Statement of the International Institute of Philosophy (Paris-Nancy) condemning Russia's aggression on Ukraine
War is not a civilized means of resolving conflicts between states and peoples. Any reasonable person should therefore strongly condemn Russia's brutal and barbaric military attack against Ukraine. It has caused killing of innocent people, destruction of Ukrainian cities and of the infrastructure of the state. We see no justification for settling conflicts between states through war, and advocate diplomatic dialogue, the sovereignty of states and mutual recognition. If the Russian government believes that the rights of the Russian people in Ukraine are threatened and do not meet modern ethical and political standards, it should have considered other possible solutions and not tried to achieve the desired change through war. The Russian President's assertion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people belongs to the bankrupt ideas of the 19th century Pan-Slavism. It cannot justify the occupation of Ukrainian territory. In this context, we are concerned that the revival of Pan-Slavism could be the basis and the occasion for new wars and new conquests.
We express our deep concern about the destiny of humanity and our planet after the Russian President's order to make nuclear weapons operational. Such reckless actions could lead to a catastrophe that will have devastating consequences for us all.
We call for an immediate end to the armed conflict, the initiation of dialogue, and the continuation of peace talks under the auspices of the United Nations.
As philosophers, we believe that the idea of "lasting peace between states" (Kant) is not an abstract utopia, but an urgent need of the democratic society and contemporary civilization. From its foundation in Lund by Åke Petzäll and at the Descartes Congress of Paris in 1937, the Institut international de philosophie has defended what one of its past presidents, Raymond Klibansky, has called the “rights of reason”, and promoted a universalist ideal of cooperation between all philosophers over the world. It may be of interest in the present context to remind that Izydora Dambska , Wladyslaw Tatarkiewiczand Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, three important Polish philosophers worked at the University of Lvov (now Lviv in Ukraine), has been one of the early members of the Institute, and that a number of its present members are from Russia. This universalist ideal implies not only that the Institute is ready to cooperate with philosophers in Ukraine, but also that it will fight against all kinds of philosophical nationalisms.
We deeply sympathize with the victims of the war in Ukraine and demand an immediate end to this war and Russian aggression.
The Administration Council of the International Institute of philosophy
Jure Zovko, President of the International Institute of philosophy
Pascal Engel, Secretary general
Ricardo Pozzo, Daniel Schulthess, Vice presidents
Ioana Kuçuradi, Anne Fagot-Largeault, Evandro Agazzi, Tomas Calvo, Mircea Dumitru, Hans Lenk, past Presidents
Marco Buzzoni , Olav Gjelsvik, Wlodek Rabinowicz, John Symons, Sami Pihlstöm, members of the Administration council
Maria Baghramian (Dublin), Hourya Benis (Rabbat), Ali Benmakhlouf (Casablanca), Rudolf Bernet (Leuven), Tyler Burge (UCLA), Oswaldo Chateaubriand (Rio), Betül Çotuksoken (Istanbul), Eyjólfur Emilsson (Oslo), Kit Fine (New York) Dagfin Follesdal (Oslo), Olav Gjelsvik (Oslo), Gerhard Heinzmann (Nancy), Wolfram Hogrebe (Bonn), Agniska Kijeska (Lublin), Simo Knuutila ( Helsinki), Stanislas Krajeski (Warsaw), Martin Kusch (Wien), Rae Langton (Cambridge), Antonio Martins (Coimbra), Peter Mc Cormick (Schaan), Herta Nagl (Wien), Ilkka Niiniluotto (Helsinki), Peter Pagin (Stockholm) Dag Prawitz ( Stockholm), Wlodek Rabinowicz (Lund), Gabriel Sandu (Helsinki), Ernest Sosa (Rutgers), Martin Stokhof (Amsterdam), William Sweet (Antigonish), Jan Wolenski (Krakow), members of the IIP
