A BATTLEFIELD CALLED LANGUAGE or MULTICULTURALISM vs ASSIMILATION

ENJOY PHILOSOPHY MEETS WEEKLY EVERY SUNDAY BETWEEN 11.30 AND 14.30 AT EDUARDO VII PARK, HERE: https://goo.gl/maps/5e3jKFEweXkNvDdK6

ITS THE GARDEN BETWEEN THE “CARLOS LOPES PAVILLION” AND THE “PRAIA NO PARQUE” RESTAURANT AT EDUARDO VII PARK.

THIS IS A GROUP FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN ENJOYING PHILOSOPHY.

NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED.

ONLY ETERNAL CURIOSITY AND THE PLEASURE OF KNOWLEDGE.

PLS KEEP UPDATED of any changes and updates on our WhatsApp Group:
Enjoy Philosophy Lisbon Group Access-Link

We will learn, debate, enjoy and investigate philosophers and diverse themes from the philosophical perspective. Each reunion is structured as a conversation among all attendees about that day s philosopher softly moderated by the organizer. The conversation will kick-off from the very brief suggested reading providing easy access to all attendees both to the philosopher and the conversation.

Let´s be greek and dive today on…

A BATTLEFIELD CALLED LANGUAGE, an increasingly relevant affaire in a country, our country, with increasing immigration on a highly educated Portuguese population which allows the newcomers to live in the country speaking almost exclusively in english. And the question is simple… should it be so? Should a country allow, encourage, facilitate the lives of people with minimal cultural integration requirements… Should Portugal make all public administrative procedures in english given that almost all the population speaks english, (as Holland, for example) making less imperative to the newcomers to learn the local language, Portuguese ?

This complex issue is framed on the debate over Multiculturalism, a social vision that encourages a society with diverse cultures minimizing the need for cultural integration as much as possible. UK has traditionally been the reference of this vision as opposed to more Assimilationist approaches as France, where every individual is first an foremost… a “Citoyen de la Republique” (Citizen of the Republic), and then, secondly, a member of a cultural group. Theoretically. In both cases, UK and France, as we all know, both realities tend to co exist.

In times of anti-migration winds, with political parties that oppose in diverse degrees the presence of migrants receiving increasing social and political support, it seems a good idea to escape the reductionist binary Yes/No debate to dive into the complexities of the how, a good way to manage the anxieties this topic has historically created in most places of the world. The fear to those who are different, Xenophobia in our always beautiful Greek, has been the critical element in most of the biggest massacres humanity has done.

So... a fundamental topic. No time to waste.

Lets think about MULTICULTURALISM…