Riyadh: The Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2025, organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission under the theme "Philosophy Between East and West: Concepts, Origins, and Mutual Influences," continued its second day with a dialogue session titled "Philosophy and its Centrality in History."
According to Saudi Press Agency, the session discussed philosophy throughout history, relying on rationality and pragmatism as frameworks for understanding the development and conflict among civilizations. It highlighted the significant influence of the philosopher Hegel on philosophers' approaches to the issue of civilizational conflict and posed a pivotal question about the course of historical thought if Hegel's influence were disregarded and alternative critical readings were considered, foremost among them the reading of the thinker Karl Popper, which is based on a critique of absolute centrality and the openness of the mind to the other.
The participants in the session explained that Popper presented four main foundations for civilizational critique, the first of which is openness to the other and listening to their arguments. He emphasized that rationality is a stance based on a willingness to admit error and learn from critical experience.