Alan Xuereb holds a doctorate in Law awarded by the University of Malta (1996) and an M.Phil. in Philosophy of Law (2004) by the same university. He is currently working as a lawyer-linguist at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Though Alan’s field is that of philosophy of law, he has a constant fascination with political philosophy in general and the common good in particular and with philosophy of physics, particularly all issues related to time. Alan is now exploring the relationship between aesthetic experience in all its forms as a component of the common good. This recent project encompasses a deeper investigation into Christian Norberg-Schulz's interpretation of Martin Heidegger's phenomenological perspective of architecture. Address: Tawern, Germany
Justice is normally the language of complaint, and sometimes of revenge. Justice is often, theref... more Justice is normally the language of complaint, and sometimes of revenge. Justice is often, therefore, analysed as a negative virtue whose demands can be met simply by doing nothing beyond correcting the wrongs inflicted on others. However, most worked-out views as to what constitutes injustice involve at least an outline image of justice in a positive sense which goes beyond correcting the wrongs that have been done and include an impression of a "just" human relationship. The idea of injustice is closely associated with reactions to the disappointment of existing expectations. Hence justice, at least in its negative expressions, can have strong conservative implications in that it seeks to sustain the status quo in society against destructive and disorderly intrusions.peer-reviewe
All those who know me a little know of my
fascination with physics. One of the most
exciting scie... more All those who know me a little know of my fascination with physics. One of the most exciting scientific adventures of all time is the search for the ultimate nature of physical reality, a hunt that in the past century has yielded such breakthroughs as Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, two theories that radically altered our picture of space, time, gravity, and the fundamental building blocks of matter.
The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 375BC, concerning justice, the order... more The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 375BC, concerning justice, the order and nature of the just city state and the just man. It is Plato’s best-known work and has proven to be one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory.
In October 1943, following the destruction of the Commons Chamber during a Blitz, the Commons deb... more In October 1943, following the destruction of the Commons Chamber during a Blitz, the Commons debated the question of rebuilding the chamber. Winston Churchill insisted that the shape of the old Chamber was responsible for the two-party system which is the essence of British parliamentary democracy: we shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. Intergenerational Justice Ombudsperson (1) Indeed, the same may be said of any building in any country. Look at Malta, for example. We just keep developing. I will not, in this short contribution go into the immorality and lack of practical reasonableness this overdevelopment is driven by. The lack of foresight and sustainability will become clearer in the coming 20 years. We will see what our children and their children will have to say about what we have done with our landscape. What we have collectively done is a sin against future generations. Because you see, urban planning, carried out to make money, instead of, to make sense, has a big down side: it will not look good, it will not feel good and it will not be reversible. As Edmund Burke once wrote: society is "a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born". That is why a number of academics and experts within the World Future Council are calling for Ombudspersons for Future Generations. Society is not, as it has become, a game of political horse-trading between the ruling party and the opposition which tries to entice fickle undecided voters. It is perhaps here where the PN may be a tad bolder and more creative. Biophilic Common Good (2) This pandemic has showed me the importance of living in a green setting. With trees, plants, flowers and hills. It really showed me that being locked down exerts strain on the psychological, emotional and physical well-being. Nevertheless, it also showed me that being surrounded by nature made it much easier to endure. Things that were taken for granted like views, fresh air and the chirping of birds, suddenly became extremely important. It then struck me that this contact with nature is a fundamental need for the hunter-gatherer in us. It is indeed a basic value. I then thought how bad it would be for people back in my own land locked away in concrete and stone areas. How much my fellow compatriots are alienated from nature. What an unbalance, greed and lack of foresight, has caused. In my book, I exemplify this balance required by the common good through the relationship between nature and urbanisation. I emphasise that, each building to be constructed ought to consider its surroundings, inside and/or outside, on roofs, balconies, in common areas, in any bit of land not used for any other purpose, there has to be enough greenery to the point that almost every building will become a valid "pretext" to have trees and plants inserted. The result of this common good reasoning would be that of integrating buildings into nature, actually, rather nature integrated into the building. Since there are more buildings than nature at this point. This I would call a "compromise for the common good". Without going into too many details there exists a type of architectural design nowadays, which is called biophilic design. It aims to achieve exactly this.
A year or so ago, there were persistent reports that the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) was going to c... more A year or so ago, there were persistent reports that the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) was going to change its name into Partit Nazzjonali tal-Poplu (National People’s Party). The reasons commentators were putting forward were that, in this day and age, the term ‘nationalist’ had negative far-right connotations.
Dr Bernard Grech is on record as saying that he wants a style of politics with people at the cent... more Dr Bernard Grech is on record as saying that he wants a style of politics with people at the centre stage. This is not just a cliché but a whole philosophy! As I wrote elsewhere putting people first (PPF) has enormous implications on the political philosophy of a party. Nearly, every human activity has at least, two aspects. The internal aspect and the external aspect. Substance and form. Content and procedure. PPF demonstrates this dichotomy as well: (a) the external level understood as policies. As well as (b) the internal level, understood as leadership. When applied externally PPF moulds policies (within the PN dealt with by clusters). It creates a philosophical framework that sets teleologically the agenda. This will be seen in all areas from environment to socioeconomic policy to migration. However, allow me to focus on the internal aspect of PPF. Confectioner-Dentist dilemma The conduit from the internal process to the external one is mediated through the organisational structure of the party. This has been revamped in June last year. However, every policy cluster needs at least two components as well. Again on different levels. There is the ideological component with ideas framed according to PPF. Then there is the popular preference aspect. What in ancient Greece was called doxa-popular opinion. There is here a delicate balance that has to be struck between these two components. Why? you might be asking. Well, too much doxa and little or no ideology makes you a bit like a confectioner telling everyone that cakes are good for your health so you should eat cakes all the time. It makes you a populist demagogue. A bit like Alcibiades in Socrates's time. On the other hand, too much ideology and little or no doxa makes you look like a dentist who tells you that you should never eat anything sweet, let alone cakes. The latter might be odontologically right, but it is not realistic to avoid sugar all the time for the whole of one's life. Balance is needed in order not to be detached from reality and at the same time be good. This balance fashions a popular not populist narrative.
Impressjonanti, kif il-Maltin jagħtu flejjes kbar għall-karità f’dan il-perijodu, u mhux biss f’d... more Impressjonanti, kif il-Maltin jagħtu flejjes kbar għall-karità f’dan il-perijodu, u mhux biss f’dan il-perijodu. Huwa għalija paradossali kif imbagħad insibu diffikultà fil-politika biex dak li nwettqu fil-karità napplikawh b’mod strutturat biex neliminaw il-faqar minn pajjiżna. Naħseb, madwar 80 elf persuna fuq ix-xifer tal-faqar huwa indikattiv ferm li dak il-ġid materjali kollu li ġie ġġenerat f’pajjiżna ma laħaqx lil ħafna nies, lil wisq nies. Hemm xi ħaġa żbaljata.
Any organisation that desires to inspire needs a vision. This means that it needs its supporters ... more Any organisation that desires to inspire needs a vision. This means that it needs its supporters to believe in something bigger than themselves. This vision needs to be conveyed in a medium that people can relate to. A story.
There appears to be a discreet throng of right leaning individuals across this island, that may b... more There appears to be a discreet throng of right leaning individuals across this island, that may be, willy-nilly, deciding its fate. I call this legion the silent right. I am a centrist, constantly, trying to reconcile my free spirit with my traditional values. In so doing, I attempt to combine liberal ideals and policies with conservative stances. This means that someone like myself would have no issue at all seeing LGTBQI+ rights as a natural extension of the dignity of the human person, since we are all treasured members of this community, but for similar reasons would have an issue with the implementation of abortion. This is not a religious argument. Whilst religion does exercise an influence on politics, the two should be kept distinct from each other. A friend of mine once told me that the Maltese voter is essentially Labour. What he really meant is that the Maltese voter is more to the left. How can you not be to the left when our welfare State provides such an array of free services? Though he might be right, I still think that the Maltese voter ideology is not categorically leftist. It is conveniently leftist. In fact, it is also pragmatically right-wing. A self-fuelling paradox. The silent right may not always admit its inclination towards very conservative stances when interviewed in some survey. However, it would express it somehow on Election Day. The silent right is not symmetrically identical to the ultra-conservatives, the libertarians and the populists who are not so covert anymore. Indeed, they have formed their own political groupings: Imperium Europa, Patrijotti Maltin, Partit Popolari to mention a few. They are, as well, relatively unobtrusive. In general, as Scruton puts it, conservatives are less vociferous than the liberal left. The left is great at conveying its message. However, the silent right is strewn across all major political groupings. We also find it in that movement that should be leftist par excellence-the PL. The PN mirrors this situation, since there are some very enthusiastic liberals within the ranks of this traditionally conservative party. Furthermore, beguilingly, Labour became its own nemesis. It grew into what previous Labour front-runners accused the PN of being. Labour became "the establishment". Labour misplaced the guiding enlightenment of the French revolution. Liberté has become an extreme form of go-as-you-wish Hobbesian state of nature; Égalité was transformed into "some are more equal than others" and Fraternité, was understood to mean fraternising with tycoons and/or criminals. This sleaze is not right (sewwa) but, abroad, it is definitely more typical of the capitalist right than of the left. The slogan "is-sewwa jirbaħ żgur" (what is right shall certainly prevail) is actually what we all aspire to, but it never comes spontaneously. Before is-sewwa prevails, people suffer. Actually, Daphne Caruana Galizia was slain for perpetuating that ideal. Fulfilling that cycle. As a Hegelian I am inclined to accept historical cycles and appreciate that synthesis provides a sort of via media, similar to that encouraged by Aristotle. So I see this shift to the right as somehow a natural, consequence or reaction, to some previous antithetical cycle. My Hegelian side also gives me hope that establishments will change through a cooperative transformation rather than a bloody revolution. Even though, one must reiterate, blood has been spilled in Malta. And yet we saw no dramatic vote swing happening. In spite of everything that has materialised, Labour still enjoys a comfortable lead. Make no mistake about this! There has been a revolt. A few villains were politically guillotined. That was historically pivotal. Nonetheless, this cycle is not over yet. There is still the legal reverberation that will eventually, end too. Shortly, those events will teleport us into the synthesis-cycle. This synthesis will then become the new thesis-cycle.
There is what I would call a lingering problem in theoretical physics. This problem boils down to... more There is what I would call a lingering problem in theoretical physics. This problem boils down to the unification of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. The resolution for this issue would then be called a theory of everything. Physicists have a favourite candidate for such a theory, string theory, which calls for what Thomas Kuhn would have called a paradigm shift. A problem created on one level cannot be solved on that same level. In Maltese politics there is a parallel issue of unification in the realm of the common good.
Hypothetical particles are
states of matter that have
‘exotic’ physical properties
that would vio... more Hypothetical particles are states of matter that have ‘exotic’ physical properties that would violate the known laws of physics, such as a particle having a negative mass.
During this weird dark patch in humanity’s
history ‘hands’ have become protagonists. We
hear over... more During this weird dark patch in humanity’s history ‘hands’ have become protagonists. We hear over and over again phrases like: ‘wash your hands properly’, ‘use a hand rub’, ‘do not shake hands’, ‘give a helping hand to those who are vulnerable amongst us’ and so on and so forth.
My condensed reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic and chaos, prompted by a painting that has been... more My condensed reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic and chaos, prompted by a painting that has been hanging in our dining room for the past three years. Two main concepts I feel are of importance for Malta: (1) People should always come before things; and (2) the need for the creation of an entity studying the future similar to the Future of Humanity Institute (Oxford). Thanks to Dr. Rahim Hassan and the Wednesday’s editorial team. More on: www.thewednesdayoxford.com
U bl-istess mod, jien qed
naħseb dwar, ngħidu aħna, ilbioenġinerija.
Xi pajjiżi jibżgħu
jesperime... more U bl-istess mod, jien qed naħseb dwar, ngħidu aħna, ilbioenġinerija. Xi pajjiżi jibżgħu jesperimentaw ġenetikament fuq il-bnedmin13 – mhux biżżejjed jekk pajjiż wieħed jew ftit pajjiżi biss jipprojbixxu legalment esperimenti ġenetiċi fuq ilbnedmin. U mbagħad ikollok iċĊina jew il-Korea ta’ Fuq li jibqgħu jagħmlu dan lisperimentar. B’dan l-argument l-Istati Uniti jew ir-Renju Unit ma jistgħux isolvu waħidhom, kif se jkun fi żmien qasir, dan ittip ta’ problemi globali. Ilpressjoni fuq l-Istati Uniti u l- Ingilterra (qed nieħu dawn biss bħala eżempju) se tkun kbira ħafna sabiex jibdew jagħmlu listess esperimenti bħall-Korea ta’ Fuq u ċ-Ċina. Dawn huma teknoloġiji li jikkomportaw riskji enormi u anki vantaġġji enormi. Għaliex bil-mentalità populista jekk pajjiż ieħor qed jagħmel xi ħaġa u se jikseb vantaġġ (anki jekk immedjat) ma nistax ma nagħmilhiex jien għall-pajjiżi.
Justice is normally the language of complaint, and sometimes of revenge. Justice is often, theref... more Justice is normally the language of complaint, and sometimes of revenge. Justice is often, therefore, analysed as a negative virtue whose demands can be met simply by doing nothing beyond correcting the wrongs inflicted on others. However, most worked-out views as to what constitutes injustice involve at least an outline image of justice in a positive sense which goes beyond correcting the wrongs that have been done and include an impression of a "just" human relationship. The idea of injustice is closely associated with reactions to the disappointment of existing expectations. Hence justice, at least in its negative expressions, can have strong conservative implications in that it seeks to sustain the status quo in society against destructive and disorderly intrusions.peer-reviewe
All those who know me a little know of my
fascination with physics. One of the most
exciting scie... more All those who know me a little know of my fascination with physics. One of the most exciting scientific adventures of all time is the search for the ultimate nature of physical reality, a hunt that in the past century has yielded such breakthroughs as Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, two theories that radically altered our picture of space, time, gravity, and the fundamental building blocks of matter.
The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 375BC, concerning justice, the order... more The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 375BC, concerning justice, the order and nature of the just city state and the just man. It is Plato’s best-known work and has proven to be one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory.
In October 1943, following the destruction of the Commons Chamber during a Blitz, the Commons deb... more In October 1943, following the destruction of the Commons Chamber during a Blitz, the Commons debated the question of rebuilding the chamber. Winston Churchill insisted that the shape of the old Chamber was responsible for the two-party system which is the essence of British parliamentary democracy: we shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. Intergenerational Justice Ombudsperson (1) Indeed, the same may be said of any building in any country. Look at Malta, for example. We just keep developing. I will not, in this short contribution go into the immorality and lack of practical reasonableness this overdevelopment is driven by. The lack of foresight and sustainability will become clearer in the coming 20 years. We will see what our children and their children will have to say about what we have done with our landscape. What we have collectively done is a sin against future generations. Because you see, urban planning, carried out to make money, instead of, to make sense, has a big down side: it will not look good, it will not feel good and it will not be reversible. As Edmund Burke once wrote: society is "a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born". That is why a number of academics and experts within the World Future Council are calling for Ombudspersons for Future Generations. Society is not, as it has become, a game of political horse-trading between the ruling party and the opposition which tries to entice fickle undecided voters. It is perhaps here where the PN may be a tad bolder and more creative. Biophilic Common Good (2) This pandemic has showed me the importance of living in a green setting. With trees, plants, flowers and hills. It really showed me that being locked down exerts strain on the psychological, emotional and physical well-being. Nevertheless, it also showed me that being surrounded by nature made it much easier to endure. Things that were taken for granted like views, fresh air and the chirping of birds, suddenly became extremely important. It then struck me that this contact with nature is a fundamental need for the hunter-gatherer in us. It is indeed a basic value. I then thought how bad it would be for people back in my own land locked away in concrete and stone areas. How much my fellow compatriots are alienated from nature. What an unbalance, greed and lack of foresight, has caused. In my book, I exemplify this balance required by the common good through the relationship between nature and urbanisation. I emphasise that, each building to be constructed ought to consider its surroundings, inside and/or outside, on roofs, balconies, in common areas, in any bit of land not used for any other purpose, there has to be enough greenery to the point that almost every building will become a valid "pretext" to have trees and plants inserted. The result of this common good reasoning would be that of integrating buildings into nature, actually, rather nature integrated into the building. Since there are more buildings than nature at this point. This I would call a "compromise for the common good". Without going into too many details there exists a type of architectural design nowadays, which is called biophilic design. It aims to achieve exactly this.
A year or so ago, there were persistent reports that the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) was going to c... more A year or so ago, there were persistent reports that the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN) was going to change its name into Partit Nazzjonali tal-Poplu (National People’s Party). The reasons commentators were putting forward were that, in this day and age, the term ‘nationalist’ had negative far-right connotations.
Dr Bernard Grech is on record as saying that he wants a style of politics with people at the cent... more Dr Bernard Grech is on record as saying that he wants a style of politics with people at the centre stage. This is not just a cliché but a whole philosophy! As I wrote elsewhere putting people first (PPF) has enormous implications on the political philosophy of a party. Nearly, every human activity has at least, two aspects. The internal aspect and the external aspect. Substance and form. Content and procedure. PPF demonstrates this dichotomy as well: (a) the external level understood as policies. As well as (b) the internal level, understood as leadership. When applied externally PPF moulds policies (within the PN dealt with by clusters). It creates a philosophical framework that sets teleologically the agenda. This will be seen in all areas from environment to socioeconomic policy to migration. However, allow me to focus on the internal aspect of PPF. Confectioner-Dentist dilemma The conduit from the internal process to the external one is mediated through the organisational structure of the party. This has been revamped in June last year. However, every policy cluster needs at least two components as well. Again on different levels. There is the ideological component with ideas framed according to PPF. Then there is the popular preference aspect. What in ancient Greece was called doxa-popular opinion. There is here a delicate balance that has to be struck between these two components. Why? you might be asking. Well, too much doxa and little or no ideology makes you a bit like a confectioner telling everyone that cakes are good for your health so you should eat cakes all the time. It makes you a populist demagogue. A bit like Alcibiades in Socrates's time. On the other hand, too much ideology and little or no doxa makes you look like a dentist who tells you that you should never eat anything sweet, let alone cakes. The latter might be odontologically right, but it is not realistic to avoid sugar all the time for the whole of one's life. Balance is needed in order not to be detached from reality and at the same time be good. This balance fashions a popular not populist narrative.
Impressjonanti, kif il-Maltin jagħtu flejjes kbar għall-karità f’dan il-perijodu, u mhux biss f’d... more Impressjonanti, kif il-Maltin jagħtu flejjes kbar għall-karità f’dan il-perijodu, u mhux biss f’dan il-perijodu. Huwa għalija paradossali kif imbagħad insibu diffikultà fil-politika biex dak li nwettqu fil-karità napplikawh b’mod strutturat biex neliminaw il-faqar minn pajjiżna. Naħseb, madwar 80 elf persuna fuq ix-xifer tal-faqar huwa indikattiv ferm li dak il-ġid materjali kollu li ġie ġġenerat f’pajjiżna ma laħaqx lil ħafna nies, lil wisq nies. Hemm xi ħaġa żbaljata.
Any organisation that desires to inspire needs a vision. This means that it needs its supporters ... more Any organisation that desires to inspire needs a vision. This means that it needs its supporters to believe in something bigger than themselves. This vision needs to be conveyed in a medium that people can relate to. A story.
There appears to be a discreet throng of right leaning individuals across this island, that may b... more There appears to be a discreet throng of right leaning individuals across this island, that may be, willy-nilly, deciding its fate. I call this legion the silent right. I am a centrist, constantly, trying to reconcile my free spirit with my traditional values. In so doing, I attempt to combine liberal ideals and policies with conservative stances. This means that someone like myself would have no issue at all seeing LGTBQI+ rights as a natural extension of the dignity of the human person, since we are all treasured members of this community, but for similar reasons would have an issue with the implementation of abortion. This is not a religious argument. Whilst religion does exercise an influence on politics, the two should be kept distinct from each other. A friend of mine once told me that the Maltese voter is essentially Labour. What he really meant is that the Maltese voter is more to the left. How can you not be to the left when our welfare State provides such an array of free services? Though he might be right, I still think that the Maltese voter ideology is not categorically leftist. It is conveniently leftist. In fact, it is also pragmatically right-wing. A self-fuelling paradox. The silent right may not always admit its inclination towards very conservative stances when interviewed in some survey. However, it would express it somehow on Election Day. The silent right is not symmetrically identical to the ultra-conservatives, the libertarians and the populists who are not so covert anymore. Indeed, they have formed their own political groupings: Imperium Europa, Patrijotti Maltin, Partit Popolari to mention a few. They are, as well, relatively unobtrusive. In general, as Scruton puts it, conservatives are less vociferous than the liberal left. The left is great at conveying its message. However, the silent right is strewn across all major political groupings. We also find it in that movement that should be leftist par excellence-the PL. The PN mirrors this situation, since there are some very enthusiastic liberals within the ranks of this traditionally conservative party. Furthermore, beguilingly, Labour became its own nemesis. It grew into what previous Labour front-runners accused the PN of being. Labour became "the establishment". Labour misplaced the guiding enlightenment of the French revolution. Liberté has become an extreme form of go-as-you-wish Hobbesian state of nature; Égalité was transformed into "some are more equal than others" and Fraternité, was understood to mean fraternising with tycoons and/or criminals. This sleaze is not right (sewwa) but, abroad, it is definitely more typical of the capitalist right than of the left. The slogan "is-sewwa jirbaħ żgur" (what is right shall certainly prevail) is actually what we all aspire to, but it never comes spontaneously. Before is-sewwa prevails, people suffer. Actually, Daphne Caruana Galizia was slain for perpetuating that ideal. Fulfilling that cycle. As a Hegelian I am inclined to accept historical cycles and appreciate that synthesis provides a sort of via media, similar to that encouraged by Aristotle. So I see this shift to the right as somehow a natural, consequence or reaction, to some previous antithetical cycle. My Hegelian side also gives me hope that establishments will change through a cooperative transformation rather than a bloody revolution. Even though, one must reiterate, blood has been spilled in Malta. And yet we saw no dramatic vote swing happening. In spite of everything that has materialised, Labour still enjoys a comfortable lead. Make no mistake about this! There has been a revolt. A few villains were politically guillotined. That was historically pivotal. Nonetheless, this cycle is not over yet. There is still the legal reverberation that will eventually, end too. Shortly, those events will teleport us into the synthesis-cycle. This synthesis will then become the new thesis-cycle.
There is what I would call a lingering problem in theoretical physics. This problem boils down to... more There is what I would call a lingering problem in theoretical physics. This problem boils down to the unification of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. The resolution for this issue would then be called a theory of everything. Physicists have a favourite candidate for such a theory, string theory, which calls for what Thomas Kuhn would have called a paradigm shift. A problem created on one level cannot be solved on that same level. In Maltese politics there is a parallel issue of unification in the realm of the common good.
Hypothetical particles are
states of matter that have
‘exotic’ physical properties
that would vio... more Hypothetical particles are states of matter that have ‘exotic’ physical properties that would violate the known laws of physics, such as a particle having a negative mass.
During this weird dark patch in humanity’s
history ‘hands’ have become protagonists. We
hear over... more During this weird dark patch in humanity’s history ‘hands’ have become protagonists. We hear over and over again phrases like: ‘wash your hands properly’, ‘use a hand rub’, ‘do not shake hands’, ‘give a helping hand to those who are vulnerable amongst us’ and so on and so forth.
My condensed reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic and chaos, prompted by a painting that has been... more My condensed reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic and chaos, prompted by a painting that has been hanging in our dining room for the past three years. Two main concepts I feel are of importance for Malta: (1) People should always come before things; and (2) the need for the creation of an entity studying the future similar to the Future of Humanity Institute (Oxford). Thanks to Dr. Rahim Hassan and the Wednesday’s editorial team. More on: www.thewednesdayoxford.com
U bl-istess mod, jien qed
naħseb dwar, ngħidu aħna, ilbioenġinerija.
Xi pajjiżi jibżgħu
jesperime... more U bl-istess mod, jien qed naħseb dwar, ngħidu aħna, ilbioenġinerija. Xi pajjiżi jibżgħu jesperimentaw ġenetikament fuq il-bnedmin13 – mhux biżżejjed jekk pajjiż wieħed jew ftit pajjiżi biss jipprojbixxu legalment esperimenti ġenetiċi fuq ilbnedmin. U mbagħad ikollok iċĊina jew il-Korea ta’ Fuq li jibqgħu jagħmlu dan lisperimentar. B’dan l-argument l-Istati Uniti jew ir-Renju Unit ma jistgħux isolvu waħidhom, kif se jkun fi żmien qasir, dan ittip ta’ problemi globali. Ilpressjoni fuq l-Istati Uniti u l- Ingilterra (qed nieħu dawn biss bħala eżempju) se tkun kbira ħafna sabiex jibdew jagħmlu listess esperimenti bħall-Korea ta’ Fuq u ċ-Ċina. Dawn huma teknoloġiji li jikkomportaw riskji enormi u anki vantaġġji enormi. Għaliex bil-mentalità populista jekk pajjiż ieħor qed jagħmel xi ħaġa u se jikseb vantaġġ (anki jekk immedjat) ma nistax ma nagħmilhiex jien għall-pajjiżi.
The human being, as Aristotle says, is a zoon politikon (a political animal). Nevertheless, the h... more The human being, as Aristotle says, is a zoon politikon (a political animal). Nevertheless, the human being is as well a zoon glossologicon (a linguistic animal). In the Western world of politics we are so accustomed to watch politicians arguing in an arena like gladiators. Instead of dialoguing, we watch them demolishing each other. A sort of democratic panem et circenses. Sometimes also slurring insults at each other. Blaming each other. Tarnishing each other’s reputation. However, whilst realistically and democratically discussion and debate are necessary tools to keep politicians and parties in check, one feels there should be some democratic space for dialogue. One has to be careful not to hide behind the concept of dialogue and fall into a relativist trap. In a post-truth world, it is easy to say that objective truth does not exist. That one’s personal interpretation of an objective event is as good as another’s, even if diametrically different. We all have our opinions, and our prejudices. Dialogue helps us to discover more about the opinions and prejudices of others. Dialogue may also help us to change our opinions and perhaps, eventually, get over our prejudices. However, dialogue should not be an excuse to change our views at all costs. It is not the aim of dialogue to substitute our own assessment with someone else’s. Dialogue is just a tool based on the genuine disposition of curiosity. It is a leap of faith – trusting that even our antagonists may teach us something about themselves, and ourselves! Dialogue in fact should become a disposition in any conversation. Not just in politics. The finality of politics should always be the common good and that of dialogue should always be truth. Genuine dialogue then, may lead us, as individuals and as a community, towards working for the common good.
Dialogue in Politics
(Truth for the common good)
The human being, as Aristotle says, is a zoon po... more Dialogue in Politics (Truth for the common good) The human being, as Aristotle says, is a zoon politikon (a political animal). Nevertheless, the human being is as well a zoon glossologicon (a linguistic animal). In the Western world of politics we are so accustomed to watch politicians arguing in an arena like gladiators. Instead of dialoguing, we watch them demolishing each other. A sort of democratic panem et circenses. Sometimes also slurring insults at each other. Blaming each other. Tarnishing each other’s reputation. However, whilst realistically and democratically discussion and debate are necessary tools to keep politicians and parties in check, one feels there should be some democratic space for dialogue. One has to be careful not to hide behind the concept of dialogue and fall into a relativist trap. In a post-truth world, it is easy to say that objective truth does not exist. That one’s personal interpretation of an objective event is as good as another’s, even if diametrically different. We all have our opinions, and our prejudices. Dialogue helps us to discover more about the opinions and prejudices of others. Dialogue may also help us to change our opinions and perhaps, eventually, get over our prejudices. However, dialogue should not be an excuse to change our views at all costs. It is not the aim of dialogue to substitute our own assessment with someone else’s. Dialogue is just a tool based on the genuine disposition of curiosity. It is a leap of faith – trusting that even our antagonists may teach us something about themselves, and ourselves! Dialogue in fact should become a disposition in any conversation. Not just in politics. The finality of politics should always be the common good and that of dialogue should always be truth. Genuine dialogue then, may lead us, as individuals and as a community, towards working for the common good.
All those who know me a little bit know that I am very interested in the concept of time, both as... more All those who know me a little bit know that I am very interested in the concept of time, both as a scientific concept as well as a philosophical concept. About two years ago I had been entrusted to organise the international event of the Oxford Philosophical Society in Trier.
The common good is the coordination between the individual good and the collective good. What is ... more The common good is the coordination between the individual good and the collective good. What is the individual good? what is the collective good? How can democracy work towards the common good? Do we need philosopher kings or philosopher citizens? Critical thinking might be the key.
If suicide - (perhaps the highest form of self-harm) - goes against the basic human value of life... more If suicide - (perhaps the highest form of self-harm) - goes against the basic human value of life, then correspondingly “unreasonableness” goes against the basic human and irreducible value of “practical reasonableness”, as developed by the Oxford scholar John Finnis. According to this view, practical reasonableness is the type of reasoning that we use to make decisions about how to act and how to order our lives. Also according to this view the other basic values are pursued with the help of this “reasonableness”. There are nine requirements of practical reasonableness that will be briefly tackled during the talk. Alan argues that activities like wars, terrorism, racism, separatism, may well appear as benefitting one individual group (say, a nation) over another and thus appear reasonably practical. However, he argues, that in the short, medium and long term all these activities have serious intrinsic consequences on the perpetrator and obviously on the target, making the whole national and international community unstable. It is in other words, a self-harm situation. Alan will mainly tackle two of these requirements in his talk, namely: the seventh requirement which states that one should never commit an act that directly harms a basic value, even if it will indirectly benefit a different basic value; and the eighth requirement which states that one should look after the common good of the community. Alan will discuss why the aforementioned activities are acts of self-harm, besides of general harm, and why do they go against practical reason, making them “practically unreasonable”. As always there will be more questions asked than answers given. Alan’s aim in this talk is to create a dialogue through which anyone can critically and practically reason about issues. Then practical reasonableness becomes a philosophical tool that can be used to analyse any issue.
Books on political philosophy are rarely written in Maltese. The reasons can be numerous but the ... more Books on political philosophy are rarely written in Maltese. The reasons can be numerous but the factual situation is that. This book is a kind of departure from that situation. It also seems that the way politics is being conducted in Malta, and one dares to say abroad, is also a bit pragmatic, more about customer satisfaction and less about principles. The book, while addressed to anyone interested in reading about political philosophy in general and the common good in particular, should be of interest, hopefully, to those who wish to think more deeply or more broadly on this subject. What comes to mind is a whole range of people, from university students who want to write on this topic to politicians who want an analytical collection on this concept that is so much mentioned and at the same time remains so mysterious. This book is not a handbook of what to think or do, but rather a suggestion of how to start a political dialogue at a level that is not one of confrontation but one of cooperation. With this principle as a conceptual backbone of the project led to the final division of the book into two main sections. The first section of the book analyses the interaction between political philosophy and the common good from the perspective of a selection of philosophers and movements. The second section focuses more on the conceptual aspects of the common good. This book was sent for publication in the midst of the COVID-19. The latter crisis has revealed the need for political and economic change. Such a small virus has brought the governments of large countries to their knees and shattered economies around the world. PN and PL must transform themselves in order to survive. Moreover, in order for politics to change people must be more conversant with politics. Xuereb proposes philosopher-citizens instead of philosopher kings. Better politically educated people may make better electoral choices. He illustrates the planetary dimension of the concept of the common good and how it also applies to a small place like Malta. The main message is that we must think not only locally, but we must think and act regionally and even globally for the common good of humanity. In conclusion, the common good translates into the coordination of the individual and the collective good. Eudemonia - the good life of the individual and that of the community are achieved through balance and participation in basic human values.
The contextual premise of the presentation is that Heidegger remained a phenomenologist from begi... more The contextual premise of the presentation is that Heidegger remained a phenomenologist from beginning to end and that phenomenology is exclusively about meaning and its source. Heidegger’s seminal essay “Building, Dwelling, Thinking” (Bauen, Wohnen, Denken), is one of the texts which has had most influence on architectural thinking in the second half of 20th and early 21st century. What much of modern and postmodern architectural thinking takes out from Heidegger’s text and revolves around is the understanding of building and dwelling as more or less abstract forms of being without taking into account the people inhabiting that space. Crucial concepts like the “Fourfold” (Das Geviert) will be explained. However, other flagship concepts put forward by Heidegger like “Throwness” (Geworfenheit), Being (Dasein) and Authenticity (Eigentlichkeit) will also be mentioned. All this in varying degrees of relevance to his phenomenology as applied to meaningful architecture: an architecture for the common good.
Uploads
Papers by Alan Xuereb
fascination with physics. One of the most
exciting scientific adventures of all time is
the search for the ultimate nature of physical
reality, a hunt that in the past century has
yielded such breakthroughs as Einstein’s
theory of relativity and quantum mechanics,
two theories that radically altered our picture
of space, time, gravity, and the fundamental
building blocks of matter.
states of matter that have
‘exotic’ physical properties
that would violate the
known laws of physics, such
as a particle having a negative
mass.
history ‘hands’ have become protagonists. We
hear over and over again phrases like: ‘wash
your hands properly’, ‘use a hand rub’, ‘do not
shake hands’, ‘give a helping hand to those
who are vulnerable amongst us’ and so on and
so forth.
naħseb dwar, ngħidu aħna, ilbioenġinerija.
Xi pajjiżi jibżgħu
jesperimentaw ġenetikament fuq
il-bnedmin13 – mhux biżżejjed
jekk pajjiż wieħed jew ftit pajjiżi
biss jipprojbixxu legalment
esperimenti ġenetiċi fuq ilbnedmin.
U mbagħad ikollok iċĊina
jew il-Korea ta’ Fuq li
jibqgħu jagħmlu dan lisperimentar.
B’dan l-argument
l-Istati Uniti jew ir-Renju Unit
ma jistgħux isolvu waħidhom,
kif se jkun fi żmien qasir, dan ittip
ta’ problemi globali. Ilpressjoni
fuq l-Istati Uniti u l-
Ingilterra (qed nieħu dawn biss
bħala eżempju) se tkun kbira
ħafna sabiex jibdew jagħmlu listess
esperimenti bħall-Korea
ta’ Fuq u ċ-Ċina. Dawn huma
teknoloġiji li jikkomportaw
riskji enormi u anki vantaġġji
enormi. Għaliex bil-mentalità
populista jekk pajjiż ieħor qed
jagħmel xi ħaġa u se jikseb
vantaġġ (anki jekk immedjat)
ma nistax ma nagħmilhiex jien
għall-pajjiżi.
fascination with physics. One of the most
exciting scientific adventures of all time is
the search for the ultimate nature of physical
reality, a hunt that in the past century has
yielded such breakthroughs as Einstein’s
theory of relativity and quantum mechanics,
two theories that radically altered our picture
of space, time, gravity, and the fundamental
building blocks of matter.
states of matter that have
‘exotic’ physical properties
that would violate the
known laws of physics, such
as a particle having a negative
mass.
history ‘hands’ have become protagonists. We
hear over and over again phrases like: ‘wash
your hands properly’, ‘use a hand rub’, ‘do not
shake hands’, ‘give a helping hand to those
who are vulnerable amongst us’ and so on and
so forth.
naħseb dwar, ngħidu aħna, ilbioenġinerija.
Xi pajjiżi jibżgħu
jesperimentaw ġenetikament fuq
il-bnedmin13 – mhux biżżejjed
jekk pajjiż wieħed jew ftit pajjiżi
biss jipprojbixxu legalment
esperimenti ġenetiċi fuq ilbnedmin.
U mbagħad ikollok iċĊina
jew il-Korea ta’ Fuq li
jibqgħu jagħmlu dan lisperimentar.
B’dan l-argument
l-Istati Uniti jew ir-Renju Unit
ma jistgħux isolvu waħidhom,
kif se jkun fi żmien qasir, dan ittip
ta’ problemi globali. Ilpressjoni
fuq l-Istati Uniti u l-
Ingilterra (qed nieħu dawn biss
bħala eżempju) se tkun kbira
ħafna sabiex jibdew jagħmlu listess
esperimenti bħall-Korea
ta’ Fuq u ċ-Ċina. Dawn huma
teknoloġiji li jikkomportaw
riskji enormi u anki vantaġġji
enormi. Għaliex bil-mentalità
populista jekk pajjiż ieħor qed
jagħmel xi ħaġa u se jikseb
vantaġġ (anki jekk immedjat)
ma nistax ma nagħmilhiex jien
għall-pajjiżi.
In the Western world of politics we are so accustomed to watch politicians arguing in an arena like gladiators. Instead of dialoguing, we watch them demolishing each other. A sort of democratic panem et circenses. Sometimes also slurring insults at each other. Blaming each other. Tarnishing each other’s reputation. However, whilst realistically and democratically discussion and debate are necessary tools to keep politicians and parties in check, one feels there should be some democratic space for dialogue.
One has to be careful not to hide behind the concept of dialogue and fall into a relativist trap. In a post-truth world, it is easy to say that objective truth does not exist. That one’s personal interpretation of an objective event is as good as another’s, even if diametrically different.
We all have our opinions, and our prejudices. Dialogue helps us to discover more about the opinions and prejudices of others.
Dialogue may also help us to change our opinions and perhaps, eventually, get over our prejudices. However, dialogue should not be an excuse to change our views at all costs. It is not the aim of dialogue to substitute our own assessment with someone else’s. Dialogue is just a tool based on the genuine disposition of curiosity. It is a leap of faith – trusting that even our antagonists may teach us something about themselves, and ourselves! Dialogue in fact should become a disposition in any conversation. Not just in politics.
The finality of politics should always be the common good and that of dialogue should always be truth. Genuine dialogue then, may lead us, as individuals and as a community, towards working for the common good.
(Truth for the common good)
The human being, as Aristotle says, is a zoon politikon (a political animal). Nevertheless, the human being is as well a zoon glossologicon (a linguistic animal).
In the Western world of politics we are so accustomed to watch politicians arguing in an arena like gladiators. Instead of dialoguing, we watch them demolishing each other. A sort of democratic panem et circenses. Sometimes also slurring insults at each other. Blaming each other. Tarnishing each other’s reputation. However, whilst realistically and democratically discussion and debate are necessary tools to keep politicians and parties in check, one feels there should be some democratic space for dialogue.
One has to be careful not to hide behind the concept of dialogue and fall into a relativist trap. In a post-truth world, it is easy to say that objective truth does not exist. That one’s personal interpretation of an objective event is as good as another’s, even if diametrically different.
We all have our opinions, and our prejudices. Dialogue helps us to discover more about the opinions and prejudices of others.
Dialogue may also help us to change our opinions and perhaps, eventually, get over our prejudices. However, dialogue should not be an excuse to change our views at all costs. It is not the aim of dialogue to substitute our own assessment with someone else’s. Dialogue is just a tool based on the genuine disposition of curiosity. It is a leap of faith – trusting that even our antagonists may teach us something about themselves, and ourselves! Dialogue in fact should become a disposition in any conversation. Not just in politics.
The finality of politics should always be the common good and that of dialogue should always be truth. Genuine dialogue then, may lead us, as individuals and as a community, towards working for the common good.
According to this view, practical reasonableness is the type of reasoning that we use to make decisions about how to act and how to order our lives. Also according to this view the other basic values are pursued with the help of this “reasonableness”. There are nine requirements of practical reasonableness that will be briefly tackled during the talk.
Alan argues that activities like wars, terrorism, racism, separatism, may well appear as benefitting one individual group (say, a nation) over another and thus appear reasonably practical. However, he argues, that in the short, medium and long term all these activities have serious intrinsic consequences on the perpetrator and obviously on the target, making the whole national and international community unstable. It is in other words, a self-harm situation.
Alan will mainly tackle two of these requirements in his talk, namely: the seventh requirement which states that one should never commit an act that directly harms a basic value, even if it will indirectly benefit a different basic value; and the eighth requirement which states that one should look after the common good of the community. Alan will discuss why the aforementioned activities are acts of self-harm, besides of general harm, and why do they go against practical reason, making them “practically unreasonable”.
As always there will be more questions asked than answers given. Alan’s aim in this talk is to create a dialogue through which anyone can critically and practically reason about issues. Then practical reasonableness becomes a philosophical tool that can be used to analyse any issue.