Mario Vella
Encyclopedia
Mario Vella is a major Maltese philosopher, economist and political theorist. His area of specialisation in philosophy is chiefly critical analysis.
, Libya
, and lived his boyhood within an Italian community there. He started his education at a Catholic
school in Tripoli
, then returned to Malta
with his family and attended De La Salle College at Cottonera.
, social economy
with a major in sociology
at the University of London
, and international economic politics at Berlin
’s University of Humboldt
, in former East Germany.
and sociology
in public elementary schools, Vella taught political economy
and social development at the University of Malta
.
Vella is also visiting lecturer in foreign direct investment
and development at the University of Urbino
, Italy
. He was Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Development Corporation, and is Director of the foreign direct investment consulting services at Grant Thornton
in Malta
. Vella is further a member of the international faculty of the Postgraduate School of Economics and International Relations. He is politically active, serving, for some time, as President of the Labour Party in Malta
.
philosopher, and a living one at that. Apart from Angelo Pirotta
's investigation into the philosophy of Anastasio Cuschieri
in the early 20th century, it seems that Maltese
philosophers are reluctant to so take on, at least so directly, other living philosophers (or even dead ones, for that matter). Vella had certainly created an encouraging precedent.
or in English
. One example would be those in Wara r-Repubblika (1979). However, this does not seem to be very common. Here is one of his poems:
.
To Vella’s mind, in order to be acceptable, philosophy must begin from, and build on, the socio-political and historical context. Neither philosophy nor the history of philosophy can rise above power and history. Doing philosophy means taking political positions for or against historically concrete structures of power, and the forces struggling for power within society.
Beginnings
Vella was born to a Maltese family at TripoliTripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and lived his boyhood within an Italian community there. He started his education at a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
school in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, then returned to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
with his family and attended De La Salle College at Cottonera.
Higher Studies
Vella studied philosophy at the University of MaltaUniversity of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
, social economy
Social economy
Social economy refers to a third sector in economies between the private sector and business or, the public sector and government. It includes organisations such as cooperatives, non-governmental organisations and charities....
with a major in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and international economic politics at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
’s University of Humboldt
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, in former East Germany.
Career
In alta], after teaching ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in public elementary schools, Vella taught political economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
and social development at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
.
Vella is also visiting lecturer in foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
and development at the University of Urbino
University of Urbino
The University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" is an Italian university located in Urbino, a walled hill-town in the region of Marche, located in the north-eastern part of central Italy. The university was founded in 1506, and currently has about 20,000 students, many of whom are from overseas...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Development Corporation, and is Director of the foreign direct investment consulting services at Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton International
Grant Thornton International is a global profesional services network of independent accounting and consulting member firms which provide assurance, tax and specialist advisory services to privately held businesses, public interest entities, and public sector entities...
in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Vella is further a member of the international faculty of the Postgraduate School of Economics and International Relations. He is politically active, serving, for some time, as President of the Labour Party in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
.
Works
Vella’s philosophical publications are few but significant. The following might be considered his most representativeOpus Magnus
The following is Vella's major philosophical book to date. When published, the book was quite exceptional for it uncharacteristically dealt with the analysis and criticism of another MalteseMaltese people
The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
philosopher, and a living one at that. Apart from Angelo Pirotta
Angelo Pirotta
Angelo Pirotta, O.P. was a major Maltese philosopher. His areas of specialisation in philosophy were chiefly epistemology and metaphysics.-The Early Years:Pirotta was born at Naxxar, Malta, on December 27, 1894...
's investigation into the philosophy of Anastasio Cuschieri
Anastasio Cuschieri
Anastastio Cuschieri was a Maltese poet, politician, and minor philosopher. He held the Chair of Philosophy at the University of Malta . In philosophy he was mostly interested in ethics.-Beginnings:...
in the early 20th century, it seems that Maltese
Maltese people
The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
philosophers are reluctant to so take on, at least so directly, other living philosophers (or even dead ones, for that matter). Vella had certainly created an encouraging precedent.
- Reflections in a Canvas Bag (1989) – First and foremost, this book is a critique of the philosophy of Peter Serracino InglottPeter Serracino InglottPeter Serracino Inglott is Emeritus Professor of philosophy at and former rector of the University of Malta...
in general, and of his book Beginning Philosophy (1987) in particular. However, it is also a sort of invitation (or instigation) to do philosophy by starting from history (as Vella does) rather than from theory (as Serracino Inglott does). History here is understood in the sense of Marx’s historical materialismHistorical materialismHistorical materialism is a methodological approach to the study of society, economics, and history, first articulated by Karl Marx as "the materialist conception of history". Historical materialism looks for the causes of developments and changes in human society in the means by which humans...
.
Articles
Of course, the following are not the only articles published by Vella. Nevertheless, these might be the most philosophically engaging. On must bear in mind that Vella is a regular contributor to The Times of Malta and also has his own blog.- Wara r-Repubblika (Subsequent to the Republic; together with Lillian Sciberras; 1979)
- That Favourite Dream of the Colonies (1994)
- Minflok Dahla (Instead of an Introduction; 1995)
Poetry and Short Stories
Sometimes Vella ventures to publish some of his poetry or short stories in MalteseMaltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
or in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. One example would be those in Wara r-Repubblika (1979). However, this does not seem to be very common. Here is one of his poems:
-
- The Time has come
- for the fire eater
- to empty himself
- on the crowd.
-
- The time has come
- for the high wire artist
- and the flying acrobat
- to fall and fertilize the ground,
- the burnt ground, with their blood.
-
- The time has come
- to burn the circus top
- and crucify the clown
- and to release Barabbas,
- the lion, from his cage.
Editorial work
Though Vella sometimes contributes something of his thought to the following editorial works, of course his personality is seen more in the style and content chosen of these publications.- Pitazzi Homor (Red Copybooks; 1989-90)
- Fl-Antiporta tal-Millennju (On the Threshold of the Millennium; 1995)
Appreciation
In part, Vella’s philosophy is deconstructivist, tenaciously exposing the internal conflicts that tend to undercut the asserted meaning of any text. But this is not all. It is also contextualistContextualism
Contextualism describes a collection of views in philosophy which emphasize the context in which an action, utterance, or expression occurs, and argues that, in some important respect, the action, utterance, or expression can only be understood relative to that context...
.
To Vella’s mind, in order to be acceptable, philosophy must begin from, and build on, the socio-political and historical context. Neither philosophy nor the history of philosophy can rise above power and history. Doing philosophy means taking political positions for or against historically concrete structures of power, and the forces struggling for power within society.
Sources
- Mark Montebello, Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta (A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta), PIN Publications, Malta, 2001.
See also
- Philosophy in MaltaPhilosophy in MaltaPhilosophy 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.-Short history:...
- Mario Vella’s blog