The central axis of the World Philosophical Congress “What Is It? That’s the Question!”, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2026, is the founding question of philosophy formulated by Socrates and Plato: ti esti? (“what is it?”). This is a universal question, understandable to researchers from any field, as it concerns the way we define, understand, and investigate objects of knowledge, study and action.
The central axis of the World Philosophical Congress “What Is It? That’s the Question!”, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2026, is the founding question of philosophy formulated by Socrates and Plato: ti esti? (“what is it?”). This is a universal question, understandable to researchers from any field, as it concerns the way we define, understand, and investigate objects of knowledge, study and action.
More specifically, the congress aims to articulate all areas of philosophy (ethics, metaphysics, logic, epistemology, aesthetics, political philosophy, and philosophy of science) around a common methodology of conceptual investigation based on the question “what is X?”. The proposal combines conceptual unity with thematic plurality, fostering dialogue among different philosophical traditions and promoting metaphilosophical reflection on definition, explanation, and conceptual analysis.
More specifically, the congress aims to articulate all areas of philosophy (ethics, metaphysics, logic, epistemology, aesthetics, political philosophy, and philosophy of science) around a common methodology of conceptual investigation based on the question “what is X?”. The proposal combines conceptual unity with thematic plurality, fostering dialogue among different philosophical traditions and promoting metaphilosophical reflection on definition, explanation, and conceptual analysis.
The general problem addressed is the increasing fragmentation of contemporary philosophy, marked by excessive specialization and a lack of communication among its areas. In this context, it becomes necessary to return to a structuring question capable of integrating different fields without reducing them. The idea is to investigate how the question “What is it?” can function as a transversal methodological core for contemporary philosophical inquiry.
The general problem addressed is the increasing fragmentation of contemporary philosophy, marked by excessive specialization and a lack of communication among its areas. In this context, it becomes necessary to return to a structuring question capable of integrating different fields without reducing them. The idea is to investigate how the question “What is it?” can function as a transversal methodological core for contemporary philosophical inquiry.
The methodological strategy consists in applying eleven complementary procedures of conceptual analysis (including definitions, oppositions, diagrams, categorization, and symbolization) which structure the call for papers and guide the scientific contributions to the congress.
The methodological strategy consists in applying eleven complementary procedures of conceptual analysis (including definitions, oppositions, diagrams, categorization, and symbolization) which structure the call for papers and guide the scientific contributions to the congress.