"A felvilбgosodбs az ember kilбbalбsa a maga okozta kiskorъsбgbуl. Kiskorъsбg az arra valу kйptelensйg, hogy az ember mбsok vezetйse nйlkьl gondolkodjйk. Magunk okozta ez a kiskorъsбg, ha oka nem йrtelmьnk fogyatйkossбgбban, hanem az abbeli elhatбrozбs йs bбtorsбg hiбnyбban van, hogy mбsok vezetйse nйlkьl йljьnk vele. Sapere aude! Merj a magad йrtelmйre tбmaszkodni! - ez tehбt a felvilбgosodбs jelmondata."
Immanuel Kant fenti sorai mit sem veszнtettek az йrvйnyьkbхl, йs bizonyнtjбk, hogy a filozуfiбra szьksйg van egy olyan tбrsadalomban, ahol йrtйk az цnбllу gondolkodбs. Цnбllу gondolkodбs йs cselekvйs nйlkьl nem szьlethetnek sem jelentхs tudomбnyos, sem mыvйszi teljesнtmйnyek. De az цnбllу dцntйs felelхssйge nйlkьl morбlis lйnyek sem lehetьnk.
Egy magбra valamit adу tбrsadalomnak szьksйge van a filozуfiбra йs szьksйge van azokra az emberekre, akik akбr hivatбsszerыen, akбr puszta йrdeklхdйsbхl a bцlcsessйg barбtai. Akik mбsok vezetйse nйlkьl is kйpesek gondolkodni.
A magyar filozуfusok ellen most zajlу hecckampбny йppen ezeket az йrtйkeket kйrdхjelezi meg, йs prуbбlja lejбratni a kцzvйlemйny elхtt. A tбmadбsok alapjбul az elmъlt йvekben elnyert nagy цsszegы pбlyбzatok szolgбlnak, melyeket бllнtуlag nem lett volna szabad megkapniuk. A mйdia kцzцs nevezх alб vesz tцbb, egyйbkйnt kьlцnбllу kutatбst, йs azt бllнtja, hogy "Hellerйk elkutattak fйlmilliбrdot. " Ez hazugsбg йs rбgalom.
A pбlyбzati rendszer nyilvбnvalу anomбliбirуl nem maguk a pбlyбzуk tehetnek, йs vйgzetes csъsztatбs ezt a kutatуk nyakбba varrni, akik valamennyi elnyert pбlyбzatйrt valуs йs йrtйkes teljesнtmйnyt nyъjtottak. Ezen az alapon valamennyi magyar tudomбnyos йs kulturбlis pбlyбzatot rossz hнrbe lehetne keverni, цnkйnyes szempontok alapjбn. Ezzel azonban a tudomбnyos kutatбs йs kulturбlis teljesнtmйny йrtйkйt kйrdхjelezik meg - hozzбйrtйs nйlkьl. A magyar filozуfiai йlet jelentхs alakjai ellen indult tбmadбs egyszersmind a magyar kultъra йs tudomбny ellen indult tбmadбs is, amit nem hagyhat szу nйlkьl az, akinek a szбmбra - pбrtбllбstуl fьggetlenьl - fontosak ezek az йrtйkek.
Felkйrjьk a magyar йs a nemzetkцzi szellemi йlet, kultъra йs tudomбny kйpviselхit, hogy alбнrбsukkal fejezzйk ki szolidaritбsukat a megrбgalmazott filozуfusokkal. Felkйrjьk tovбbbб mindazokat, akik egy olyan tбrsadalomban akarnak йlni, amelyben йrtйk az цnбllу gondolkodбs, hogy alбнrбsukkal fejezzйk ki tiltakozбsukat az eljбrбs ellen.

“Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage s man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Sapere aude! "Have courage to use your own reason!"- that is the motto of enlightenment.”
The above words of Immanuel Kant have lost nothing of their relevance and prove that a society that values independent thinking is in acute need of philosophy. Without independent thinking and action no significant scientific or artistic accomplishments can be achieved. But without the responsibility of independent decision-making we cannot be moral beings.
A society that respects itself needs philosophy and needs those people who, either professionally or out of simple interest, are the friends of wisdom. Those who can think even without the tutelage of others.
The hate and smear campaign that is going on now against Hungarian philosophers questions even these values and strives to devaluate them in the eyes of public opinion. The great sums of money received through grants that they allegedly should not have won serve as the basis of the vicious and unfounded attacks. The media connects several otherwise separate research projects and claims that „Heller and Co. have researched away half a billion”. This is a lie and slander.
The anomalies of the grant system, which is not the fault of those competing for these grants, are responsible for this situation, and it is a fatal distortion of the truth to shift responsibility on the researchers. The researchers have produced very valuable accomplishments in exchange for all the grants won.
All Hungarian cultural and scientific grants could be brought into disrepute through such an arbitrary point of view. With this the value of the scientific research is questioned – without any real competence in those questions judged.
The attack on significant figures of Hungarian philosophy is also an attack on Hungarian science and culture, and no one can stand by idly who cherishes these values, regardless of one’s political beliefs.
We ask all Hungarian and international intellectuals, scholars, and artists to express their solidarity with the slandered philosophers by signing this petition.
We also call upon all those who want to live in a society where independent thinking is valued to protest against this shameful course of action against thinkers of integrity with their signatures.