Appeal

Statement by the Steering Committee of FISP

APPEAL FOR THE INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN MOSCOW

For a number of years, the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been threatened with exclusion from its historical headquarters at 14, Volhonka Street in central Moscow. This has now come to a head and we urgently wish to consult with you, to publicise what is happening, and to seek your support.

The Institute itself and the building that it has occupied since 1929 are of historic importance and vital to the intellectual and academic life of both the city and the nation. The Institute is in possession of a contract to rent the building from the City government, at least until 2019. Recently, however, ownership of the building was transferred from the City of Moscow to a governmental agency, which is now acting unilaterally to expel the Institute and pass on the building to other hands. No provision of any kind has been proposed for re-housing the Institute.

On 16 November 2009, the UNESCO World Philosophy Day took place at the Institute. It included significant expressions of scholarly appreciation towards the work of the Institute. However, we have learned that even this event was in some danger despite existing agreements.

Because the future of this renowned and unique Institute of Philosophy is bleak unless it can secure the base for its continuing work, we strongly express our support to our colleagues in Moscow and protest against any attempt to reduce the role of the Institute of Philosophy on the international philosophical stage.

We write in support of the continuation of the life of the Institute in the same place where the Institute has always been located, thereby recognising its historic place in Russian and world philosophy.

27.11.2009

STEERING COMMITTEE

BUREAU:

PRESIDENT: William McBride, Department of Philosophy, Purdue University, USA.

Marietta Stepaniants, vice-présidente, Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Herta Nagl-Docekal, vice-présidente, Institut für Philosophie, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria.

Betul Çotuksöken, vice-présidente, Maltepe University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Maltepe-Istanbul, Turkey.

GENERAL SECRETARY: Luca M. Scarantino, Conseil international de la philosophie et des sciences humaines (CIPSH), Paris, France.

TREASURER: Guido Küng, Département de Philosophie, Université, Fribourg, Suisse.

Peter Kemp, ancien président, Department of Philosophy of Education, the Danish University of Education, Copenhagen, Denmark.

MEMBERS:

Gholamreza Aavani, Department of Philosophy, Shahid Baheshti University, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Günter Abel, Department of Philosophy, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Joseph C.A. Agbakoba, Department of Philosophy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Tanella Boni, Professeur, Paris, France.

Tomas Calvo-Martinez, Departamento de Filosofía, Faculdad de Filosofía, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.

Bhuvan Chandel, Centre for Studies in Civilization, New Delhi, India.

Marcelo Dascal, Department of Philosophy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Didier Deleule, Professeur émérite, Paris, France.

Thalía Fung Riveron, Facultad de Filosofía e Historia, Universidad de La Habana, Ciudad Habana, Cuba.

Paulin J. Hountondji, Cotonou, Benin.

Ivan Kaltchev, Philosophy Department, Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Hyung Chul Kim, Dept. of Philosophy, Yonsei University, Liberal Arts and Social Science, Seoul, Korea.

Mislav Kukoc, University of Split, Faculty of Philosophy, Split, Croatia.

Maija Kule, Professor, Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia.

Samuel Lee, Seoul, Korea.

Ernest Lepore, Rutgers University, Center for Cognitive Science, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

Dermot Moran, School of Philosophy, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

Ilkka Niiniluoto, Department of Philosophy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Pham Van Duc, Institute of Philosophy, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Hans Poser, Institut für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie, Wissenschafts- und Technikgeschichte der Technischen Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Riccardo Pozzo, Dipartimento di Filosofia, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy.

Jacob Dahl Rendtorff, Department of Communication, Business and Information Technologies, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.

Basilio Rojo-Ruiz, University of the Americas, Sta Catarina Mártir, Cholula, Puebla, Mexico.

Ken-ichi Sasaki, Nihon University, College of Humanities and Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.

David Schrader, Executive Director, American Philosophical Association, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.

Gerhard Seel, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Warayuth Sriwarakuel, Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion, Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand.

William Sweet, Director, Centre for Philosophy, Theology, and Cultural Traditions, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Canada.

Tran Van Doan, Dept. of Philosophy, National Taiwan University, College of Liberal Arts, Taiwan.

Tu Weiming, East Asian Languages & Civilizations Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.

Lourdes Velazquez, Recco, Italy.

Stelios Virvidakis, Department of Philosophy and History of Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Dikun Xie, Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China.

HONORARY PRESIDENTS

Evandro Agazzi, Recco (Ge), Italy.

Ioanna Kuçuradi, Ankara, Turkey.

Francisco Miro-Quesada, Surco, Lima, Peru.

Letters

William Leon McBride, President of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies.
The letter to the President of the Russian Federation
(PDF)

Gerardo Marotta, President of the Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici (Naples, Italy).
The letter to the President of the Russian Federation.

Edward V. Demenchonok, President of the International Society for Universal Dialogue
The letter to the President of the Russian Federation.
(PDF)

The Letter of Support from the Philippine National Philosophical Research Society (PNPRS), an Institutional Member of the Philosophical Association of the Philippines (PAP)
(PDF)

The Philippine Academy of Philosophical Research.
(PDF)

La Société Française de Philosophie.

The Croatian Philosophical Society.
(PDF)

Section of Philosophy, Theology, Psychology and Pedagogy of Romanian Academy.

Associazione Italiana degli Studiosi di Estetica.

La Sociedad Académica de Filosofía (España).
(PDF)

The Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
(PDF)

The Indian Philosophical Congress.

The Philosophical Society of Finland.
(PDF)

The Council of the Australasian Association of Philosophy.

Institut International de Philosophie.
(PDF)

Evandro Agazzi, Honorary President of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies (Recco (Ge), Italy).
“…I want to express immediately my full support to this appeal, a support that has also the meaning of the personal testimony of someone who has had a continuity of relations with this Institute. Indeed I have occupied between 1973 and today the positions of Treasurer, Secretary General, President, Past President and Honorary President of the International Federation of the Philosophical Societies (FISP) and during these more than 35 years I had many opportunities to visit the Philosophy Institute at Volkhonka 14 in order to meet its officers, to participate in meetings, to promote international collaboration of different kinds. Beside the sentimental attachment to this Institute that exists in me because of the many links of friendship and human sympathy I have established with so many scholars working there, I must objectively stress that this institution, and its very physical building, have represented a permanent point of reference for the international philosophical community when contacts and relations with the Russian speaking colleagues had to be realized, and this is a concrete reality, a concrete fact that has persisted under the different vicissitudes and the great historical changes that have characterized the life of Russia during the last decades. As an evidence of this fact I want to mention the realization of the 16th World Congress of Philosophy in Moscow in 1993. The Congress had been invited at the FISP General Assembly in Brighton in 1988 with the full support of the Soviet Government, but a couple of years later Gorbachov falled and the new Soviet Government withdrew any support to the Congress. I was then the President of FISP and took the decision to hold the Congress in Moscow in spite of this tremendous difficulty through a self-financing effort and relying upon the services of a specialized Italian company. The success of the initiative, however, was largely due to the fact that several persons working at the Institute of Philosophy of Volkhonka, and which constituted the staff of the organization, continued to work in the preparation of the Programme and also the Soviet members of the Programme Committee did not give up their responsibilities. We even had in Moscow (at the Volkhonka Institute) a meeting of three days for the final preparation of the Congress which could finally take place with a great success at the scheduled dates, saving the honor and pride of the Russian philosophers in front of the world philosophical community. It is in the name of this glorious history that I express the wish that this Institute be kept alive in its old premises or, at least, that it remains there until it could be relocated in an equally suitable, honorable and functional building”.

Gholamreza Aavani, Member of the Steering Committee of FISP, Department of Philosophy, Shahid Baheshti University, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences (Tehran, Iran).
”After a few days of my absence from Tehran I came to realize what has happened to you and other dear colleagues in the Institute of Philosophy in the RussianAcademy of Sciences. Surely this is not the proper reward for philosophers and scholars who have worked strenuously for eighty years in this Institute and especially for you who have been engaged for the promotion of learning and enlightened rational thinking in modern Russia in the past fifty years. It is much more than a decade that I have got familiar with your Institute in different visits and I have been impressed by your great endeavors in sowing the seeds of truly genuine sapiential wisdom and critical philosophy in post-Soviet Russia. You have no doubt been aided by some devout colleagues some of whom I knew before and some whom I came to meet in the World Philosophy Day Congress in Moscow. But what consoles me in this regard through my cursory glance at the history of philosophy is that saints, sages and great philosophers have always
been subject to such trials and tribulations but at last they have come out victorious and triumphant.
I think the FISP, under the presidency of Prof. McBride as a most prestigious International Institution in the World today is the most suitable organization to take active measures in this regard and I, as a member of the Steering Committee, give full authority to Prof. McBride as
president of FISP to take any necessary measures to solve this issue. I fully endorse the letters of Prof. McBride to the related authorities in Russia to find the proper solution.
Again if my voice is ever heard in Russia as a lone cry in the wilderness I earnestly entreat and beseech the authorities there to take prompt measures to restore the premises to the Institute of Philosophy as before”.

Bhuvan Chandel, Member of the Steering Committee of FISP, Centre for Studies in Civilization (New Delhi, India).
“Dear President and Secretary General of FISP, Please do whatever you deem fit to support the Institute of Philosophy of Russian Academy of Sciences. The Institute has done wonderful work for the last nearly half a century to keep the Russian Philosophy in the forefront of World Philosophical scene. It deserves highest consideration at the hands of Russian Govt. and full support from the world philosophical community”.

Thalía Fung Riveron, Member of the Steering Committee of FISP, Facultad de Filosofía e Historia, Universidad de La Habana (Ciudad Habana, Cuba).
“Me uno al llamado por la conservación del tradicional Edificio del Instituto de Filosofía para dicha Institución, a lo cual deseo expresar un un sentimiento de orden personal, ya que mi segundo doctorado, es decir el doctorado en ciencias, lo defendí, en dicha sede, en 1985, y durante un período también fue mi lugar de trabajo. Estuve presente en la conmemoración -con los combatientes de la II Guerra Mundial que eran miembros del Instituto- de la celebración de la victoria sobre los nazis, en su 30 aniversario, por lo cual, para mí tienen dichas paredes una significación muy especial”.

In-Suk Cha, UNESCO Chair in Philosophy, Seoul National University.

“I learned from the appeal message for the FISP that the great Institute of Philosohy is facing an imminent eviction. This news is indeed increditable. There must be some great misgivings on tne part of the government agency dealling with the issue.
In the early 90s I visited your institute a few times, and I even held a three day lecture there. Your institute has made enormous contributrions to world philosophy in the these past decades, and we philosophers only hope that you will continue to do so”.

Mislav Kukoc, Member of the Steering Committee of FISP, University of Split, Faculty of Philosophy (Split, Croatia).
“Dear Colleagues. First, I want to express personally my solidarity and support for you concerning the threat of being expelled from your Institute’s historical building. For that purpose I proposed the letter of support to the Assembly of the Croatian Philosophical Society which was unanimously accepted. I am sending this message attached.
Hoping that all these worldwide actions in defense of the Institute will help you I am with all my best wishes for you and for all Russian friends from the Institute”.

Letter in support of the Institute of Philosophy in Moscow >>

Prof. Dr. Hans Poser, Former President of the German Philosophical Society, Vice-President of the International Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Gesellschaft Hannover, Vice-President of the Guardini-Stiftung Berlin, Member of the Steering Committee of FISP, Institut für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie, Wissenschafts- und Technikgeschichte der Technischen Universität Berlin (Berlin, Germany).
“Dear Professor Guseinov, As I heard, there are plans to force your famous Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Science to leave your traditional building at Volhonka Street, the place of Russian philosophy since more than eight decades. If this would happen, it would be a horrible disregard of all what this famous Institute has done and is doing, moreover, it would indicate that Russia neglects in an incomprehensible way its cultural history and the importance of its philosophy as an intellectual power for a modern state: Your Institute combines in an admirable form the new birth of the rich Russian philosophy of the 19th and early 20th century, suppressed and forgotten for a long time, with very new approaches to questions of epistemology, philosophy of science and ethics, to mentioning only some areas. All this can be seen clearly, thinking of the broad activity of the Academy’s Institute of Philosophy

– in editing the classical Russian philosophical writings, which are documents of the national Russian contribution to European culture

– and which will be a paradigm for a new national philosophy of international influence; and in important and fruitful research in philosophy laid down in a striking series of books.

All these activities are connected with the place where the research is done; so, Volhonska 14 is the internationally well known symbol of Russian philosophy. Therefore I strongly recommend that the plans to move the Institute will be canceled completely: Russia should by no means destroy parts of its intellectual roots!”

Gerhard Seel, Member of the Steering Committee of FISP, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
“Dear Colleague, I heard the alarming news about the future of your Institute. As a member of the Steering Committee of FISP and as Secretary General of the International Academy of Philosophy of Art I strongly support the defense of your right to continue your most important work both on the national and on the international level and to do this in the traditional building which has become an international landmark and a symbol of Russian philosophy. During the World Philosophy Day we could judge how important your work is and how much depends on it for the modernization of your country”.

Signatures

Predrag Cicovacki, Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, USA).

Fred Dallmayr, Packey J. Dee Professor, Departments of Philosophy and Political Science, University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, USA).

Dr. Manuel Ocampo Ponce. Sociedad Mexicana de Filosofía.
“By this mean "Sociedad Mexicana de Filosofía" want to support our friends of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Central Moscow to continue with their historical building. The reason is because the historical building is very important for the world wide community of philosophers, for our tradition and for the history of philosophy in general”.

Roger-Pol Droit, Researcher, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, Paris, France).

Michael Palencia-Roth, Trowbridge Scholar in Literary Studies, Emeritus Professor of Comparative and World Literature, University of Illinois (Urbana, Illinois).
Senior Adviser, Research Center for Moral Science, Institute of Moralogy, Reitaku University, Japan.

Anne Fagot-Largeault, PhD, MD, Member, French Academy of Science. Professor, College de France. Chair, Philosophy of Life Science (Paris).

Gereon Wolters, Professor, Universität Konstanz (Germany). Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki (Finland).

Dr. Francisco Naishtat, President of Centro de Investigaciones Filosòficas (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Professor at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Directeur de Programme of the Collège International de Philosophie (France).

Prof. Ida Galli, Facoltà di Sociologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II” (Napoli).

Stéphane Douailler, Professeur de philosophie, Université de Paris 8 (France).

Françoise Bonardel, Professeur-Docteur, University of Paris1-Sorbonne (Paris, France).

Jean-Pierre Osier, PH.D of Jaina Studies, Paris III (France).

Herman Lodewyckx, Vice-president of the AIPPh (Oostende, Belgium).
“Dear Colleague, In july 2003 we were the guests of the Institute of Philosophy and visited the beautiful historical headquarters at Volhonka street in central Moscow. As the actual vice-president of the Association Internationale des Professeurs de Philosophy, I support the appeal of the FISP to continue the life of the Institute on the same place and will ask the other members of our board to do so equally”.

Edgar Fuhrken
“Because the future of this renowned and unique Institute of Philosophy is bleak unless it can secure the base for its continuing work, I strongly express my support to my colleagues in Moscow and protest against any attempt to reduce the role of the Institute of Philosophy on the international philosophical stage.
I write in support of the continuation of the life of the Institute in the same place where the Institute has always been located, thereby recognizing its historic place in Russian and world philosophy”.

Evert van der Zweerde, Dr. Department of Philosophy, Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands).
“Dear colleagues, I fully support the Institute of Philosophy''''s case to retain its building on Volkhonka 14. I have visited the institute many times, and I share the opinion that it is a vital part of the intellectual life and philosophical culture of Russia and hence of the world.
Apart from the unilateral breaking of the contract, which already violates the Institute''''s right, there are strong historical reasons to keep the Institute in its place”.

Roger Smith, PhD, Reader Emeritus in History of Science, Lancaster University, UK, associate of the Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, sometime Visiting Professor, University of Lausanne, Goteborg, Durham etc.

Fernando Salvetti, founderand managing partner LKN - People Development Logos Knowledge Network.

Ian Hacking, Professeur honoraire, Collège de France. University Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto.
”I most strongly support the appeal for the maintenance of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in its present historical quarters”.

Dan Zahavi, Ph.D., Dr.Phil., Professor of Philosophy, Philosophy Section, Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen. Director Danish National Research Foundation: Center for Subjectivity Research University of Copenhagen (Denmark).

Prof. Dr. Herbert Breger (Hannover, Germany).

Pekka Elo, Counsellor of Education Finnish National Board of Education.

Andre du Pisani, University of Namibia (UNAM).

“It is with profound sadness that I have learnt that the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences is under threat of being expelled from its historical building. If this were to happen, it would amount to a form of anti-intellectualism that is most disturbing. An “attack” on one is an “attack” on all. I write in support of the continuation of the intellectual and spiritual life of the Institute at the same site where it has been located since 1929, thereby celebrating its centrality in the intellectual and cultural life of the Russina Republic”.

Prof. Dr. Hans Joerg Sandkuehler, Universitaet Bremen. Deutsche Abt. Menschenrechte und Kulturen des europaeischen UNESCO-Lehrstuhls fuer Philosophie (Paris).

Jean-Luc Marion, de l''''Académie française. Professeur à l''''Université Paris-Sorbonne et à The University of Chicago.

Paul Gochet, Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium, former vice-president of the International Institute of Philosophy (Brussels, Belgium).
“Dear Colleagues, This short message to join you in your efforts to maintain the Institute of Philosophy of the RussianAcademy of Sciences in Volkhonka street. It would be a great loss for that prestigious institution to be removed from its traditional setting. We all hope that this can still be prevented”.

Dr. Mario Alai, researcher, Department of Philosophy, University of Urbino (ITALY).

Mario Bunge, FRSC Frothingham Professor of Logic and Metaphysics McGill University Department of Philosophy (Montreal, Canada).
”I have just learned the terrible news that the Institute of Philosophy may be evicted from its old house in Volkhonka Street, which I visited on the occasion of an international congress. I think it is a pity and a shame that fellow philosophers be treated as if they were illegal squatters. For better or for worse, philosophy has been a key component of any culture for the last 25 centuries, and philosophers should be helped to do constructive and critical work instead of being harassed”.

Mme Hourya Benis Sinaceur, Directrice de recherche de classe exceptionnelle au Centre National de la Recherche, France Membre de l''''Institut International de Philosophie.

Prof. Jacques Poulain, Titulaire de la Chaire UNESCO de philosophie de la culture et des institutions (à vocation européenne). Directeur du Département de Philosophie de l''''Université de Paris 8.

Corina Yoris, President of the Philosophical Society of Venezuela (Venezuela).

Prof. Lorenzo Fellin, Padova University. Electrical Engineering Dep.t (Director). Padova University. Photometric Laboratory of Padova University (Director). Senior Member of Venetian Academy of Science and Literature (Padova, Italy).

Paola de Cuzzani, Professor Departement of Philosophy, University of Bergen.

F. CHENET, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Paris-Sorbonne.

Tom Mackenzie, Founder / managing partner of Philantrust, Paris.
”I have visited the Institute of Philosophy on a couple of occasions. The news that it is at present threatened with eviction from its historical premises is distressing, especially as it would appear that no provisions are being made to rehouse it appropriately. In the hope that a solution can be found that befits the international prestige of this institute, I fully support your appeal”.

Prof. Tom Rockmore, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Rom Harré, Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford, Distinguished Research Professor of Georgetown University, Washington DC, US and Director of the Centre for Philosophy of the Natural and Social Sciences, at the London School of Economics, UK.
“I have visited the Institute of Philosophy on several occasions since 1977 giving lectures and taking part in seminars. I have also hosted visits by members of the Institute to Oxford over the years. I have direct personal knowledge of the way that the Institute has played an important part in linking the work of Russian scholars with those in Britain. At the same time, it has been a centre of intense intellectual activity, including well known and influential publications. Its loss would be a tragedy for Russian intellectual life and to the world community of scholars”.

Professor Godabarisha Mishra, Member Secretary Indian Council of Philosophical Research (Under Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India) (New Delhi, India).
“It is a matter of considerable concern and regret that such a place of academic and historical importance like the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been threatened with evacuation from its present premises at 14, Volhonka Street in central Moscow and consequent closure. As we understand, the Institute has been housed there way back from 1929. A great center for intellectual life and a philosophical landmark of Russia, where world renowned philosophers have assembled, acted and interacted for more than three quarters of a century, needs to be preserved to continue its place of pride as the intellectual hub of Russia and its window for world philosophers.

Our Chairman, Professor Ramakrishna Rao joins me in sending our total support for the continuation of the Institute in the same building and we wish that the imaginative cultural administration of the Soviet Government will most seriously re-consider the matter and preserve the excellent academic ambiance created and promoted by the Institute of Philosophy right up to this day. Not only me and our present Chairman, but several of the eminent philosophers of India have happy memories of their visits to this historic building, a national philosophical heritage of Russia and wish that this will continue to be a source of inspiration for philosophers round the world for many more years to come”.

Michel Hulin, emeritus professor, Sorbonne (Paris IV).

K. Anthony Appiah, Chair, Executive Board, American Philosophical Association. Chair, Board, American Council of Learned Societies. President, PEN American Center. Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy and the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University.
“I write to associate myself with the letter of support for the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow from the Steering Committee of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie. I want to underline our shared sense that this center of philosophical scholarship plays a crucial role not only in the intellectual life of your country but also in the philosophical conversation of humanity”.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans Lenk, Honorary President of Institut International de Philosophie.
The Letter of Support for the Institute of Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Science. (PDF)

Leonard Harris, Ph.D., Director, Philosophy and Literature Ph.D. Program. Purdue University, Department of Philosophy.
“Debate between philosophers always creates more debate, and eventually, a new world. The history of philosophers from Russia have radically changed the world of thought and action. I hope to one day visit the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The reputation of philosophers associated with the Institute and its historic location are important, not just to Russians, but potential visitors like me and to philosophers that want continued dialogue with the great Russian tradition of philosophy.

In addition to my work in philosophy and literature, the Philosophy Born of Struggle Association (PBOS.COM) has for thirteen years sponsored conferences that often addressed the kinds of issues that the Institute if famous for addressing, for example, what is freedom? PBOS meets in different locations around the United States. The fact that the Institute has a single physical location gives it an identity that is worth keeping.

I earnestly hope that the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Volkhonka street, Central Moscow, will remain in its current location and continue to be a leading intellectual community and a physical building for which philosophers can continue to visit”.

E. Moutsopoulos, Membre d''''Académie d'''' Athènes et surintendant de son Centre de Philosophie.

Nadja Tollemache OBE, Former Ombudsman for New Zealand; Former Banking Ombudsman; Former Chair of the New Zealand Health Research Council Ethics Committee.
“I write to add my voice to the letter of support for the Institute of Philosophy of the RussianAcademy of Sciences in Moscow . This centre of philosophical scholarship has a world-wide reputation and it would be a great pity if it were to lose its home in the historic site where it has been located since 1929.It would be a great loss to the world of philosophy if the work of the Institute were to be disrupted by eviction from its home”.

Raymundo Morado, Presidente de la Asociación Filosófica de México.
“La Asociación Filosófica de México se solidariza con el Instituto de Filosofía de la Academia de Ciencias de Rusia para que no sea expulsado de lo que ha sido su sede tradicional desde 1929, en menosprecio de la investigación filosófica en un momento en que se requiere, por el contrario, su más activa intervención en un mundo sujeto a grandes y nuevos problemas. Estamos en contra de que se les quite la sede por cualquier razón, sea cultural o commercial”.

Franco Turini, Professor of the University of Pisa, President of the “Center for studies Federigo Enriques”, Livorno Italy.

Prof. Dr. Julian Nida-Rümelin, President of the German Philosophical Association, Seminar of Philosophy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Germany).

Letter in support of the Appeal for the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. (PDF)

Paul Humphreys, Chair, Committee on International Cooperation, American Philosophical Association.

Prof. Sergejus Temcinas, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of the Lithuanian Language, Vilnius.

Ma Yinmao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing.

Jan Rybak, research assistant at Rzeszow University of Technology.
“I wish to express my strong disapproval of the planned eviction of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 14, Volhonka Street in central Moscow. To my knowledge there have been no proposals made for re-housing it. This means that not only the 80 years long tradition of the Institute’s work in its historical headquarter would find a premature end – which goes contrary to prior contractual agreement – but also that the future of this important place of intellectual work is endangered.
Given the quality and number of publications, the internationally renowned philosophers, and the excellent educational environment that this place has produced, I do not believe that this should be regarded as a wise decision on behalf of the Russian authorities. The Institute covers the full range of philosophical studies, it is engaged in the public discourse, and it has received national as well as international recognition in the past. Thus I fully support my colleagues in Moscow and hope that they will be able to continue working in the place in which the Institute has been since 1929”.

Tõnu Viik, Professor of Philosophy, Tallinn University (Estonia).

Ingrid Maier, Professor, Vitterhetsakademien. Uppsala Universitet. (Uppsala, Sverige).

James Robert Brown, FRSC, Professor, Department of Philosophy University of Toronto (Canada).
”I have recently learned that the Institute of Philosophy will be forced out of there traditional location on Volhonka. I think this would be a terrible mistake. It is a fine old building and a perfect location for a very distinguished group of scholars. Philosophy has a great past in Russia and it would be a terrible pity to see it trampled in the name of commercial interests. Mathematics and science have suffered greatly in the past twenty years. It is time to turn things around and start promoting the well-being of Russian academic life. Pushing the Institute of Philosophy out of their Volhinka building in the centre of Moscow would be a step in the wrong direction”.

Michel Ghins, Member of the International Academy of the Philosophy of Science, professor at the Institut Supérieur de Philosophie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.

Leila Haaparanta, Professor of Philosophy, Department of History and Philosophy, University of Tampere (Finland).

Dr. Renate Schindler, Teacher for general Philosophy, German-Jewish Philosophy and Philosophy of Children, Member of the International Franz-Rosenzweig-society, Member of the Hermann-Cohen-society (Berlin, Germany).

”I support the request of all scientists to protect the historical headquarters and the reputation of the famous Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences at 14, Volkhonka Street in Central Moskow.
The Institute maintains the atmosphere of a dialogue with a great European tradition. I associate myself with all letters of support to underline the crucial role of this philosophical center concerning the worldwide intellectual community, humanity and cultural life.”

Dr. Prof. Riccardo Sirello, Secretary International of the Board - AIPPh Association Internationale des Professeurs de Philosophie.

Ricardo Pereira Tassinari, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Brazil.

Alexandre Costa-Leite, Department of Philosophy, University of Brasilia, Brazil.

Dear friends and colleagues!

If you wish to put your name to the Appeal, please, write to the following address

volkhonka14@yandex.ru

(provide some information about yourself – name, occupation, town/city, country).