What exactly is the West?

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Schebkův palace, Prague
Speakers:
Stanislav Komárek
Blanka Knotková-Čapková
Roman Joch
Edvard Outrata
Moderated by:
Jan Macháček

The Institute for Politics and Society invites you to a debate "What exactly is the West?"

The West, Western philosophy, Western culture or civilization are terms often spoken of but rarely explained. The West has never been solely a geographic area – created 25 centuries ago, when the Greeks saw themselves as Western versus the Oriental Persians. The West is not related to any continent specific nation or religion.

In fact, the West is vague – it includes a vast array of features that, taken alone, don’t describe a unifying characteristic. The impetus for the present discussion about what the West actually is includes the enlargement of the European Union, the migratory crisis and the related cultural and value systems as well as other challenges facing the world today.

How does today’s West differ from its original definition? What values does West espouse? Are there other divisions?

The panel will be composed of:

prof. Stanislav Komárek , a biologist and philosopher, Charles University

doc. Blanka Knotková-Čapková, Department of Gender Studies, FHS Charles University and Department of Asian Studies, Metropolitan University Prague

Roman Joch, director, Civic Institute

Edvard Outrata, a former senator, economist and politician

The debate will take place on 24th May 2017 from 17:00 pm in Schebek Palace (Politických vězňů 7, Prague) with moderation by Jan Macháček, a chairman of the board of the Institute for Politics and Society. The event is held in Czech.