Have you ever browsed the Encyclopedia of Stupid on the internet? Well, it exists (www.encyclopediaofstupid.

com) and boasts that it includes some 500 stupid things, from “corn” (“a vegetable that can be used for surprise sex”) to the “New York Times” (“a liberal parody blog widely distributed on paper across America and around the world”). I recall that Peppi Azzopardi published something like it in a local newspaper. Really hilarious. But I don’t think he ever came close to saying anything about philosophy, as the encyclopedia does. “Simply put,” it says, “philosophy is the attempt to explain why everything is so stupid”. It’s not too bad as an explanation, and may perhaps clarify why philosophy remains so popular in Malta.

Since the 16th century, philosophy has contributed to the academic and, sometimes, the intellectual and cultural life of Maltese intelligentsia. In most cases it functioned as a tool of the establishment to conserve and perpetuate orthodox and official doctrines. In other cases it offered alternative and imaginative routes of thinking. Despite its relatively long philosophical tradition, however, Malta has no particular philosophy associated with its name. In their large majority, Maltese philosophers, though sometimes innovative and creative, have always worked with imported ideas and, but for very rare cases, seldom broke new ground in the philosophical field.

Although the philosophy of many of them did not affect social or political life, some interacted in a lively way with current affairs, and sometimes even stimulated societal change. Throughout the ages, Maltese philosophers did not adhere to just one philosophical tradition. The larger part pertain to the Aristotelico-Thomistic school but every now and then, however, other trends appear along the way, especially during the last quarter of the 20th century, such as humanism, empiricism, pragmatism, existentialism and linguistic analysis. But for unique, rather than rare, exceptions, theism has been a constant trait throughout the whole Maltese philosophical tradition.

During the last 30 years or so, philosophy in Malta has taken an unprecedented twist. Peter Serracino Inglott gave it an extraordinary new breath of life by widening its horizon, diversifying its interests and firmly propelling it into social and political action. This style was consistently sustained by Joe Friggieri, Serracino Inglott’s successor as Dean of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Malta.

Philosophy had been part of the curriculum of the Collegium Melitense since its inception in 1622, and even afterwards when, in 1771, Grand Master Pinto changed it into a civil university. Then, the philosophy course was obligatory for Masters, and this continued until 1798, when Napoleon founded a “Central School” instead of the university and suppressed the philosophy course. Two years later, Captain Ball re-instated the former faculties, including that of philosophy. Basically, the philosophy course was obligatory for theology, law and medicine.

In 1838 this was discontinued – a fatal blow to philosophy. For a whole century, not only did the Faculty of Philosophy hardly attract any more students, but all enthusiasm for the discipline had practically dried up. After World War II, philosophy was removed from a distinct faculty and given some footing at two other faculties, of theology and of arts. In 1978, due to the suppression of the faculties of science, theology and arts by Mintoff, the Institute of Philosophy and Human Studies was created under the direction of Peter Serracino Inglott. This situation persisted until 1987, when philosophy returned to the re-established University of Malta and made a department within the Faculty of Arts. Guided by Peter Serracino Inglott and, later, by Joe Friggieri, a period of unprecedented blossoming had begun for philosophy that continues to this day.

Though the university institution was the primary seat of philosophy in Malta from 1771 onwards, the subject was taught not only there. Apart from the Jesuit Collegium Melitense, the 17th century also saw the foundation of small-scale universities run by the Dominicans and the Franciscan Minors. The philosophy taught in all these institutions was of a scholastic type as a foundational course for further theological studies. This persisted up till the early 1970s with one notable exception. In 1969 an autonomous School of Practical Philosophy was founded that, up to this day, offers alternative types of philosophy intended to help participants deal with philosophy in a less academic, more personal and experiential, way.

A course on philosophy in Malta was first offered at the University of Malta by me in 1996, and drew immense interest from students. During that same year the first conference of philosophy in Malta was organised with great success. Then in 2001, I published a two-volume source-book in Maltese on every aspect of philosophy in Malta. Further-more, in the following years I gave talks, lectures, directed seminars, participated in radio programmes, supervised dissertations, wrote articles and published monographs on philosophy in Malta.

I have sustained this commitment for more than a decade and have seen inroads being slowly made to have the subject accepted and the public increasingly interested in it. Being a small, almost imperceptible, island among the other innumerable islets that fleck the Mediterranean, Malta may be seen as conceited, or even pompous, if it boasts of a philosophical tradition. This may truly be so. But however meagre that heritage may be, it is surely not to be ignored.

Not in the least. All in all, in fact, one may even consider it to be actually remarkable.

Most Maltese philosophers are virtually unknown. The names of philosophers such as Andrew Axac, Nicholas Boneto, John Rispoli, Constance Vella, Joseph Parnis, Gasper Grima, Saviour Bernard, Joseph Demarco and many others are met with a total blank by professionals and lay people alike, but furthermore their philosophies are completely unknown and, worse of all, unexplored. This is not good, and needs to be changed. Philosophers offer a professionally intelligent response to world happenings. I believe it is enriching or, at least, helpful to take note of their reflections. The specialised study of the Maltese philosophical tradition is here to stay, and that is one thing I am determined to see through.

For anyone interested in learning more about Maltese philosophers and the relationship between philosophy and Maltese society, I will be reading a course on 20th century philosophy in Malta. This will be at the School of Practical Philosophy, which is at 101 Christopher Street, Valletta. The course will consist of 14 lectures distributed over seven days, every Wednesday between 25 April and 6 June, from 6.15 pm to 8pm. A nominal commitment charge is all that is required.

The course is basically an analysis of the interrelationship between pressing questions of 20th century Maltese society and some 14 individual philosophers and their work. Not surprisingly, much will have to be excluded in order to accommodate the material accessible within the limited time available. For instance, the 14 philosophers chosen will be just a few of a larger number who endeavoured philosophically during the 20th century.

Further, since my intention is to make a philosophical analysis of works on hand, only strictly philosophical productions of the chosen philosophers will be considered, excluding, that is, their other productions which, though worthy in themselves, pertain more to, say, culture, art, theatre, poetry, social and political criticism, and the like, than philosophy as such.

In fact, this is how, while retaining a fairly chronological order, individual philosophers will be classified into minor, middle and major. Not so much as in terms of their qualitative intensity or insightfulness as in terms, philosophically speaking, of their quantitative production and influence.

I encourage anyone remotely interested in Maltese thinking and our ways of reasoning things out, including teachers, social operators, political activists, students and the general public, to take this interesting short course.

For further enquiries and for subscriptions, please contact [email protected] or phone 9942-8984