Cluj Philosophy Festival features Achille Mbembe

The third edition of the Cluj Philosophy Festival is taking place from October 14 to 19, centered around the theme ‘What do we still have in common?’. The event aims to address societal challenges such as polarization, distrust, and digital crises by exploring how open communities can be built through mutual responsibility.

A major highlight of the festival is the participation of Achille Mbembe, a Cameroonian philosopher and 2024 Holberg Prize laureate. Mbembe, a researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, will participate in a workshop regarding the ‘Earthly Community’ and will be awarded an honorary doctorate by Babeș-Bolyai University.

Other scheduled activities include debates on freedom and education, artificial intelligence workshops, and literary meetings. Notable participants include philosopher and writer Mihaela Miroiu, who will discuss political theory and launch her book ‘Acasă’. Ciprian Mihali, director of the Department of Philosophy at UBB, has noted that the festival arrives at a time when social media and identity discourses often drive profit through division rather than unity.