Abbreviations (Liberman)
TC- Tasting Coffee
HCR- Husserl’s Criticism of Reason
FE- Filosofia ed Etnometodologia
URLOM- “Universal Reason” as a Local Organizational Method
Other Abbreviations
LM- Life of Mind (Hannah Arendt)
Institutional Greetings
Buongiorno, good morning. Here we are. Let me first thank, before we go into medias res, prof. Kenneth Liberman for his generosity and kindness in taking part at this international philosophical conversation which is centred around his philosophical and sociological path with particular reference to one of his masterpieces, Tasting Coffee. Inquiries into Objectivity. Let me also thank with gratitude and gratefulness all the academic institutions which are engaged in this conference. I would like to mention each of them. First of all, the Saint Bonaventure University, here represented by its Rector, Father Alfigio Tunha, who hosts physically the conference. The International African Centre of Applied Phenomenology in Saint Bonaventure University, Lusaka, Zambia. The South African Centre of Phenomenology, represented by prof. Abraham Olivier. The Department of Philosophy and Applied Ethics of the University of Zambia, represented by Dr. Julius Kapembwa. The Centre of Hermeneutics and Applied Phenomenology represented by Prof. Daniela De Leo. The Department of Philosophy of Tangaza University (Kenya), represented by Dr. John Mundua and the International Doctorate in Philosophy: Forms and History of Philosophical Knowledge, University of Salento, Italy represented by Prof. Igor Agostini. As you can see, many academic institutions from Africa and Europe are involved and this fact adds an extra value to the topic which will be touched during this philosophical conversation. Prof. Kenneth Liberman, thank again for giving us the opportunity to organize such an international event. For the very few who don’t know Prof. Kenneth Liberman, let me be of help, reading just very few lines of his amazing academic career. Professor Liberman received his PhD from the University of California, San Diego in 1981. He joined the University of Oregon in 1983. His specialties are ethnomethodology, intercultural communication, race relations, and social phenomenology. Liberman has completed ethnomethodological studies of mundane interaction among traditional Australian Aboriginal people (Understanding Interaction in Central Australia, Routledge), the practices of reasoning of Tibetan scholar-monks (Dialectical Practice in Tibetan Philosophical Culture, Rowman & Littlefield), and the uses of objectivity in coffee tasting by professional coffee tasters in 14 countries (Tasting Coffee, SUNY Press). He provided a detailed ethnomethodological account and assessment of sophistry based on a video-recorded Tibetan debate in his Husserl’s Criticism of Reason (Lexington Books). His More Studies in Ethnomethodo-logy (SUNY Press) won the Best Book Award from the EMCA Section of the American Sociological Association. He is presently undertaking a long-term comparative study of negative dialectics in Tibetan Buddhist and postmodern epistemological practice. Liberman was a disciple of the influential American sociologist Harold Garfinkel and the phenomenologist Aron Gurwitch.
So let’s start. I would like to break up the online meeting into two parts: the first one will involve me, Prof. Giorgio Rizzo, University of Salento, and Prof. Kenneth Liberman and it will concern many topics which constitute the central core of Liberman’s philosophical journey. The second part is open to contributions from students and scholars of the academic institutions taking part at the discussion. Why then Philosophical Conversation over a cup of coffee? The title chosen for this meeting? Quoting Edmund Husserl, I would like to say that “Give me my coffee so that I can make phenomenology out of it”. And, as a matter of fact, while discussing with Kenneth, I have a cup of coffee, of very bad quality, I would like to add Ken. Sorry if I don’t live up to your expertise, Ken, as regards tasting coffee. The quotation from Husserl, however, is very instructive, since it shows us a path, a method, to do good philosophy. Tasting coffee brings into play an astonishing cluster of philosophical notions like objectivity, subjectivity, intersubjectivity, impartiality, taste, knowledge and so on. Another reason for taking this particular and unique path in discussing philosophical topics is that, quoting Wittgenstein (with a degree of caution), is that, maybe, “There is no such thing as phenomenology, but there are indeed phenomenological problems”.