Politics, overconsumption, immigration, and communication are four overarching areas through which Pope Francis, in Fratelli Tutti, reflects not only on the meaning of fraternity, but on its potential for implementation. Every human being is a citizen of the world and, as such, has the right to a dignified life. In the pontiff's vision, "citizenship" is a pre-political (and pre-religious) term which starts from a conception of the human being that precedes any subsequent reflection on one’s political, religious, cultural, or national identity. However, everyday life presents us with a different reality, in which living on the same planet does not indicate the same possession of the Earth. Other ideas challenge the concept of global citizenship, as seen in the issue of immigration, which is often more defensive than welcoming. In the second discussion related to Fratelli Tutti, Roberta Sala helped us reflect on the challenges of the migratory phenomenon in its political and climatic variations. Through the thought of Kant and Arendt, we reflected on why belonging to the same species does not guarantee us greater protection, and on the relationship between caring for the other and justice.
This event was part of the series Questioni di Civiltà, co-sponsored by La Civiltà Cattolica and Georgetown University.
Biography
Roberta Sala is full professor of political philosophy and public ethics in the Faculty of Philosophy at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan and director of the Ethics and Politics Study Center (CeSEP) at the same university. Sala is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Interfaculty Center for Gender Studies at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. From 2018 to 2021 she was a member of the Scientific Committee of SWIP Italia, the Society for Women in Philosophy. Her research interests pertain to the areas of political philosophy, ethics, and bioethics. In her research and teaching, she has dealt with tolerance, classical and contemporary liberalism, multiculturalism, and secular bioethics. Among her numerous scientific publications are Bioetica e pluralismo dei valori (2003); La verità sospesa. Ragionevolezza e irragionevolezza nella filosofia politica di John Rawls (2012); Il silenzio di Dio (2014); “Ragionevolezza. Un'attitudine politica e uno stile di vita” (in I classici e la filosofia contemporanea. Letture e interpretazioni (ed. M. Ostinelli, 2021).
Antonio Cecere (moderator) is vice president of Filosofia in Movimento.
Debora Tonelli is the Georgetown University representative in Rome.