Mission Statement

The International Association for Philosophical Anthropology IAPA promotes philosophical study of the nature, the essence and the person of the human being from different philosophical methodologies and its interdisciplinary relation with other sciences for the benefit of social development worldwide. "What is man?" and "Who am I?" are the main questions to be approached in our association: the question about the foundation and the meaning of the human being.
 
To this end, the Association focuses on the following goals:
 
- Develop an interdisciplinary worldwide network of scholars interested on Philosophical Anthropology: philosophers, psychologists, biologists, sociologists, physicists, economists, linguists, historians from various traditions, among others.
 
- Organize conferences and international congresses.
 
- Promote philosophical works and studies on man.
 
- Promote interdisciplinary research centered around the human person and philosophical anthropology.
 
- Support academic programs related to philosophical anthropology.
 
- Support professional projects to apply philosophical knowledge to social realities and business.

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Socratic Spirit

At IAPA we consider Socrates to be the founder of Philosophical Anthropology, and we would like to continue our studies in his spirit taking advantage of the Ancient, Medieval, Modern and Contemporary philosophers. This Socratic Spirit has four key features:

a. Humble rational inquiry into truth
Socrates was convinced that there was a truth out there to be known, as well as of his own limited capacity to know it. Still, he unceasingly pursued true knowledge, without giving in to discouragement.

b. Reason open to transcendence
In dialogues like the Eutiphro, (Plato-)Socrates relentlessly pursues reasonable answers, even about ethical and religious questions. Socrates ‘storms the gods’ with his questions about the origin of pietas, for instance.

c. An ethical appeal
Socrates was admired for not only pursuing truth, but also living according to the truth he discovered. Even though he did not talk about this much, he reported to have a ‘daimon’ or inner voice, which he considered of divine nature, telling him at times what not to do. For instance, the daimon warned him not to go into politics, because that was not his arena. Socrates willingly followed these inspirations, showing his openness both to reason and supernatural guidance in ethical matters.

d. A mission to study and educate
Socrates saw himself on a mission to educate Athenian youth by giving an example of studying through talking with them, a task to which he fully dedicated himself.
 
We think that the Socratic spirit is a much-needed alternative to scientistic and postmodern attitudes. Following the Socratic Spirit does not always imply following the Socratic method, nor limiting ourselves to Socrates’ findings. It does however imply that we humbly try to hold fast to the four key principles outlined above.

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