KALININGRAD, September 6. /TASS/. Applications to participate in the International Kant Congress in Kaliningrad will open on October 1, 2023, with the event itself being held in Immanuel Kant’s hometown from April 22 to 24, 2024, the press service for the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education reported.

“Submission of applications for the International Kant Congress will start on October 1, 2023. The event is organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Kaliningrad Region. The Congress is organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Kaliningrad Region. The Congress is operated by the Kant Baltic Federal University (BFU),” the press service said.

Russia is holding the event to mark the 300th birthday of the philosopher, who can be considered a compatriot — Kant accepted Russian citizenship in January 1758 and, according to legend, didn’t renounce it until the end of his life, the report noted. Kant’s teachings in the field of epistemology and moral philosophy have timeless significance, holding a widely recognized spot in the intellectual treasury of mankind. Some of his conclusions in political philosophy still hold true today as well. For example, his ideas about the illegitimacy of colonial rule or the extra-legal nature of the slave-owning order established in the New World after the discovery of America by Europeans.

“By Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the year 2024 marks the 300th anniversary of Immanuel Kant’s birth. It is the main event of the International Kant Congress. We invite representatives from the broad scientific community to participate. Russia has been and remains a hospitable country capable of holding an international event at the highest level,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko, deputy prime minister and chairman of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and celebration of the 300th anniversary of Kant.

Kant’s intellectual quest focused on the defense of traditional values, classical ethics, morality and Christian faith. “Today, in many Western countries, Kant’s work, as well as many other philosophical achievements, is denied under invented pretexts — in favor of political conjuncture and a 'radical agenda.' At the same time, our country remains a defender of the true values of civilization, and this position is supported by the majority of the world,” Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky was quoted as saying.