Presentation
Since it was founded in 2008, the Sophia Research Laboratory, created and chaired by Mrs. Marie Fayad, has suggested a research theme on “Ethics, Politics, Religion”.

A three term research subject, Ethics, Politics, Religion is, in the first place, suggestive of problematics related to various human standards on the ontological, anthropological and metaphysical levels of existence. These levels can be examined individually or altogether. The 5 axes of Sophia Laboratory examine, on a double synchronic and diachronic plan, the role of values in guiding the private and professional life of humans (the field of ethics), and the role of citizen responsibilities (the field of politics), and research on the fundamental criteria of values of religion, highlighting the scope of “spatiotemporal emancipation of man” (the field of religion).

Fields of Research
1st Axis: Philosophical Anthropology
The Issue of ‘The Other’ Throughout the Lebanese Experience
Through the question “What is being Lebanese?” it might be possible to create an original anthropological logic aiming at attempting to understand ‘the other’ throughout the Lebanese experience.
The researchers’ choice of subject will fit into of the following axes (interlinking is possible):

1. Concepts of identity: brother, enemy, community, etc.
2. Perception of ‘the other’: constants and metamorphosis.
3. Reading founders’ texts, such as Moussa Sadr’s, Rene Habachi’s, etc.

2nd axis: Political Philosophy
Towards a Revisionary Approach of the Rule of Law
What is the Rule of Law in its multiple close links to human rights? The rights as found in the Universal Declaration of the United Nations of 1948, and which have been added to the rights of 1776 and 1789. It is noteworthy that we are witnessing today the emergence of new form of violations of those rights. On the level of the Philosophy of Rights, should we think that the indeterminacy of Human and Citizens Rights constitutes the real strength of these Rights?
Through reading the pertinent texts in the Constitution of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the problematic of this axis is divided into many components; each one of them capable of branching into a constellation of themes:

1. State of Affairs of a Realpolitik facing the ideal principles of fundamental Human Rights texts;
2. The dialectical link between the Rule of Law and the Law;
3. The nature of the legal entity;
4. The law facing inequalities;
5. The rights to violate laws.

3rd axis: Political anthropology
The Modern Arab Society: Reality and Prospects
The Arab Society awakened after decades of passivity and missed revolutions; the Society which witnessed all sorts of political manipulations, experienced the most severe socio-economic tensions, saw recurring seizures and bloody wars, abruptly and surprisingly reacted in the liberalization squares of the capitals of the Arab World.
The revolutions shook regimes, which, yesterday, were very confident of the immunity and permanence despite any resistance and these regimes found themselves in a new quest to find new allies and supporters for their policies; to lobby by their side.
What is the vision of those who mobilized millions of people for the change? To whom the repressive political order, lessened here and there, will leave the public stage in the Arab World, which entered the phase of forced resurrection and difficult democracy?
 
4th axis: Ethics and Philosophy
Towards a New Power Philosophy
In light of the spectacular collapse of Arab regimes based on tyranny and unique dictators, it is essential to destroy these regimes from the inside in order to build a new political practice with ethical pillars, capable of freeing the Arab -citizen from those who deny them their freedom.
How is a society free of fear, corruption, injustice, oppression, misuse of power, extremist tendencies established?
Isn’t it necessary to ethically reshape the value of the human being and that of the indomitable living otherness?

5th axis: Philosophy of Religion
Symbolism and Mysticism
In the frame of the Philosophy of Religion, the study on of “Symbolism and Mysticism” will seek to outline this incredible experience which positions the human being across from him/herself to elucidate the reflections of a vision or an image. This experience becomes a supersensitive reality calling the insider, the murīd, to find him/herself and take shape (perfect him/herself) within.
It is a matter of truth, method, human being, God, imagery, limits and mainly spatiotemporal emancipation, where dialectics and hermeneutics will always have their say.
Will this real world, open to what goes beyond the spiritual experiment, insure the transition towards happiness, which has been unceasingly sought by the sages of all time?

Members of Sophia Laboratory
Marie Fayad, USEK
Jean Akiki, USEK
Hoda Nehme, USEK
Jean Reaidy, USEK
Randa Abi Aad, USEK
Jean-Claude Bourdin, Université de Poitiers
Raif Georges Khoury, Heidelberg University
Soheil Kash, Université Laval – Québec
Taoufic Sherif, University of Tunis
Antoine Abi Daoud, PhD student – USEK – Université Laval, Québec
Georges Yarack, PhD student – USEK
Raymond Asmar, PhD student – USEK

Contacts
Mrs. Marie Fayad
Mrs. Hoda Nehme
Mrs. Randa Abi Aad
Tel.: +961 9 600 055
Fax: +961 9 600 551
Email: fpsh@usek.edu.lb
mariefayad@usek.edu.lb
hnehme@usek.edu.lb
randaabiaad@usek.edu.lb
Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
P.O. Box 446 Jounieh, Lebanon