On World Philosophy Day, Mumbai event explores symbols, their meaning

On the occasion of World Philosophy Day, which falls on the third Thursday of November, audiences gathered at Mumbai’s National Gallery of Modern Art for a programme on ‘Exploring the meaning of life through symbols’. Organised by New Acropolis, the programme centred around two talks – first by Yoran Barzilay, director of New Acropolis India, and another by Israeli philosopher-photographer Pierre Poulain.

New Acropolis is a non-profit organisation that positions itself as an ‘international organisation that promotes an ideal of timeless values in order to contribute to individual and collective development’. New Acropolis chose to commemorate World Philosophy Day with the theme of ‘The Language of Symbols’ across 400 branches in 50 countries.

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“Life and nature speak to us in symbols,” said Barzilay, “it exists all around us, but we need to learn to listen, to perceive the hidden meaning behind the visible, and this is where Philosophy can help”.

Barzilay noted the difference between signs and symbols, and spoke about how philosophy can reveal the meanings hidden within symbols. “

Poulain said, “Symbol helps with the invisible, this world of the Maya, to perceive what is behind the veil, the invisible. The camera is… also able to capture something visible. As a philosophic photographer, my aim is very specific. It’s not photography, it’s not philosophy, it is ‘photosophy’.”