Philosophers Astrid Wagner and Javier Gomá are to take part in two round tables with students participating in the “Taking the floor” cultural programme for schools

Under the overarching title “An Introduction to Ignatieff’s Philosophy”, Philosophers Astrid Wagner and Javier Gomá are to take part in two round tables with students who have participated in the “Everyone has the right to...” activity within the “Taking the Floor” cultural programme for schools in the Principality of Asturias.

The Foundation has organised these educational sessions for 3rd- and 4th-year secondary and baccalaureate students as an introduction to the philosophical theses of Michel Ignatieff, 2024 Princess of Asturias Laureate for Social Sciences, with the aim of fostering critical thinking among students.

The round tables will be chaired by Astrid Wagner, PhD in Philosophy from the Technical University of Berlin and Vice-Rector of the Spanish National Research Council’s Institute of Philosophy, and Javier Gomá, PhD in Philosophy from Spain’s National Distance Education University and Director of the Juan March Foundation. Both activities will be moderated by journalist Jesús Ruiz Mantilla.

The sessions will be held according to the following schedule:

• “An Introduction to Ignatieff’s Philosophy”. Freedom, democracy and politics.
  Speaker: Astrid Wagner.

  
  Date: Thursday 3rd October

  Time: Two sessions, at 9:30am and 11:30am. The media can enter the session at 9:30am.
  Venue: School of Commerce. Gijon (Calle Francisco Tomás y Valiente, n.º1)

• “An Introduction to Ignatieff’s Philosophy”. Virtue and cosmopolitanism.
  Speaker: Javier Gomá.

  
  Date: Friday 4th October.
  Time: Two sessions, at 9:30am and 11:30am. The media can enter the session at 9:30am.
  Venue: Circus Space. Oviedo (Calle Marqués de Santa Cruz, n.º14)

“Taking the Floor”

The “Taking the Floor” cultural programme for schools aims to bring the work and careers of the Princess of Asturias Laureates into the classroom. Since its launch in 2015, this programme has boasted 42 981 participations by pupils from 233 schools in the region. In 2017, Her Majesty Queen Letizia took part in respective meetings at CP El Quirinal state primary school (Avilés) and the IES Jerónimo González state secondary school (Sama de Langreo) with a delegation of teachers and pupils from the 74 schools who had participated in the 2016 edition. The “Taking the Floor” programme was suspended in 2020 due to the healthcare situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.