KALOY PRIZE INTERNATIONAL

The first Kaloy Prize was awarded to Prof. Wolf Singer, Director of the Max Planck Institute für Hirnforschung in Frankfurt a/M.

For the furtherance of our project we shall be most obliged if we have via our email your comments, remarks and suggestions. Thank you, The Fondation Kaloy.

Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
Deutschordenstraße 46
D-60528 Frankfurt/Main

The Kaloyeropouleion Idryma-Fondation Kaloy (KIFK), is founded by the Family Kaloyeropoulos in Corinth, Greece. Acting President of the KIFK is Nicolas Kaloy, Doctor of philosophy, Geneva University, and author of many books on History, Politics and Philosophy (cf www.nicolaskaloy.com). Dr Nicolas Kaloy is established in Geneva, Switzerland and ensures the permanent connexion with the KIFK.

The Kaloy Prize is an international award administered by the KIFK in collaboration with an academic institution. Purpose of the Kaloy Prize is to compensate an exceptional and original scientific work, in Neuroscience, Cognitive Sciences, Biology, Physics and/or Psychology, relative to the brain function research, which establishes, on a strictly scientific basis, the confirmation, rejection or elucidation of the philosophical theories of knowledge (Gnoseology) in Western or Oriental philosophy.

The Kaloy Prize was created for the first time in February 2008, and will be awarded every two or three years to an exceptional work which will be submitted to a three member nomination committee of the sponsooring Academic Institution.

The Kaloy Prize is financed by donations to the Kaloyeropouleion Idryma – Fondation Kaloy, Corinth, Greece. It comprises a Diploma, a cash award and the publication of the Laureate’s name and text of the compensated work in the present website.

Presentation of the candidates’ exceptional work must be submitted prior to the 1st May of the year of announcement, in printed form not exceeding 20 pages in English or French.

It must be accompanied by a Memorandum of no more than three (3) pages explaining the candidate's estimation of its relation with the philosophical theory which must be clearly indicated. Without this memorandum, the submitted work will not be taken in consideration.

It is specified that the international Kaloy Prize is awarded regardless of nationality or creed of the candidate and nominations may be submitted by students, Ph.D. candidates, Ph.D’s, researchers in any relative discipline who present an original work on the domain concerned.

The International Kaloy Prize may be awarded on any of the following fields of research connected with the brain function as stated below, indicatively but not exhaustively.

Items needing a scientific proof by the Physical Sciences, Biology and/or Psychology.

1. What is Kant’s Thing-in.itself that is “first given” as undetermined? Is it electromagnetic oscillations prior to the construction by the brain-function of ideas corresponding to objects? How is such construction of clear and distinct ideas made possible by the brain function?

1a. What is Descartes “idée claire et distincte” – is it (and how) formed by the brain-function ?

1b. Is the Kantian undetermined “given” (das gegeben) a host of electromagnetic waves prior to the “collapse of the wave-function” that are subsequently “determined” as “idées claires et distinctes” by the brain-function?

2. Ref. 1b, is it that the object is formed by the brain-function and therefore it is not given as such from the external world? If so, is this a confirmation of Berkeley’s “esse est percipi” and how?

3. What is the real meaning of Kant’s “category”? Is it a particular operation of the brain-function that creates the “object”? If so, how can we describe and experimentally prove such operation in scientific terms? What is the meaning of the category of “Limitation” explained as a process of the brain function?

4. If the “given” is an undetermined Whole and the “object” is the result of a segmentation effected by the brain-function, then the category of Gemeinschaft in Kant’s exposition is a priori because it is a reminiscence of the operation effected by the brain-function? (In other words, the brain keeps an implicit memory storage of its internal operation and consequently “knows” that all segmented ideas are inter-related as being part of an initial coherent Whole?)

5. As a result of the above, can we prove that Kant’s three main a priori categories, i.e. Allheit, Limitation, Gemeinschaft (cf Plato’s “geni” Infinite, Finite, Community – apeiron, peras, koinonia) are but a certain operation of the brain as a process of segmentation of a “given” undetermined Allheit?

6. The above process constitutes the sphere of Reason. Is the logical process an effort of the brain function to reconstruct the segmented Unity of Allheit by a gradual but still fragmentary reconstitution of ideas appearing as if they were “distinct” (in the Cartesian sense) tending finally to the extinction of plurality? (cf Plato’s “anypotheton” and the Indian “Brahman” as the final Idea of Good).

7. If the above suggestions can be verified by scientific research of the brain-function, what is the status of Feeling as opposed or complementary to Reason?

8. Can we prove that Feeling is a tendency of return to the initial Unity of the Allheit – and if so, Plotinus’ “ephesis pros to En” and the teaching of Indian philosophy on Brahman and Nirvana are corroborated and can be proven by the above scientific investigations?

9. If the answer to the above is affirmative, what may be the impact on (human) ethics?

10. With regard to 8., how can Physical Science or Biology or Depth Psychology verify the process of Illusion-via-the-Idol on the basis of Kant’s “transcendental paralogism” where the Idol is serving as a Symbol of Allheit?

11. If the above can be proven by scientific research on the brain-function, what other philosophical theories can also be verified, falsified or clarified with regard to Kant, Plato, Descartes, Berkeley, Fichte and Plotinus or any other important philosophers?

12. On the basis of scientific research on the brain function is it possible to establish a relationship between the basic tenets of Western and Indian philosophy?

Note: The Steering Committee of the Kaloy Foundation, Greece, has decided that the Kaloyprizeinternational for 2012 be focused on the fundamental question of the origins and nature of
AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE.

The following Chapters (A) and (B) are issued as an introduction to the problem and as a guide for the interested candidates. More details and dates for submission of candidatures will be announced prior to this autumn.

Calls
For the Kaloy Prize 2012

The Kaloy Foundation in Greece in cooperation with the Research Centre of Greek Philosophy of the Academy of Athens has inaugurated an International Prize called "The International Kaloy Prize" in order to promote research in euroscience (brain function experiments) which may "verify, reject or elucidate" philosophical theories of Knowledge,

The Prize is awarded every two or three years to an exceptional publication in neuroscience, biology, physics or psychology which deals with the functioning of the brain and which has a direct impact on philosophical theories of knowledge. The competition is open worldwide to scholars, students and in general to researchers who have published original work in the relevant fields.

The amount of the Kaloy Prize is 10,000 US dollars.

The subject of the International Kaloy Prize for 2012 is focused on the fundamental question of the Origins and Nature of AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE with particular reference to the experience of the Sublime as treated by Kant in his "Critique of Judgement". A Preliminary Announcement providing an Introduction to the problem, which should be carefully read by the interested candidates can be found inwww.kaloyprizeinternational.com, see Chapters (A) and (B).
Applications in English are to be sent in three (3) copies to:

Academician Prof. Ev. Moutsopoulos
ACADEMY OF ATHENS
Research Centre on Greek Philosophy
14, Anagnostopoulou Street
GR-106.73 ATHENS
GREECE

as well as one (1) copy to <Dr Nicolas Kaloy, POB 36, CH 1211 GENEVA 20, Switzerland>, or one copy by email to: nicolas.kaloy@sunrise.ch.

Applications must be sent until 31st May 2012 and should consist of the following:
(a) A Curriculum Vitae not exceeding one (1) page
(b) The Candidates paper on the subject not exceeding 30 pages
(c) A memorandum, not exceeding two (2) pages, providing a summary of the relation of (b) with the aesthetic theory on the Sublime.
Applications which do not follow the above guidelines will NOT be considered.
The applications will be submitted to a jury whose verdict is final. The laureate will be informed personally.

[ For any questions please contact: nicolas.kaloy@sunrise.ch]