We need more than ever an ontology of the present. It is because we live in a time of profound disorientation where all the landmarks of certainty are blurred, be them historical, social, political, cultural or otherwise... This means, among other things, that the current epoch imposes itself on us as one of the most pressing objects of inquiry, the most urgent: in which epoch are we living in, strictly speaking, and of what is this epoch made of? What sets it apart from other periods of history? What makes it analogous to other eras, whether recent or distant?

This present is not just what we see passing by from our balconies, it is not just an ephemeral, ontical experience. Contrarily, it is situated at a higher plain: it is what envelops us and involves us, what drags us into its future and, as such, what our own becoming is also made of. This means that this present must always be in question, be a subject of our reflection and an object of concern. The ontology of ourselves, our existence, is this critical, permanent and more or less intense relation that we establish to our own present. This is a present we must learn and strive to inhabit, and not simply observe. It does not belong to us, strictly speaking, we cannot monopolize it or control it, but we can influence it, make it better or worse and, as such, we are responsible for it.

It is with these premises in mind that we are organizing this ‘global’ round table, essentially digital for practical reasons, around the question: What about the present epoch we are living in? What are its salient features? What could it be called and where is it leading us? Where does our interpretation of the present find its foundation? What are the triggers that set off our actions and reactions to the present?

On this occasion, we will hear the synthetic interventions of a significant number of researchers living and working on all continents and invested in different disciplines in/for which the question of the present era constitutes a constant line of horizon: history, philosophy, political sciences, sociology, psychology, anthropology, literature, plastic arts... Interventions open to discussion and intended to stimulate the collective work of thought on this subject of vital importance.

Learning to live in one’s own epoch and with knowledge of the facts: isn’t that the first thing one should practice at the University?

我們比以往任何時候都更為需要所處當下的本體論。這是因為我們正生活在一個極度迷失方向的時代，所有絕對的疆界都已模糊不清，無論是在歷史、社會、政治、文化，或其他種種領域。別的先不提，這意味著當前的時代將自己作為最迫切的探討對象強加在我們身上：嚴格來說，我們到底生活在什麼時代，而這個時代是由什麼所構成？是什麼讓它與其他歷史時期有所區隔？又是什麼讓它與其他時代相仿，無論遠近？

這裡的當下並不只是我們從陽臺上靜觀其流逝，也並不只是一種短暫的本體經驗。相反地，它處在一個更高的平原上：它環繞並涵蓋著我們，將我們拉往未來，因此，我們自身將成為什麼也是建構出來的。這代表這個當下必須總是在疑問之中，作為我們反思的主體和關注的客體。我們自身的本體論，我們的存在，是我們與自身當下建立的這種關鍵的、永久的、或多或少的強烈關係。這是一個我們必須學習和努力存在的現實，而非僅僅觀察。嚴格來說，它不屬於我們，我們不能壟斷或是控制它，但我們可以影響它，使它變得更好或更糟，因此，我們對它是有責任的。

考慮到這些前提，我們正在著手籌劃這次的「全球」圓桌論壇，咎於現實以線上舉辦為原則，討論的主題將環繞在：我們當前生活的時代是什麼樣子？這時代突出的特徵是什麼？它能被如何稱呼、又將引領我們去到何方？我們對於這個當下的詮釋是基於什麼？又是什麼引發了我們對此當下的行動與反應？

我們將會在圓桌論壇中，聽到眾多在各大洲生活和工作的研究人員分享他們所做的人為干預，他們投入在不同的學科，諸如：歷史學、哲學、政治學、社會學、心理學、人類學、文學、造型藝術……等等，這些學科當中，當今時代的問題被視為一條恆定的視野線。圓桌論壇歡迎對於干預的討論，並試圖激盪對於這個重要議題的集體思考。

學習活在自身的時代、擁有對事實的認識：這難道不是一個人進到大學後應該練習的第一件事嗎？