Philosophy Manifesto Under the Stars Sponsor

Know thyself

The time of fragility

We are living in an extremely fragile era. The space and time we arduously inhabit, especially in the West, are characterised by a permanent technological and digital revolution that brings with it such rapid changes that they overwhelm everything, dissolving all certainties, large or small, real or illusory. The meaning of our existence is increasingly elusive. Every sphere of human life has plunged into liquidity: from work to love, from politics to the economy, precariousness and fragmentation are the engine that both drives and jams everything. We have plunged into an era of existential fragility, in which consumerism has taken on an ontological dimension and in which technology, from being a means to live, has become the end of living. Faced with this scenario, we must ask ourselves whether the era of fragility is merely a valley of solitudes and futile distractions, or whether it can also represent an opportunity for human beings. Starting from these considerations, the summer philosophical festival of Misano, curated by Gustavo Cecchini, was born, with the title: KNOW THYSELF – The time of fragility. Three travelling events between the “magical setting” of Portoverde and the Library Garden

Thursday 25 June

FRANCO ARMINIO – The Grace of Fragility
Piazza Colombo, Portoverde, 9:15 PM

Franco Arminio, one of the most significant writers of our time and a great poet, will open the summer philosophical festival in Misano titled: Know Thyself – The Time of Fragility. For Arminio, fragility is an essential and, above all, universal element. Being fragile doesn't mean being weak, but rather being authentic. Fragility is an existential condition that reminds us of our mortality, but at the same time opens us up to the possibility of experiencing more authentic and profound emotional and relational experiences. When Franco Arminio says it is necessary to «have the courage to be fragile,» he suggests that true strength lies in the ability to show vulnerability to others, to accept and share our insecurities, fears, and weaknesses. This is a concept that we often struggle to accept, especially in a society that promotes toughness, competition, and individualism. Yet, Franco Arminio reminds us that only through the recognition and acceptance of our fragility can we build true and deep human relationships.

Friday 26 June

VERA GHENO – Luckily I'm fragile
Piazza Colombo, Portoverde, 9:15 PM

In a performance-driven society, fragility and error are seen as accidents, negative and inconvenient things. Yet, they are constitutively part of our humanity. Words can help us understand this: to come to terms with our broken parts, to discover that our relationships are often built precisely from these.

Saturday 27 June

MICHELA MARZANO – Fragile Together: Adults and Adolescents?
Library Garden, Via Rossini, 9:15 PM

The cultural festival dedicated to the theme of fragility closes with the philosopher and writer Michela Marzano. A growing number of young men and women don't know how to fill the void that occasionally opens up within them, the absence of reference points, the fear of having no future, of not being able to withstand the astonished glances of those who, instead of recognising them for who they are (and not for what, according to us adults, they should be), judge them. But fragility isn't just adolescent; it concerns us adults too. There are things that pass from generation to generation, and children are often symptoms of adult malaise. Being an adult means, first and foremost, becoming an example. But how do we do that if we can't embody what we say? When will we understand that if we truly want to help our young people, we must first and foremost help ourselves? When will we be able to let them go their own way, without always wanting to “do” or “say” in their place? We live in a time that demands excellence and perfection, but life isn't perfect and is made up of shortcomings, fractures, and limits. It is from there that the possibility of desiring and creating is born. What we lack is an existential alphabet to name our fragilities.