Philosophical Practice in the Historical-Cultural and Epistemological Context

Abstract

The article offers a possible interpretation of the "philosophical practice" concept, examines the nature and closeness of the relationship between philosophy and philosophical practice, outlines the activities of the philosopher-practice in the light of this interpretation. Ethics has traditionally been considered as a practical part of philosophy. Since the inception of philosophy until the end of Early Modern Times, ethics is regarded a top of philosophical knowledge. In addition to the well-established, common at this time period, understanding of ethics as part of philosophy, A.A. Huseynov proposed to consider "ethics" as the moral pathos of philosophy in toto. In this case, the whole philosophy acquires an ethical function (the subject of entire philosophy becomes, among other things, the human behavior determined by free will and the reality that this behavior establishes); it becomes possible to assert that ethics and philosophy are inseparable by the nature of philosophical knowledge and its practical part; to assume that the position of philosophical practice in modern philosophy structure may be similar to the position of ethics in classical philosophy as a top of philosophical knowledge, the ultimate goal of philosophical reasoning. It is argued that the project of philosophical practice, understood as a way of life and the actions of philosophers, explicitly returns philosophy to its origins, to the historical context in which philosophy, its practical applications and meanings arose. In the ancient world, philosophy was an ethical project, a spiritual practice close to religious, a way of being and a way of enhancement. Lack of knowledge, lack of moral guidelines, and the imperfection of existing social, cultural, scientific, economic, political practices prompted philosophers to reason. Philosophy which dealt only with itself, removed itself from solving "non-philosophical" problems, lost relevance. The same can be unhesitatingly said about medieval, Renaissance, modern philosophy. Modern philosophy has retained a native interest in what is happening in the world around it; shares the desire to influence human practices inherent in philosophy, science and religion; in some cases there is no alternative. This allows us to conclude that modernity, no less than antiquity, reveals to those who practice a philosophical way of life and action opportunities for the broadest application of philosophical knowledge in various areas of people's practical life.