“The West challenged”: the burning theme of the Petrarch meetings which begin in Montpellier this Monday

The Meetings will take place as every year in the Soulages courtyard of the Rectorate. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

The 38th Petrarch meetings organized as part of the Radio-France Festival, in partnership with Midi Libre are organized from Monday to next Friday in the courtyard of the Rectorate. The theme chosen this year: "The West challenged", the questioning of some of its values ​​such as universalism and liberal democracy.

The 38th Petrarch meetings, organized in parallel with the Radio-France Festival, begin this Monday, July 8 until Friday, July 12.

Values ​​called into question

Like every year, these meetings, broadcast live on France-Culture, will welcome a certain number of intellectuals and personalities around a generic theme. The one that was selected this year is "The West Challenged". A hot topic at a time of armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the enlargement of the Brics (grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and of South Africa) to six new emerging countries and the increasingly assertive questioning of certain values ​​held by Western nations such as universalism or liberal democracy .

Worldviews

"Is universalism truly universalism or is it just a Western tropism ? What alternatives challenge this worldview ? Does the Global South exist and does it speak with one voice towards the West ?" question the organizers in particular in the introduction to the discussion proposed this Wednesday 10, entitled "where do the protests come from of universalism ?". The first of these meetings will propose to question the name "West". "This theme is exploited as much by those who demand it as by those who vilify it: to what ends ?"

The meetings taking place in the Soulages courtyard of the Rectorate will be hosted by Caroline Broué, producer of France-Culture. Among the guests expected this year, we can cite political scientists Olivier Roy, Joseph Maïla, professor Bertrand Badie, philosopher Pierre-Henri Tavoillot, journalist Benoît Vitkine, historian Pierre Singaravélou.

The complete program can be found on the Festival de Radio-France website.