Activities
Our activities bring together scholars from around the world to explore philosophical questions in their global, historical, and linguistic dimensions. Through interviews, lectures, and research talks, we engage with the plurality of philosophical traditions and their interrelations—from African and Asian philosophies to intercultural and comparative approaches. Each event contributes to our broader aim of rethinking philosophy as a globally entangled and polylogical practice.
For a better overview of our upcoming events, please have a look at our calendar.
-
Forests and rivers are ecosystems that not only harbour extraordinary biodiversity but also function as powerful images and metaphors through which the relationship between humans and the environment is articulated and rethought. As entities that…
-
Phenomenology did not begin with a doctrine but with a method: the epoché and phenomenological reduction. Husserl’s rallying invitation – Zu den Sachen selbst! – signalled not merely a theoretical shift but a transformation in how one lives,…
-
This lecture series takes the transatlantic space between Africa and the Americas as its contextual point of departure to explore the complex processes of philosophical exchange that have emerged on both sides of the Atlantic.…
-
What is Philosophy?A Retrospective and a Perspective Lecture by Anke Graness and Rolf Elberfeld (Hildesheim University) February 6, 2025, 6 p.m.Universität Hildesheim, Hörsaal 2 and Live Stream Lecture Series: What is Philosophy? A Critical Polylogue…
-
Abbed Kanoor recently delivered a thought-provoking lecture on the Cameroonian philosopher Fabien Eboussi Boulaga, whose critical engagement with African philosophy offers valuable insights into the complexities of ethnophilosophy, collective self-consciousness, and the philosophy of spatiality. In the Research…
-
The lecture explores the use and benefits of proverbs in engaging with African philosophy. The main argument presented is that, while other authors, like Odera Oruka, dwell on uninfluenced elders in Africa to extract philosophical wisdom…
-
The research talk with Sool Park explored the concept of “border language” (Grenzsprache) that he employed it in his lecture (Un)übersetzbar: Was ist die Sprache der Philosophie? [(In)translatable: What is the Language of Philosophy?] and…
-
League of African Women PhilosophersFirst Anniversary Conference 2025 January 24–25, 2025Online via Zoom Keynote Speakers Program Organization Dr. Abosede Priscilla Ipadeolaipadeola[at]uni-hildesheim.de https://leagueofafricanwomenphilosophers.org/
-
The conversation first turned to El Nabolsy’s comparative research on the Egyptian scholar Rifa’a al-Tahtawi and the Ghanaian scholar Africanus Horton. El Nabolsy was primarily interested in their conceptions of science and history. Both scholars…
-
We don’t know where philosophy begins or ends. Nor do we know the boundaries of poetry—its limits or the threats it faces. Yet we can start with the hypothesis that these two approaches to the…
-
The academic discipline of philosophy is still defined by a Eurocentric framework that excludes vast regions of the globe and their respective philosophical traditions and actors from participating in mainstream discourses and being represented in…
-
Today, philosophical scepticism is primarily understood as an epistemological position characterized by doubt about the possibility of knowledge. This view is associated above all with Descartes, who radicalizes scepticism to such an extent that ultimately…
-
In a thought-provoking research talk, Dr. Abosede Priscilla Ipadeola explored the intricate relationship between African feminism, care ethics, and cultural practices, particularly focusing on women’s agency within traditional caregiving roles. Her discussion illuminated the nuanced…
-
As a contribution to our polylogue with African philosophers, I dedicate my lecture to the Cameroonian philosopher Fabien Eboussi Boulaga (1934–2018). In three phases of his thought, we find different but interconnected cores: 1) The…
-
The first International Conference on Therapeutic Philosophy in Global Perspectives, organized in cooperation with the Institut für Philosophie of the University of Hildesheim and the Munich School of Philosophy is meant to mark the inauguration…
-
Philosophieren ist ein globales und als solches mehrsprachiges Phänomen. Vor dem Hintergrund der faktischen Mehrsprachigkeit des Philosophierens antworte ich auf die Frage der Ringvorlesung „Was ist Philosophie?” mit einer Gegenfrage: Was wird eigentlich übersetzt, wenn…
-
Prof. Tilman Borsche’s research talk explored central questions of philosophy and its practice, focusing on the interplay between language, thinking, and community, while addressing challenges in modern academia and intercultural philosophy. Borsche emphasized the essence…
-
In his lecture “Was konnte, kann und könnte ‘philosophieren’ heißen und bedeuten?” [“What can and could ‘philosophizing’ mean and signify?”], Prof. Tilman Borsche reflects on the evolution of academic philosophy in Germany over the past…
-
The interview with philosopher Yaovi Akakpo explored various themes at the intersection of philosophy, science, language, and traditional knowledge, particularly within African contexts. Akakpo highlighted the widespread ignorance of manuscripts in the study of philosophy…
-
Philosophies of Africa and the Ueberweg History of Philosophy Workshop, December 4–6, 2024 The workshop “Philosophies of Africa and the Ueberweg History of Philosophy” was an in-depth and collaborative effort to structure a groundbreaking series…
-
Rethinking Philosophy: Justice, Language, and Inclusivity Across African and Caribbean Traditions Research Talk with Edwin Etieyibo and Hanétha Vété-Congolo-Leibnitz Philosophy as Rooted in Concrete Experiences The discussions emphasized the significance of concrete experiences in philosophical…
-
An African-Caribbean Dialogue on Philosophy Hanétha Vété-Congolo-LeibnitzEdwin Etieyibo December 5, 2024Universität Hildesheim, Hörsaal 2 and Live-Stream Series: What is Philosophy? A Critical Polylogue with Philosophers from Africa Summary The “African-Caribbean Dialogue on Philosophy,” led by…
-
Feminist African Philosophy: New Issues and Perspectives Lecture by Abosede Priscilla Ipadeola November 28, 2024Hildesheim University, Hörsaal 2 and Livestream Series: What is Philosophy? A Critical Polylogue with Philosophers from Africa Summary Abosede Priscilla Ipadeola’s…
-
Philosophy as an “Art of Relationships” Research Talk with Andreas Hetzel on Interdisciplinary Dialogue, Responsibility, and Relationality Our research talk with Andreas Hetzel explored a variety of philosophical themes. Prof. Hetzel emphasized that philosophy relies…
-
Philosophie als „Arbeit an einem selbst“ und an Beziehungen zu anderen Lecture by Andreas Hetzel (Universität Hildesheim) November 21, 2024, 6 p.m. (CET)Universität Hildesheim, Hörsaal 2 and Live Stream Series:What is Philosophy? A Critical Polylogue…
-
The Genres of African Philosophy Research Talk with Alena Rettová and Albert Kasanda On November 15, 2024, our research team had a rich discussion with philosophers Alena Rettová and Albert Kasanda. The conversation explored the…
-
Double Lecture on African Philosophy Alena Rettová and Albert Kasanda November 14, 2024, 6 p.m. (CET)Universität Hildesheim, Hörsaal 2, Live Stream Alena Rettová (Universität Bayreuth) Language in African Philosophy Alena Rettová is professor for “African and…