two lives, in the same way that Julian Marias describes the biological and existential aspects of life. Teachers enter the classroom with their course outline, deliver impassioned lectures, compute the grades, etc. This is how we conduct our day to day activities. But we also have another life. You also go home and watch your children grow every single day. You see and feel how your pains, sweat, and joys have built the family you value and love. That is how you truly live.
I am pleased to hear bright young minds speak during the conference. This can only mean that philosophy has a great future ahead. I have come to the realization that you can actually do two things in this world - it is either you divide people or dismantle the walls that separate them from each other. We may have different methods, tools, and perspectives but we are in search of the same truth. We may have different views about reality, but as a people we all want nothing less than justice. Despite our differences and all else that make us hate each other, we actually have a common purpose, and that is to help build a better nation.
- Closing Remarks, 16th SES Conference, HCDC
📷 Fr. Urbano Pardillo Jr