Celebrating World Philosophy Day

I'm celebrating World Philosophy Day UNESCO and the reasons behind it:

"Background

In establishing World Philosophy Day UNESCO strives to promote an international culture of philosophical debate that respects human dignity and diversity. The Day encourages academic exchange and highlights the contribution of philosophical knowledge in addressing global issues.

Why a Philosophy Day?

Many thinkers state that “astonishment” is the root of philosophy. Indeed, philosophy stems from humans’ natural tendency to be astonished by themselves and the world in which they live. This field, which sees itself as a form of “wisdom”, teaches us to reflect on reflection itself, to continually question well-established truths, to verify hypotheses and to find conclusions. For centuries, in every culture, philosophy has given birth to concepts, ideas and analyses, and, through this, has set down the basis for critical, independent and creative thought. World Philosophy Day celebrates the importance of philosophical reflection, and encourages people all over the world to share their philosophical heritage with each other. For UNESCO, philosophy provides the conceptual bases of principles and values on which world peace depends: democracy, human rights, justice, and equality.

Philosophy helps consolidate these authentic foundations of peaceful coexistence." 

UN website available at: http://www.un.org/en/events/philosophyday/background.shtml    

So, to celebrate World Philosophy Day here’s a quote from Spinoza’s Letter (30) to Oldenburg, 1.x.1665, Fragment 2 on one of his reasons for writing the TTP:

“I am currently working on a treatise…………. I am led to do this by the following considerations:

....(3)….my desire to defend in every way the freedom of philosophising and saying what we think….”

Available at: http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/spinoza1661.pdf Bennett (ed), p48