Wayfarer do go tell, of voices, you have heard from those who fell…that every shred of good that comes with life, was freely given by those now dead. Wayfarer, tell, what you have heard, through tears and from the many voices from the ground.

(S. Rotas, Voices from the earth)

Mentor mine: you educate me but do not keep the rules.

(Alexander the Great to Aristotle)

The World Philosophical Forum, Athens recognizes philosophy as an enlightening agent and boon to culture. It has called for a re-imagining of life and a redefinition of its purpose and of its importance at every stage of development, condition or situation as viewed and activated through the prism of ancient Greek ideals and in classical philosophy of a well examined life, wisdom, logic, ethics, personal responsibility and obligation of everyone. It aims to expand and unify civic education all over the Earth, confront social dementia and its consequences, foster global citizenship and the formation of the Universal State of Earth, urge humanity to follow Universal Declarations and intensify support for a culture for peace. Philosophy can have great influence on behavior, slow down or reverse negative trends within society and help in the rejuvenation of individuals and the renewal of organizations or nations. We believe that there is only one race, the human race; youth must be nurtured and provided with an education in non-scholastic philosophy; armament production must be drastically reduced and the military budget instead used for education, peace research and for the wellbeing of humanity at large and for the planet. While the World Philosophical Forum reached out to Greece and back to Classical philosophy in the name of a better future for all children and our children’s children the international community treads water and democratic governments hold back on philosophy. Without philosophy the very best tomorrow may be a place where socially demented dehumanized human beings are themselves, robot slaves.

Before the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to the White House

Dear Mr. President Biden Greetings from Greece!

I, Jeffrey Levett, Honorary President, World Philosophical Forum, Greece, 2022 approach you once again with two thoughts: that philosophy should be tried as an instrument in decision making at all levels of society, practical, educational, diplomatic and that its revival will benefit Greece and global society. An investment in it will cost less than a bundle of cruise missiles. Though classical philosophy marked the cradle of European culture, surprisingly, it has not yet found a proper place either in its land of birth or in Greek society or in the international community. For one fleeting moment the United Nations came close to giving philosophy the recognition and responsibility it deserves. It came in the name of Ban Ki Moon when he emphasized civic education as more important than literacy and numeracy and called on all peoples from all countries to invest in Global Citizenship. Here in Greece there is great admiration for classical philosophy but little action!

The World Philosophical Forum founded in Athens, 2009 by the Russian philosopher Igor Kondrashin, now in Moscow and benefited from his support has made several appeals for its revitalization. Philosophy has the power to inspire and to move the world and humanity away from all consuming disaster and lead it to a brighter future. It has the competence to add meaning to life and insight to complex matters.

You Mr. President have a unique chance to give philosophy a leg-up in Greece and enable Greece to add an extra influence to world affairs. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis the Greek Prime Minister will soon be your guest.

~ Jeffrey Levett, International Gusi Peace Prize Laureate

White House Response

Dear Dr. Levett, The prayers of the world are with the brave and proud people of Ukraine as they defend their country against an unprovoked and unjustified invasion by Russian military forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin has chosen a premeditated war that has already brought catastrophic loss of life and needless human suffering. Putin is the aggressor, and he must be held accountable. Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. The United States is leading the world with our allies and partners to respond in a united and decisive way. Russia’s economy is reeling because of our powerful economic sanctions, and we are providing security, economic, and humanitarian support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom. With extraordinary unity and resolve, the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security. May God bless the people of a free and democratic Ukraine, and may God protect our troops. Sincerely, Joe Biden

WPF to White House post Prime Minister’s Congressional Address

Dear Mr. President Bidenopoulos, Greetings from Greece!

I, Jeffrey Levett, approach you once again with an additional thought and one more invitation, for you to visit the World Philosophical Forum founded in Athens, 2009 when in Greece. In Greece there is great admiration for classical philosophy but little enthusiasm for action and even less for its support. Mr. President you will have a unique chance to up the action and give philosophy a leg-up in Greece. With all due respect perhaps the First Lady, Mrs. Bidenopoulou can take on that task and enable Greece to add an extra influence to world affairs. Greece has phenomenal cultural attributes to export.

Unfortunately, Geneva did not move the world and humanity away from all consuming disaster. Most solutions to existential issues have partially failed and philosophy has been pushed to the sidelines by the international community. Philosophy is as yet an untried and poorly supported instrument in world affairs with the power and prestige to inspire and influence and lead humanity to a brighter future. It has the competence to add meaning to life and insight to complex matters. While classical philosophy marked the cradle of European culture, it has not yet found a proper place either in its land of birth or in Greek society or in the international community. While the world struggles to manage threat, as the earth runs down and humanity gasps for breath between disasters it remains a grand perhaps.

An investment in philosophy in Greece will cost less than the wing tips of a Raphael and an F-35 and provide additional defense against on-going social dementia. The referred to incredible faster than sound technological instruments of defense come close to war whereas philosophy, is a peaceful ally of man.

A step in the wrong direction and the biological future of complex systems that prop up human consciousness can breakdown. To stem the on-going madness empathy must be cultivated.

With Deep Respect,

Jeffrey Levetopoulos, Honorary President, World Philosophical Forum, Greece

Is anybody there?

In 2019 the World Philosophical Forum received tributes from the Russian Parliament and participants from the Ukraine and went on record as saying to Greece the World Philosophical Forum stands with you on its journey to Ithaca. The war in the Ukraine is a continuation of a consolidated world order where no longer the shaming of nations is possible and in this current crisis we must all have empathy for safe passage for Ukrainians is safe passage for Humanity.

Thomas Jefferson was unsure in the course of human events, whether raised voices were ever heard. Our call for the strengthening of philosophy as an aid to existential problems that engulf us seems like a call in the wilderness. But the WPF cannot just stand by. So Dear Director-General, UNESCO, with one misstep with nuclear weapons, evolution can unravel and human consciousness and culture disintegrate. Delay in dealing with climate change will further disrupt physiological homeostasis and biological immunity. Artificial intelligence can be a boon to doom or help in the reduction of coming uncertainties.

I have protested to Mr. Putin in springtime begins in Saken, a small village hidden from the world on the north-west shore of the Black Sea. It called for a change of heart without failure Mr. Putin, saying we do have an obligation to examine any and all attempts that consciously rewrite, and persistently deny well known happenings or attempt to destroy individuals. We do have an obligation to de-falsify false historical narrative. Your Excellency Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations Government should be persuaded to move away from the maintenance of what they are doing — namely targeting higher efficiency with fewer damaging consequences through peaceful transformation.

The transformation must be equivalent to the UN strategy 2030, confer social effectiveness by the mobilization of appropriate social movements and confer better use of socially relevant institutions such as the European Center for Peace and Development with the underpinnings of classical philosophy.

President Biden was given a fantastic role to find ways out of and to plan how to avoid heightened threat to humanity. In his phrase, the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking he did find the key. It is analogous to that of the position of the expressed as recklessness outweighs diplomacy and the higher brain cortex of politics is squeezed out by lower centers. It is laid out in the Kondrashin Memorandum, which explores the current situation on the planet Earth from the point of view of Classical Philosophy available to of the World Philosophical Forum, 2021.

The 12th Symposium examined, Practical Philosophy as a Vehicle of religious and intercultural Dialogue for the Creation of a World Political Consciousness. Highlights included an Appeal to the United Nations, a visit to the prison of Socrates and a discussion on the Greek language. Proposals for the 13th Symposium (October, 2022) include the symbolic proclamation of Socrates as the father of lifelong learning, a discussion on change of the cultural formation of the World Society and the creation of a philosophical platform for our digital future.

The advice of Odysseus Elytis is eternally pertinent : when evil strikes, when your mind is clouded, when you are at a dead end or in the middle of the road and you do not know which way to turn, reach back for knowledge, supplies and water from the resources of Ancient Greek Letters.