New Acropolis recently held an international philosophy
symposium in Croatia, attended by more than 500 researchers from the
approximately 50 countries where our international organization is established.
The proposed theme was the New Middle Ages.
The participants worked to verify if, in fact, as some thinkers say, today’s
signs of the times present neo-medieval characteristics, given that we have been
in a transition phase for some years now in our political, cultural and economic
models — the kind of transition that has been seen many times throughout
History.
Thirty years ago, when Jorge Angel Livraga, Furio Colombo and Umberto Eco, among
others, proposed this neo-medieval hypothesis, many thought that it was a
metaphor that, if it was to become reality one day, would only happen far into
the future.
Today, the Middle Ages seem to have taken root in our world, with the specific
characteristics that differentiate this period from the preceding one, that is,
the period following the disintegration of the Roman Empire in the West.
The financial and economic crisis we are currently experiencing, the result of a
more profound moral and psychological crisis, is one symptom that should lead
citizens to greatly modify their attitude toward life and review their values
and perspectives.
The works tabled during the symposium signal the variety of nuances and
intensity of these new Middle Ages, based on many factors, including the
geographic origin of the researchers presenting their research.
One characteristic appears in all Middle Ages in general — and in the current
Middle Ages in particular: the insecurity that sets in in all areas of life (and
not only an insecurity affecting cities), combined with the ongoing threat of
poverty and marginality that affects whole swaths of the population.
The future is ever more uncertain. A person’s integrity is threatened, even in
the simplest daily movements, because the danger spreads everywhere. Uncertainty
also threatens health, since it is possible to identify sources of contagious
diseases that appear as pandemics, recalling the terrible medieval plagues that
decimated the population.
Faced with this situation, with its apocalyptic undertones, New Acropolis
reaffirms its educational role, since developing spiritual and moral qualities
is the best way to uncover new keys to guide the Renaissance we all wish for. We
must continue to increase our efforts to help the most disadvantaged transition
through this era with as much dignity as possible.
It is time to draw once again on the immense reserves of knowledge and wisdom to
rediscover the keys to a new, more just cycle that will enable humanity to
overcome disasters and crises, as at other times in history.
