Expanded Reason Institute

Following Benedict XVI, we understand expanded reason to be that way of conceiving and using reason which seeks to understand reality in all its breadth, through dialogue between science, philosophy, and theology.

This perspective highlights the contributions that different sciences make, with their own methods of knowledge, to the body of knowledge as a whole. At the same time, it seeks to transcend the limits of each particular science with a broader knowledge: that which arises from questions about truth, the person, the good, and meaning.

Broadening reason means opening it up to these four existential questions posed by philosophy and theology, based on a deep appreciation for the sciences. It is a matter of bringing the different disciplines into dialogue, "fully respecting their own methods and their mutual autonomy, but also being aware of their intrinsic unity" [1].

Faced with reductionism of any kind (empirismo, utilitarismo, fideísmo…), this vision advocates opening reason to all aspects of reality; to all forms of knowledge; and to all dimensions of the person, which also requires making room for the possibility of "an encounter between faith and reason, between authentic enlightenment and religion" [2]. It therefore requires the involvement of the whole person: reason and faith, science and conscience, intelligence and heart.

And in the face of fragmentation of knowledge and hyper-specialization, he invites us to seek a harmonious synthesis of knowledge. "We want to overcome the compartmentalization and positivism that have prevailed in university classrooms in recent decades in order to propose, with a new perspective, a vision of our disciplines from the perspective of humanity as a whole, transcending the limits of each science in an endless search for meaning and fulfillment" [3].

[1] Benedict XVI, Address to participants in the Fourth National Ecclesial Assembly of Italy, October 19, 2006.

[2] Ibid., Address at the University of Regensburg: Faith, Reason, and the University: Memories and Reflections, September 12, 2006.

[3] María Lacalle Noriega, En busca de la unidad del saber. Una propuesta para renovar las disciplinas académicas (In Search of Unity of Knowledge: A Proposal for Renewing Academic Disciplines), 2nd revised, expanded, and bilingual edition, Madrid: Editorial UFV, 2018, p. 9.

To embody this vision in university work, the Expanded Reason Awards recognize works that bring a particular science into dialogue with philosophy and/or theology on any subject. The aim is to reach the limits of each particular science and ask the fundamental questions that science itself cannot answer:

The question of the person or anthropological question This question can be expressed as follows: What idea of man underlies my discipline? Individualistic or supportive? Purely historical or open to transcendence? Genetically predetermined or capable of freedom? What kind of man is constructed with this knowledge? And what kind of society?

The question of truth or epistemological question This question is expressed in the following fundamental questions: Is what I teach and research true? What is the object and limit of my science and my method? What are the questions that take me to the frontier of my science and that I cannot answer from within it?

The question of good or ethical issues Questions about man and truth refer to the question of how one should act, both in the context of scientific work and its technological applications, and in the direction of one's own life. Ethical issues always point to the aims of each science and its consequences.

The question of meaning At the heart of every teacher and student beats a need for meaning, both in their university work and in the ultimate questions. Is what I am learning, teaching, or researching worthwhile? How does it relate to the life that matters to me? Why and for what purpose do I do everything I do?

Those that address crucial issues of our time from an open-minded perspective will be particularly valued.

The awards include two categories:

Research Category This category includes articles and books, unpublished or published, that scientifically address a particular issue from an open-minded approach. Submitted works must not be more than five years old.

Teaching Category This category includes university academic programs (syllabus, guías docentes, programas curriculares, propuestas metodológicas, etc.) and initiatives that promote comprehensive training in a particular science and explain in detail how open-ended questions are integrated.

Participants and areas of knowledge University professors and researchers of any nationality may apply for these awards, either individually or as a working group (en este caso, se especificará el nombre del coordinador o investigador principal).

Academic institutions and research institutes may also participate. When registering, it must be specified that the applicant is the institution itself, regardless of whether it is doing so through its researchers.

If the award is given to a working group, it will be distributed proportionally among the team members. If it is an entity, it will be paid directly to it. The awards are open to any field of knowledge: arts and humanities, experimental sciences, health sciences, social and legal sciences, engineering, and architecture.

Four prizes of €25,000 each will be awarded, to be divided between the two categories [4].

The winners agree to participate in the awards ceremony and a seminar with UFV professors prior to the ceremony, during which they will explain the main conclusions of their work. Both events will be held on consecutive days. Transportation and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Institute.

They will also be offered the opportunity to join a network of collaborators at the Expanded Reason Institute and participate in its activities.

If the award is given to a collaborative work, the coordinator or principal investigator will represent the group.

If the jury deems it appropriate, it may award special mentions to certain works, whose authors will be invited to participate in the seminar and awards ceremony, with transportation and accommodation expenses covered.

[4] The amount of the prizes is subject to withholding tax in accordance with tax regulations.

Entries must be submitted using the form provided on the website razonabierta.org.

The following documents must be submitted in English or Spanish:

1. Summary of the work. Maximum 500 words.

2. Supporting document. This document is intended as a guide to reading the work submitted and should clearly explain why the work is considered to be open-ended and how it takes into account anthropological, epistemological, ethical, and meaning-related issues. The jury will give special consideration to this document when assessing the relevance of the work to the purpose of this call for entries. The text, between 3,000 and 8,000 words, must be submitted in accordance with the style guidelines of Editorial UFV.

3. Curriculum vitae of the author or authors, in free format.

4. Work eligible for the prize. Entries may be submitted in Spanish, English, Italian, and French. The format is open. Works published after 2019 are eligible.

Entries may be submitted until April 4, 2025.

In July 2025, the jury's decision will be published on the website.

In the Research category, the following will be particularly valued:

• Quality and rigour the knowledge of specific science and the methodology of the discipline.

• The topicality and scientific, cultural, and social relevance of the subject, as well as its originality.

• The integrative approach.

• The depth of the dialogue established between a particular science and philosophy and/or theology.

• The soundness of the anthropological, epistemological, ethical, and semantic foundations.

• The relevance and quality of the bibliography.

• Drafting of the supporting text in accordance with the criteria set out in point IV of this call for proposals.

In the Teaching category, the following will be particularly valued:

• Quality, timeliness, and rigour knowledge of the specific science.

• The integrative approach.

• The soundness of the anthropological, epistemological, ethical, and semantic foundations.

• The relevance and quality of the bibliography.

• The clarity of the underlying approach and its pedagogical suitability.

• The originality of the proposed learning methodologies.

• Evidence of the impact on the comprehensive education of students. To this end, projects must include some form of measurement of the results obtained.

Participation in this competition implies full acceptance of the rules and agreement with the jury's decisions, which will be final. Participants guarantee that they are the authors of the works submitted and that they have all the necessary permissions to submit them for this award.

Open Digital Deposit (DEDIRA)

The participant agrees that, provided the Scientific Committee gives its approval, the supporting document for their work or a summary thereof will be published in the Razón Abierta Digital Repository. If they wish, they may also consent to the publication of the complete work. All works published in DEDIRA will be protected by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

The jury will be composed of professors or researchers of recognized international prestige, who will be appointed by Francisco de Vitoria University with the agreement of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Foundation. The president of the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI and the rector of Francisco de Vitoria University will act as co-presidents.

The jury will decide by majority vote.

The awards may be declared void if, in the opinion of the jury, the quality of the proposals received does not meet the required standard.

All contestants expressly waive the right to challenge the award decision.

These terms and conditions may be modified at any time without prior notice.

The data controller is Francisco de Vitoria University.

Contact details: Francisco de Vitoria University. General Secretariat. Ctra. M-515 Pozuelo-Majadahonda, km 1.800; 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid).

Contact details of the data protection officer: dpd@ufv.es

Francisco de Vitoria University will process personal data for the following purposes:

Manage your registration for the Razón Abierta Awards. Invitation to future activities organized by Francisco de Vitoria University and send you information that may be of interest to you, as well as publish videos and images on the university's various websites and social networks where you may appear as a result of your participation in the university's various activities (eventos relacionados con los premios, clases, conferencias, etc.). Calls for entries and information may also be sent by electronic means (SMS, correo electrónico, portal del alumno y redes sociales). The legal basis for the processing is the consent of the data subject, which requires that you check the corresponding boxes provided for this purpose on the registration form.

Personal data will be processed for the following periods:

Unless you revoke your consent or object to the processing carried out. In relation to participants and works submitted for the awards, they will be kept indefinitely. Francisco de Vitoria University has various application and IT support providers who may access personal data when executing said contract. Francisco de Vitoria University will always have a data access contract signed with them in accordance with the requirements of Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which will provide sufficient guarantees for the processing carried out by these providers. Some of the providers are located outside the European Union, so Francisco de Vitoria University requests additional guarantees, in accordance with the regime established for international transfers in the General Data Protection Regulation, such as contracting providers who are certified under the European Union-United States agreement known as Privacy Shield www.privacyshield.gov.

Anyone has the right to obtain information about the existence of processing of their data, to access their personal data, to request the rectification of inaccurate data or, where appropriate, to request its deletion when, among other reasons, the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or the data subject withdraws their consent.

In certain cases, the interested party may request the limitation of the processing of their data, in which case we will only keep it in accordance with current regulations.

In certain cases, you may exercise your right to data portability, whereby your data will be delivered in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format to you or to the new data controller you designate.

You have the right to revoke your consent at any time for any of the processing for which you have given it.

To exercise your rights, you must do so by means of a corresponding letter signed electronically or accompanied by a photocopy of your ID card. If acting through a representative, the letter must be accompanied by sufficient power of attorney, as well as a copy of their ID card or signed electronically.

Writings must be submitted in person at the university registry or sent by post to the address listed in the "Contact" section of the website.

You have the right to contact our data protection officer regarding all matters relating to the processing of your personal data and the exercise of your rights under this regulation, and to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority if you consider that the exercise of your rights has not been adequately addressed.

The maximum time limit for resolving your request is one month from receipt. This may be extended by two months depending on the complexity of the request or the number of requests received.

In the event of any changes to your details, please notify us in writing so that we can keep them up to date.

In order to participate in the 7th Edition of the Expanded Reason Awards, you must read the information regarding Personal Data Protection and submit all documentation via the following link.

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