The Gandhi Project: Dialogos philosophical dialogues and the ethics and politics of intercultural and interfaith friendship

Abstract

The overarching question addressed in this paper is the following: Can Dialogos dialogues conducted over time lead to the development of respect, mutual understanding and friendship among participants with diverse cultural and life stance backgrounds? Dialogos is a pedagogical approach to practical philosophy aimed at enhancing human maturity and wisdom, in this paper operationalized as intercultural and interreligious friendship. The empirical material stems from the Gandhi Project, a series of 10 philosophical dialogues facilitated by the author in an intercultural and interfaith upper secondary school context in Norway. Drawing on the ethics of Aristotle, a distinction between friendship based on utility, pleasure and virtue is made and further related to Derrida’s views on the political value of friendship. The empirical action research process is analyzed in light of these theories. The conclusion is that Dialogos philosophical dialogues conducted over time are a promising approach if the development of intercultural and interreligious respect, understanding and friendship is made an aim of education.