Fiat Lux: An Interdisciplinary
Congress at the Regina Apostolorum Athenaeum
June 3-5, Discussion on the Theme of
Light, from the Perspective of Science, Philosophy, Theology, Art and Even
Magic
By Staff Reporter
This report was contributed by
Alessandro de Vecchi.
The wide and complex theme of light,
from an interdisciplinary perspective, bringing together science, philosophy,
theology and even magic. This is the ambitious goal of Fiat Lux – Let there
be Light, an international Conference that will take place June 3-4 in
Rome, in the auditorium of the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum,
concluding June 5, at the Faculty of Engineering of the Sapienza Università di
Roma in San Pietro in Vincoli.
The event will convoke scholars,
scientists and artists from diverse parts of the world. ZENIT spoke to one of
the initiators of the Conference, Fr. Rafael Pascual, a professor of philosophy
at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Athenaeum.
“The idea for this project – Fr
Pascual recounts – came about several years ago through meeting professor
Eugenio Fazio, of the Faculty of Engineering of the Sapienza, who had already
organized several conferences on the relationship between science and faith. It
was in this context that we got to know each other and thought about organizing
this wide-ranging meeting. Since UNESCO had declared 2015 as the International
Year of Light, we reckoned that the right moment had come. Our goal is to
provide the occasion for persons belonging to diverse fields of expertise, to
meet, exchange ideas in the philosophical, theological and scientific
disciplines, and thus achieve a mutual understanding – which often is lacking
in specialized congresses.”
In the scientific area, there will
be two Nobel prize winners in chemistry: Israeli professor Ada Yonath of the
Weizmann Institute of Science (at Rehovot, Israel) and German professor Stefan
Hell of the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Yonath received the prize in
2009 for her studies on the function and structure of the ribosomes inside
cells. Her contribution, like others, will therefore deal with light as the
source of life and energy for biological organisms. Hell was awarded the prize
in 2014 for his studies on the development of technologies for optical
microscopy.
Other renowned experts in optics,
photonics, biology, astrophysics and astronomy will give talks. Vint Cerf, the
“evangelist” of Google, considered one of the “fathers” of the Internet, will
deal with the theme of light as an instrument of communication. The theme of
light in art will also be treated, the discussion being enriched by the
participation of diverse artists and an art exhibit.
Ample time will be reserved for the
philosophical and theological areas, from mystical theology to spirituality.
“In theology – Fr Pascual insists – God is presented also as Light; this is a
theme that ranges across the whole Bible. One of the primary examples is found
in the theology of John, where God is referred to as light, emphasizing that
all that belongs to the light is of God. The light that enlightens the darkness
is therefore a fundamental element of St John’s theology. It is the light of
faith and salvation. It is also the light as creation: in the Book of Genesis,
the first act of creation is in fact the creation of light.”
Among the philosophers, deserving
special mention is the presence of professor Evandro Agazzi, president of the
International Academy of Philosophy of Science. “In philosophy – Fr Pascual
notes – we often speak about the light of knowledge. Other than reflections on
the nature of light, we use the metaphor of light as illumination, the light of
the intellect, the true source of knowledge. St Thomas Aquinas speaks of the
“agent intellect” as the light that illuminates the image we form through the
senses, elevating it to the intellectual level. This enables us to know.
According to Thomas, this light is a sort of participation in God’s light. All
of this links us to the idea of “Uncreated Light”, also present in the thought
of St Augustine. There’s also the question of the visible perception of light,
how we interpret light according to colors. This too is a philosophical
question since we can ask whether colors really exist in reality or are just
something we believe we see.” And speaking of optical illusions, Silvan the
magician will be on hand to speak about how light is an essential element for a
magician in order to hide their tricks from the audience.
On the NET:
Information on the congress, the
participants and their contributions are available on this site: www.fiatluxconference.com.
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