| Republic of Malta | ||||
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Location of Philosophy in Malta (dark green)
– in Europe (green & dark grey) |
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| Capital | Valletta |
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| Official language(s) | Maltese, English | |||
| Government | Parliamentary Republic | |||
| Independence | ||||
| - | From the United Kingdom | 21 September 1964 | ||
| - | Republic | 13 December 1974 | ||
| - | Departure of British forces | 31 March 1979 | ||
| Area | ||||
| - | Total | 316 km2 (200th) 121 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||
| - | 2010 estimate | 417,608 (171st) | ||
| - | 2007 census | 410,567 | ||
| - | Density | 1,306.8/km2 (7th) 3,413.9/sq mi |
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| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
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| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | MT | |||
Philosophy in Malta refers to philosophy done by Maltese nationals or of Maltese descent, whether living in Malta or abroad, whether writing in their native Maltese language or in a foreign language.
Contents |
Malta’s philosophical tradition begins its solid accrual from the stimulating time of the Aragonese Crown towards the beginning of the 16th century.[1] This does not mean, if truth be told, that one's philosophical interest should not go farther still. Malta appears to have been first inhabited some seven thousand years ago.[2] Its sophisticated prehistoric temples are unique in the whole world. The earliest temple dating from around 4,100 BCE,[3] these hallowed edifices precede the Great Pyramid at Giza by more than a thousand years, and Stonehenge by more than two thousand.
However significant such an ancient and noteworthy past might be, it would be fictitious to believe that Malta had ever been the centre of Mediterranean culture. In fact, it continuously lay on the fringes of sways with endlessly shifting pivots, and this remains so unto this day when Malta is part of the European Union.[4] Having a Semitic language by origin, now with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock, the Maltese people―sometimes with their philosophy and their philosophers―have indeed always been within the picture, even if in the background of some inconspicuous corner. Nonetheless part of it.[5]
Before the advent of the Knights Hospitallers to Malta in the first half of the 16th century, the Maltese Islands were a forlorn place with little, if any, political importance.[6] The few intellectuals who lived here grew within or around the religious orders that were present. Their cultural ties were mostly with nearby Sicily.[7] Philosophy was mainly studied as a stepping stone to theology.[8] One notable exception seems to be Peter Caxaro, from the mid-15th century.[9] He was a lay person with high offices. Though revered as a philosopher, he is more well known as a poet.[10]
An interesting group of people at the very beginning of the Knights Hospitallers' advent called themselves the 'Society of True Christians'. They were a group of intellectuals mesmerised by the teachings of Martin Luther who harboured some philosophical pretenses.[11]
The Knights Hospitallers made Malta their island-home in 1530, and remained sovereign rulers of the islands until they were expelled by Napoleon in 1798.[12] As a rule, they cared about education and cultivation as much as their military campaigns and their economic welfare.[13] Though they encouraged higher learning by giving protection to the various colleges and universities that were established (especially by religious orders), they also kept a very strict surveillance on all aspects of scholarship.[14] They certainly did not like being picked on by the Inquisition, which could make them look bad with the Pope in Rome.[15]
Though philosophy continued to be mainly viewed as the hand-maid of theology, some intellectuals had an interest in cautiously branching out along some pathways of their own.[16] This number would include interesting philosophers such as John Matthew Rispoli, Constance Vella, Joseph Demarco, and Saviour Bernard.
During this period intellectual circles were practically all part of the great movement of Scholasticism, almost giving godlike status to Aristotle.[17] However, they were divided into two intellectually opposing camps: the ones who read the great Stagirite through the eyes of Thomas Aquinas (the larger group), and the ones who read him through the eyes of John Duns Scotus.[18] The above-mentioned John Matthew Rispoli was part of the former faction. Others were philosophers such as Dominic Borg, Thomas Cauchi, Saverius Pace, Francis Dominic Bencini, Jerome Leocata, Maximilian Balzan, Henry Regnand, George Sagnani, Rosarius Mary Hagius, Henry Ercole, Stefano Pace, Justus Azzopardi, Gaetanus Matthew Perez, Francis Saviour Farrugia, and Joseph Rizzo. The latter faction included the above-mentioned Constance Vella, together with other such as Gasper Grima, and John Constance Parnis.
During the 18th-century part of the period of the Knights Hospitallers, science and the scientific method began to make head-way through over the trenches of the Scholastics.[19] In this line of thought, we may find the above-mentioned interesting philosophers such as Joseph Demarco, and Saviour Bernard.
Towards the end of the period of the Knights Hospitallers in Malta, ideas which had been explosive through the French Revolution of 1789 began to make way into some intellectual circles susceptible to them.[20] They came to light around 1798, when Napoleon Bonaparte expelled the Knights Hospitallers.[21] Amongst interesting philosophers from this period, and with such a frame of mind, one might mention John Nicholas Muscat, and Michael Anthony Vassalli.
It so happened that the French in Malta had a short life, since the aristocracy and the higher clergy roused the common people against Napoleonic rule (which was considered disadvantageous to patrician interests).[22] Furthermore, the British, whom the same aristocracy and higher clergy had called upon to fight the French, had no interest but to consolidate the privileges of the upper-classes.[23] Together these defused any revolutionary philosophies such as those which John Nicholas Muscat, and Michael Anthony Vassalli could have embraced.[24]
Despite the fact that the British were invited to help fight fend off the French, they remained in Malta and, furthermore, subjugated the Maltese populace to their racist and colonial regime.[25] The Maltese had little power to change such circumstances. Subsequently, the established classes of the Maltese chose to cooperate with the British, thus securing the little prestige and monopoly they had.[26]
During this period, the higher schools resumed their business very much that which was done during the rule of the Knights Hospitallers.[27] Again Scholasticism came to the fore and flourished with philosophers such as Fortunatus Victor Costa, Dominic Bezzina, Jerome Inglott, Saviour Cumbo, S. Debono, Nicholas Zammit, George Caruana, Dominic Pace, Aloisio Galea, Raphael Debono, Francis Bonnici, Peter Paul Borg, Louis Farrugia, John Caruana, John Formosa, Anastasio Cuschieri, Daniel Callus, Albert Busuttil, Joseph Sapiano, Angelo Pirotta, and Nazzareno Camilleri.
Most of these, if not all, adhered to Scholasticism of the Aristotelic-Thomist hue, even if circumstances, along two centuries and a half of British rule, changed drastically.[28] Of course, not all of these philosophers were of the same calibre. Some of them, such as Jerome Inglott, Nicholas Zammit, Angelo Pirotta, and Nazzareno Camilleri, indeed had a much more superior calibre than the rest.[29]
During this period, an outstanding exception to all of these philosophers was Manuel Dimech, who lived and worked during the first decade of the 20th century. He not only did not adhere to any form of Scholasticism but furthermore was a surprisingly innovative and original philosopher and social reformer.[30]
Malta was granted independence by the British mainly because it had become a liability to them in the context of post-WWII technological advancements.[31] With matters in their hands, the Maltese sought to make a success story out of their independence, including in the cultural and educational fields.[32]
Up till this time Scholasticism had waned and faded away.[33] Very few continued to adhere to some of its tenets. One might mention here Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici, and Emmanuel Agius.
Most of the other philosophers became somewhat more adventurous, exploring spheres which were to some extent inaccessible during the British (and much less the Knights Hospitallers’) period.[34] We might include here philosophers such as Peter Serracino Inglott, Kenneth Wain, Joe Friggieri, Oliver Friggieri, Vince Riolo, Sandra Dingli, Mario Vella, Joseph Giordmaina, Michael Zammit, and others. In terms of the development of doing philosophy in Malta, Peter Serracino Inglott stands out as all-important, especially from the 1970s onwards.
Some other Maltese philosophers worked abroad. Though they retained their contact with Malta, they of course had a different frame of mind. One might include here John Micallef, Edward De Bono, and John Peter Portelli.
Malta joined the European Union in 2004, and this might have ushered in new trends in philosophical circles.[35] Though it might be too early to say such a thing, however, accession to the European block certainly can be considered to be a new phase in Maltese history, not only in economic terms but also in terms of cultural opportunities.[36]
It might well be that philosophy is not the least to make some interesting advances. At present, on the ball one might encounter relatively young philosophers such as Claude Mangion, Mark Montebello, Clive Zammit, Mark Sultana, and Michael Grech. Some other names are slowly coming into focus, and perhaps will do so in a few years, names such as those of Mary Anne Cassar, Emmanuel Cefai, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, Mark Debono, Christopher Caruana, and Jean-Paul De Lucca.
The following is the list of professors who held the Chair of Philosophy at the University of Malta, Malta’s highest academic philosophy institution.[37] The dates refer to their period of tenure.[38] The chair of philosophy was established in 1771 by the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers, Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, when he transformed the Collegium Melitense (Maltese College) of the Jesuits into the University of Malta.[39]
| 1. | Joseph Moncada | 1771-73 |
| 2. | Joseph Xerri | 1773 |
| Between 1773 and 1778, the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers, Francisco Ximenes de Texada, brought the activities of the university to a complete stop. | ||
| 3. | Dominic Malarbi | 1778-79 |
| 4. | Joseph Moncada | 1780-86 |
| 5. | Michael Xerri | 1786-98 |
| Between 1798 and 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte suspended the chair. | ||
| 6. | Saviour Montebello | 1800-04 |
| 7. | Peter Mallia | 1804-22 |
| 8. | Jerome Inglott | 1822-27 |
| 9. | Karl Cicognani Cappelli | 1827-29 |
| 10. | Joseph Fenech | 1829-43 |
| 11. | Vincent Paul Galea | 1843-59 |
| 12. | George Caruana | 1859-72 |
| 13. | Nicholas Crescimanno | 1872-76 |
| 14. | Nicholas Zammit | 1876-90 |
| 15. | Francis Bonnici | 1890–1900 |
| 16. | Anastasio Cuschieri | 1901-39 |
| 17. | Saviour Grima | 1939-49 |
| Joseph Sapiano (acting) | 1950-51 | |
| Joseph Lupi (acting) | 1951-53 | |
| 18. | Joseph Sapiano | 1953-71 |
| 19. | Peter Serracino Inglott | 1971-78 |
| Between 1978 and 1987, Dom Mintoff suspended the chair. | ||
| 20. | Peter Serracino Inglott | 1987-96 |
| 21. | Joe Friggieri | 1996- |
During the last twenty years or so there has been an effort to aptly recognise and duly honour the modest share of philosophy in Malta without succumbing to conceit or pomp. The necessity arose for two main reasons.[40] One, because the Maltese themselves, mostly due to a dearth of required research, did not acknowledge, much less appreciate, any local philosophical tradition; and, secondly, because any activity that was being carried out in the philosophical field—whether it was teaching, writing or simply discussing—was done as if the Maltese themselves had, at most, a present without a past.[41] Plato, Kant, Paulo Freire, Wittgenstein, Jürgen Habermas and the whole pantheon of European and American philosophers were thrown about chapter and verse; but not one single local name ever surfaced.
So what was done was start to dig deep into the dusty archives. In due course names and manuscripts and personalities began to emerge, enough to make one’s head spin.[42] Next, some text-books were published; first, in 1995, a small book called Stedina ghall-Filosofija Maltija (An Invitation to Philosophy in Malta) to whet the appetite; then, six years later, in 2001, a two-volume encyclopaedia of philosophy in Malta called Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta (A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta). Both were written in Maltese, both compiled by Mark Montebello, and both attracted considerable interest. The second one was more comprehensive and perceptive. It provided biblio-biographical information about all the known Maltese philosophers; a minute description of all known philosophical writings composed by Maltese philosophers (most of them still in hitherto unpublished manuscript form, generally written in Latin, Sicilian or English); and all the philosophical schools or societies that had existed in Malta throughout the centuries. Unfortunately, so far no such publication exists for English-speakers.
Two publications stand out as recent and updated general introductions to philosophy in Malta. These also include significant information on particular Maltese philosophers. Happily, both books are in English. Both are by Mark Montebello.
The first, 20th Century Philosophy in Malta, was issued in 2009 (Agius & Agius Publications). It is a text-book which presents the work of select Maltese philosophers as responses or, at least, against the background of Europe's (and, especially, Malta's) social, political and intellectual 20th century history. The main idea of this publication is to give students of philosophy in Malta a practical tool for their studies and possibly their philosophical work.
The second book, Malta's Philosophy & Philosophers (PIN Publications) will be launched in the aftermath of the '2011 Malta Book Fair' which will be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, on 9–13 November 2011. The book is an illustrated guide through centuries of philosophical activity in the Maltese islands. It is designed for a foreign as well as a Maltese readership.
The first publications on philosophy in Malta started the ball rolling. Subsequently, courses were read at the University of Malta and at other institutions of higher education, a first public conference on ‘Maltese’ philosophy was organised, articles were written, monographs published, first-grade dissertations undertaken, and so forth. All along one main idea has always been consistent: to instil in the young and upcoming Maltese philosopher a sense of local connection, pride and gratitude. This work is part of a continuum.
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—including the Catholic Church—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 to its name. Though sometimes innovative and creative, in their large majority Maltese philosophers have always worked with imported ideas and, but for very rare cases (like in the case of Manuel Dimech), seldom did break new ground in the philosophical field. Although the philosophy of many of them did not affect social or political life, some interacted lively 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 pertains to the Aristotelico-Thomistic school. 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, linguistic analysis and some others. But for unique, rather than rare, exceptions, theism has been a constant trait throughout the whole Maltese philosophical tradition.
During the last thirty years or so philosophy in Malta took 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 taken up by others, and today philosophers like Kenneth Wain, Joe Friggieri and Mario Vella continue this trend.
The classification of philosophers in major and minor is gauged on the basis of their particular historical influence, both during their lifetime and posthumously. The assessment is done by an evaluation to their written philosophical works in terms of creativity, style, and of course content. Further, historical influence is also appraised according to the impact, in part or in whole, that each philosopher had or has within the framework of the philosophical tradition in the Maltese Islands.
A course on philosophy in Malta, delivered in English by Mark Montebello, will be offered at the University of Malta for students and the general public alike between February 17 and June 1, 2012. This will be every Friday between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm. Attendance is free of charge.
The course has two main aims: to acquaint students with the history of philosophy in Malta and with most of its major contemporary representatives; and to give students some conceptual tools with which they can examine themselves, society and philosophical works. At the end of the course, participants should have a fair idea of the standing of philosophy in Malta, its merits and limitations, and the contribution it can continue to give to the Maltese people.
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