Earlham sophomore to present research paper at World Congress of Philosophy in Rome

RICHMOND, Ind. — Plato, a famous philosopher who lived in ancient Greece, once said "There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world."

The mere concept of "world" will now be presented at the 25th World Congress of Philosophy in Rome, Italy Aug. 4 by an Earlham College student.

Sophomore Jimmy Freiberger will present his research paper titled "Exposition of World and Comportment Toward World in Heidegger" to philosophers from all around the world. This will be Freiberger's first presentation to an outside conference, according to an Earlham College press release.

Freiberger's paper was originally an assignment for his philosophy class taught by Professor Ferit Güven. Freiberger said in a news release he was inspired to write the paper through his own advocacy.

“As someone who is interested in helping create a better world, I want to understand what the world is first,” he said in the release. “I feel like, too often, in advocacy we might jump headfirst into something in the pursuit of changing the world, without first questioning if we have the ability to change the world or if the world is something that would allow itself to be changed.”

This year's theme for the conference, typically held every five years, is "Philosophy across Boundaries" and will be held from Aug. 1 to Aug. 8. The aim of the conference is to "foster scholarly and public reflections on the future of our societies," according to its website.

“This will include philosophers from all over the world and I’ll be reading in front of a large crowd, but even if I receive harsh criticism, that’s good, right?” Freiberger said. “There are very few other opportunities to receive that degree of feedback.”

Freiberger was also awarded the Endeavor Fellowship which allows him to participate in the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4. The theme of the forum is “A Moment of Truth,” and attendees will be urged to question topics related to climate technology, journalism and the very state of democracy.

Part of why Freiberger enjoys philosophy is the ability to invoke communication and question life itself.

“Through philosophy, we can call into question our participation in the structures and institutions of daily life, and recognize their absurdities,” he said in the release. “We’re developing and forming our ideas through dialogue with our professors and peers. I think that’s very valuable.”

Upon receiving his degree from Earlham, Freiberger plans to enter a dual program to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy and a J.D. in law, which he hopes to use to become a civil rights attorney and eventually president of the United States.

Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Earlham College sophomore to present research paper in Rome