Axiological Model Research Articles

The purpose of metaphysics: Apology of excess

AbstractThis article consistently elaborates the extra‐contextual nature of metaphysical knowledge. Metaphysicsis seen as a semantic construction of culture that produces a certain type of thinking, memory, and identification: that is, subjectivity, and sociality as an ethical and axiological model of interaction with the world and the Other. The paper argues that metaphysics is a kind of orientation in space and that culture is a semiotic way of world orientation, or collection of spaces into an intelligible structure, a specific characteristic of human existence in the universe. Indeed, metaphysics through the space of culture allows one to experience the universe empirically as unity, to assume the presence of meaning. Based on the analysis, the paper summarizes the definition of the phenomenon of culture as a specifically human way of mastering space and controlling time, consciousness as a topology of reflective practices, and virtual reality technology as a space of pure metaphysics.

Human development in China: cultural and value aspect

Anthropologism as a universal characteristic of modern philosophical knowledge puts man at the center of multilateral socio-cultural transformations as their goal, driving force and primary condition. The modern anthropological crisis calls for the search for new value foundations for human potential development and actualizes the study of cultural regional and country specifics of its implementation practices. The successes of the People's Republic of China largely determine a new vision of the place and role of man in socio-cultural transformations. Human potential forms a dynamic, rapidly changing image of the socio-cultural environment in China, determining the speed and direction of internal and external modernization processes. The development of human potential in China is becoming a priority. It is associated with the main goal – to achieve the level of "average prosperity" (小康), and it logically fits into the cultural and value paradigm of the "Chinese dream" (中国梦). Acting as a key component of the "scientific concept of development" (科学观) in the form of a value setting "man is at the core" (以人为本), human potential is becoming one of the leading factors in the socio-cultural modernization of the People's Republic of China. A systematic approach in the research contributed to the analysis of the human potential development strategy of the People's Republic of China as an integral system of conceptual provisions and practices; an axiological approach helped to identify the value content of the strategy of the "power of human potential" of the People's Republic of China; the method of hermeneutic reconstruction contributed to the construction of a value model of a "comprehensive harmonious person" within the framework of the implementation of this strategy. The scientific novelty of this work consists in identifying the cultural and value components of the formation and development of human potential in China. The following results were developed by the author of the article : 1.The ideas of Chinese scientists about human development were made within the framework of cultural philosophy, social philosophy, economic theory, modernization and transnationalization theory. 2.The cultural and value component in the structure of human potential is revealed in the article , the characteristics of its individual elements are presented. 3.Based on the analysis of authentic sources, a hermeneutic reconstruction of the innovative axiological model of the "all-round harmonious person" in the context of building a "power of human potential" in the People's Republic of China was carried out. 4.The regional socio-cultural practices of the implementation of the concept of human development of the People's Republic of China, including comprehensive multi-level programs implemented at the national and supranational levels, are analyzed.

Аксиологические основы современного этновокального образования

The problems of modern ethno-vocal education considered in the article are related to its axiological founda-tions, as well as to the value potential of folk vocal pedagogy and the use of its principles and methods in mod-ern pedagogical practice. Based on the author’s own scientific research of modern authentic performance, the developed innovative method, techniques of formation of a modern carrier of ethno-vocal culture, capable of transmitting culture through singing activity in the cultural, pedagogical and living environment is revealed. The aim of this work is to substantiate the author’s proposed axiological model of modern ethno-vocal education, which contributes both to the formation and development of the ethno-vocal culture of the individual and to the preservation and development of society’s ethno-vocal culture. The article outlines the ways of activating im-plicit knowledge for the accumulation of singing experience through a specially developed by the author set of exercises and vocal work on mastering specific folk-singing techniques in practical educational disciplines: Choral Class, Ensemble and Solo Singing, Folklore Ensemble. The author concludes that currently the pro-spects of ethnocultural education are associated with the need for its axiologization and the formation of a modern teacher-performer of folk songs.

Антиантропологизм в современной западной философии

This research is relevant since it allows us to understand more deeply the specifics of contemporary European discourse about the human being, which is characterized by denaturalization and rejection of wholeness of a human subject, criticism of anthropocentrism and the tendency towards an ontological equation of the human being and material objects. The origins and causes of anti- anthropologism are associated with the crisis of European humanism and attempts to overcome this crisis through a different idea of a human being. Based on the analysis of the philosophical views of M. Heidegger, A. Kojeve, G. Bataille, L. Althusser, M. Foucault and some other thinkers, the author shows the main stages of the development of anti-anthropologism in European philosophy: anti-fundamentalism, anti-humanism, structuralist and theoretical anti-humanism, and ontological anthropology. One of the objectives of this paper is to perform a retrospective analysis of the discourse about the human being in the 20th and 21st centuries. The article considers anti-fundamentalism in the philosophy of M. Heidegger, who dissolves anthropology in ontology. The author demonstrates that in the structural anthropology of C. Lévi-Strauss the problem of unconscious processes paves the way for anti-anthropology. Attention is paid to the influence on philosophical anthropology of the philosophy of M. Foucault, whose interests lie not in the human subject, but in discourse structures. He replaces anthropology with epistemology. The article reveals the essence of the ontological turn in anthropology and discusses the key ideas of ontological anthropology and the concept of multinaturalism. It is emphasized that ontological anthropology not only raises ethical issues, but also aims to reformat our traditional understanding of the world and society. The author stresses the inadequacy of the anti-anthropological trends aimed at discovering a place of harmonious coexistence beyond humanity and postulating the idea of abandoning the traditional understanding of a human being. With the prospects of such a fundamental change, the question inevitably arises of a new axiological model of value orientations, which cannot be resolved without turning to the discourse about the human being.

Geopoetic Image as a Cultural Token, Process and Result of Aesthetic Reality Modeling

The research field of geopoetics as the theory of studying creative forms and ways of human interaction with the geographic space, the multidimensional concept shaped by the syncretic perception of reality, is expanding dynamically in the aspect of space interpretation and modeling. Such research prism facilitates addressing projective meanings of the modeled reality, studying geopoetic image as a cultural sign, process and result of aesthetic display and representation of reality. Taking into account the relevance of the problem, the authors of the article set a goal to investigate the semiotic triad of St. Petersburg, the emotional component of the axiological model and its semantic transformations: Petropol’ - Petrograd - Leningrad, that permits to present a multilateral description of geopoetic image modifications. The research logic is dictated by the fact that the conceptualization of space in its various manifestations is associated with the study of the territory as an object of aesthetic reflection. The study analyzes creative embodiment of a particular toponym in its dual rational and emotional essence as a fact of verbal art. Transformation and treatment of geopoetic image meanings of St. Petersburg based on the spheres of urban semiotics are analyzed in the aspect of giving new meanings and semantics to the place in the context of spatial and cultural historical relations and models. The authors argue that geopoetic image is a special representation of geographical space in its historical and cultural, value and semantic nature and fusion in their unity. The existing territory can be presented as a compact axiological model through the “prism” of socio-cultural values, signs and symbols. Actualization of the palimpsest concept based on the combination of textual layers, research of peculiarities of structural meaning modeling enable addressing the reconstruction of the semiotic system and variant semantics of “city mirror” texts.

Legitimisation of Language in 2022 ASUU vs FGN Impasse

Every functional society consists of active shareholders (the leaders and the lead) whose activities are complimentary and must be constantly synergistic. In the event that the required cohesion is to be disturbed, the spectrum inviting such typically owes the other segments of society some form of explanation for such an action. Consequently, this study sets to investigate the linguistic resources deployed for legitimisation in ASUU’s press release of March,2020. To achieve this, Paul Cap’s (2005,2006) Spatial, Temporal and Axiological (STA) model of legitimisation was deployed to analyse for proximisation in the corpus. It was found that the linguistic resources used in the speech represented predominant instances of Spatial, Temporal and Axiological dimensions; ASUU deployed linguistic features for positive proximisation to justify their claims for an extended (indefinite) strike action and negative proximisation when expressing their existential realities, with the Nigerian federal government, in the education sector. The study concludes that judging from the gory realities in the education sector (which ASUU is seen to strongly advocate against), ASUU’s insistence on the federal and state governments to adequately fund the sector is deserving of the needed attention. To this end, it is hoped that the education sector will receive a big boost, if ASUU’s educational gatekeeper role is taken seriously by the concerned relevant stakeholders (government or school proprietors).

AXIOLOGICAL MODEL OF THE “NEW MAN” IN CHINA

The article is devoted to the problem of man in the anthropological dimension in China, where Confucianism was the main spiritual factor of Chinese culture. Against the background of ongoing significant changes in the traditional way of thinking of the Chinese, new value principles have not yet been formed, but old traditional attitudes are being destroyed. Therefore, awareness of the hu-man problem in the anthropological dimension comes to the fore. In addition to modernization in the economic sphere, China is developing its own concept of human modernization, which differs significantly from the Western theory of modernization. In con-nection with the ongoing development of the country, it was important to turn to the traditional concept of morality, on the basis of which a certain axiological model of the “new man” is formed. This model is formulated on the basis of the fundamental ideas of Chinese traditional culture, the content of which is related to the formation of a comprehensively developed person. The anthropo-logical model of the "new man" comes from the Confucian principle "man at the core", which is aimed at the comprehensive devel-opment of man, proceeds from the fundamental interests of the people, promotes development aimed at satisfying the material and spiritual needs of the people, their political and cultural interests. "A person at the core" implies a development in which a per-son is declared the highest value, and relationships between people are built on the basis of respect, understanding and care. The axiological development of man in China is on a par with the political, economic and social construction of the country. In this situa-tion, it becomes necessary to educate a person with a higher level of organization of consciousness, able to adapt to any changes.

Ideologemes as a Speech Influence Tool in Public Discourse of the Spanish Monarchy

In recent years, in political linguistics, intercultural communication, sociology and other humanities, ideologemes have been widely studied. In many studies, they are often regarded as a worldview setting, expressed in a linguistic form, as a cognitive-pragmatic tool to promote ideology, and as an effective way to influence public consciousness in political communication. In any public political speech, ideologemes are a means of categorizing the world and translating value coordinates – a certain axiological model in the public mind. Ideologemes usually convey the main ideological and value related orientations of a society. In crucial moments, ideologemes can be a tool for reshaping the public opinion and forming the “right” attitude on the part of the speaker. They are also widely used in various subcultures that try to stand out. In other words, ideologemes help form axiological categories, whose analysis is necessary when describing the mentality of a particular society and its accepted behavior patterns. This article focuses on the ideologemes of the Spanish King Felipe VI, who, like his predecessor Juan Carlos I, is the embodiment of the traditional Spanish mentality. We have analyzed the King’s speeches not only from the point of view of their content, ideologically and politically speaking, but also within the pragmatic framework of the selected speeches, looking at the socio-political context and the addressee. The analysis has shown that the frequent use of ideologemes helps the leader promote the ideas of national unity, justice, sacrifice, international cooperation, etc. Due to the Catalonian separatism, the national unity narrative is widely used by the monarch and plays a very important role in modern Spain. With the help of ideologemes, taking into account the multicultural Spanish society, which was deeply fractured, the King conveys ideas about (a) the political foundations of the state, (b) basic values, (c) the national character, and (d) the current socio-political situation in Spain. On the international stage, the main functions of ideologemes are (a) to proclaim the need for international cooperation, (b) to create a positive political image of Spain as a reliable partner, and (c) to declare commitment to the basic principles of democracy.

Strategy and tactics of current professional education: axiological approach

This paper links with the relevance of the authors’ longitudinal research intended to meet the pedagogue and student interests, possibilities, and their motives for recurrent education based on personalized training strategy and tactics in the frameworks of current university education and additional professional programs of the In-Service. The research aims to provide some of the prospects on creating axiological priorities of professional education spaces in line with innovative approaches to teaching and learning the ways of interpretation of database on the «difficult» issues of Russian History and Culture, and on fostering dominant values into a personality space of a learner within the frames and architectonics of the humanitarian environment of modern scientific and methodological support of Russian education. Methodology and materials of the research based on the main concepts of acculturation of the educational environment, harmonious interaction of both educators and learners, historical memo, national and language consciousness, are focused on transforming the socio-cultural atmosphere of the country where the dominant values of national and cultural identity have sharply worsened over the past twenty years. The findings concern the axiological model of «management techniques» on the solution of «difficult» questions of Russian culture and national public school system of education.

ВЕРБАЛІЗАЦІЯ АКСІОЛОГІЧНОЇ МОДЕЛІ АНДАЛУЗЬКИХ ЦИГАН І УКРАЇНЦІВ НА ПРИКЛАДІ ВЕСІЛЬНИХ ПІСЕНЬ

This article is devoted to the analysis of the representation of axiological values by means of the popular ritual wedding songs of Andalusian gypsies and Ukrainians. Axiological values shown through the text of the wedding songs of Andalusian gypsies and Ukrainians are considered. The ways of language expression of both national ritual songs are estimated. The research reveals the values expressed via metaphorical images, symbols and periphrasis which codify popular language. Similar frames of Andalusian gypsy and Ukrainian wedding songs are discovered. It is observed that such family values as chastity and welfare are pictured with the use of expressive means of the language in both ritual wedding songs of Andalusian gypsies and of Ukrainians. The cultural nature of appreciation of these axiological values is studied. Tentative mechanism of influence of the wedding songs on the younger generation is explained. A great educational power and an important pedagogical role of the wedding songs are highlighted. It is concluded that ritual wedding songs are a powerful medium (channel) of saving the traditional axiological model, behavior patterns, esthetic and moral values. The directions of further scientific research are considered:1) they may include a study of the psychological mechanism of metaphor, periphrasis and symbols in ritual songs and lullabies of both cultures or 2) they may involve an experimental study between the people of different cultures to know how they understand the metaphor formed in national and foreign cultures.

Indicators for measuring Europeanisation ad extra in the EU civilian mission in Bosnia and Hercegovina from 2003-2012

This paper presents a quantitative and qualitative measurement of the components of Europeanisation ad extra in the EU civilian mission in Bosnia and Hercegovina from 2003-2012. The study aims to show that Europeanisation ad extra affects third countries to a certain extent and it is thus a form of exporting the European organisational, normative, and axiological model. The exploration relates to a completed civil mission. For the needs of this study, the Author generated two basic indicators; one quantitative and one qualitative, and used them as tools for synthesising and categorising the studied area, based on the assumption that, in this way, it will be possible to measure the intensity of the Europeanisation process in the external trajectory (ad extra). The analysis of the quantitative and qualitative indices shows the number of activities in the area of security carried out in the framework of the civilian missions in question. As evidenced by these indicators, the export of European norms, values, solutions, and practices is more likely to succeed for the Balkans than for other continents where EU civilian missions are deployed. Measurement of the Europeanisation ad extra, taking the example of Bosnia and Hercegovina, proves that in its expeditionary policy, the European Union has a significant impact on third countries through transferring European standards in various areas of security such as social or axiological.

Selected personality dimensions and occupational burnout in the group of professional and volunteer firefighters

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between selected personality dimensions and occupational burnout among professional and volunteer firefighters. Difficult conditions are the cause of loss of not only health but also life. Such working conditions may cause occupational burnout consisting of employee's exhaustion. The group under examination consisted of 164 firefighters, including 76 volunteers aged 19-61 years (M = 32.49, SD = 9.21) and 88 professional firefighters aged 20-49 years (M = 33.85, SD = 10.05). This research employed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Gough and Heilburn's Adjective Check List along with the Personality and Axiological Model (MOA) (competences, relations, autonomy). The results of the conducted research indicate differences between the examined groups of firefighters in personality dimensions (Ord: t = -2.739, p = 0.006; Mls: t = -2.159, p = 0.032; competences t = -2.390, p = 0.017). The research also enabled assessing the correlations with occupational burnout. The greatest relationship with occupational burnout in the group of volunteer firefighters concerns succorance (Suc) and total occupational burnout, and the greatest relationship with occupational burnout in the group of professional firefighters pertains to the competence dimension from the MOA model. The results of the conducted research should be related to the cognitive aspect (the application of the new MOA model in this professional group) and attention should be paid to the personality differences between the groups of volunteer and professional firefighters. The application value for more effective work of psychologists with this professional group is also important in terms of the results obtained. Med Pr. 2021;72(5):509-19.

AXIOLOGICAL MODELS OF EDUCATIONIN THE CONTEXT OF ITS CONTINUITY

The purpose of the study. The article discusses various axiological models of education in the aspect of ensuring the continuity of the educational process. Education is analyzed as a process that combines organizational, process and resultant components. The aim of the study is to identify and substantiate educational models from the point of view of value bases. This is due to the need to choose a specific model or a combination of them, depending on social conditions and institutional factors. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted research, the author comes to the conclusion that at present it is advisable to define a number of axiological educational models, each of which is based on certain value ideas about the images of the ideal personality of students: the traditional Christian image, the image based on socio-pedagogical determinism; the image based on natural determinism; the humanistic image. The philosophical-axiological approach allows us to distinguish four axiological models of education: theocentric, sociocentric, nature-centric and anthropocentric. The choice of a particular model is determined by the ideological orientation of the subject of the learning process, the specific historical conditions of the development of society, the state's requests for educational results, personal and professional qualities of students. The author concludes that there is a need for a differentiated approach to the definition of a specific axiological model of education, which will be more effective if it is enriched with elements of other models.

Cognitive- behavioral psychotherapy of patients with tinnitus.

In this work 112 studies were reviewed and 21 of them were considered as more reliable and more credible. It is well known that Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most valid approach regarding its effectiveness. There are many variations of CBT used in patients with tinnitus, but the most effective appears to be the Cognitive-Behavioural Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Also, treatment-variations consist in the use of hearing aids, and psycho-education. The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a third-generation psychological intervention invented by Steven Hayes in 1986. This therapy also applies to the treatment of many psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, psychoses and substance use problems, and chronic diseases. The purpose of this therapy is not to reduce symptoms, but to improve health and behaviour changes in order for the patient to accept the inevitable pain involved in his/her condition. There are other forms of therapy that come from the broader spectrum of CBT, such as book-therapy (self-help method), rehabilitation treatment of tinnitus, and the Axiological Model based solely on cognitive psychotherapy inspired by the CBT founder, Aaron Beck. Because the latter treatment is at its first steps, there is no literature yet, and it must be considered as an experimental model. It is also well known that intervention with CBT could significantly reduce the anxiety and stress caused by tinnitus. The CBT technique incorporates many elements used to treat tinnitus, such as self-assessment, applied relaxation, cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and positive mental imagery. Finally, it becomes apparent that the tinnitus problem, which is serious for these patients, is increasingly affecting the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic communities.

HUMANITARIAN SELF-DETERMINATION OF A PERSONALITY: REGIONAL AND AXIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Problem statement of this study links with the relevance of the authors’ longitudinal research in-tended to meet the pedagogues’ interests, possibilities, and their motives for recurrent education based on personalized training strategy and tactics in the frameworks of current university edu-cation and additional professional programmes of the In-Service Institute. The purpose of this paper is to stand back from the surface details of formal and informal education of teachers and to provide some of the prospects on creating axiological priorities of professional education spaces in line with innovative approaches to teaching and learning the ways of interpretation of database on the «difficult» issues of National History and Culture. Methodology and materials of the research reflect on the main concepts of acculturation of the educational environment, harmonious interaction of both educators and learners, historical memo, national and language consciousness which constitute the basis for the comprehensive value dominant model, and are focused on transforming the socio-cultural atmosphere of a particular region and the country where the dominant values of national and cultural identity have sharply worsened during the past twenty years. Results and their discussion based on scientific exposition that concern the axiology of the problem statements distinguished via three main groups of scholarship, method-ology and pedagogy of civil education and national public school education in the frameworks of the problem issues of what to teach (Knowledge Content) and the issue of how to establish for training and learning of students innovation educational practices (Technological Aspects) for efficacy (Personality ConceptSphere of Dominant Values). In conclusion, there come some of the authors’ findings on personalized training and learning that compose the axiological model of «management techniques» on the solution of «difficult» questions of Russian history integrat-ed into the concept sphere of the learner via the Thesaurus and Knowledge Content efficacy of additional professional programmes.

Online vs. offline: axiological model of educational Rhizoma-like professional spaces

It is curious to reflect that so much significance has been given to Tutoring for teachers within the period of COVID-19 pandemic in the spaces of some destructive changes of the postmodernism educational paradigm. Both the behaviorist/structural model and functional /communicative model have, in their different ways and aspects, consistently played it in terms of the emphasis on correspondence, on-line and off-line courses. This study suggests some ways of opening up daily situations and cases with ICT means for learners in the regional professional spaces of modern language teaching in terms of axiological approach that considers student-centered techniques as a priority a) to establish the psychological balance in the classroom, which is essential for security and stability of the communicative environment and educational process for each participant; b) to fill the gap in different sections of Grammar and Vocabulary for any learner; c) to open up the possibilities for both gifted children and children/adults with special needs.

Етичне та ірраціональне в ліро-епічній пісні (на прикладі народних балад)

The love in the Ukrainian folk ballad is the center of the axiological model, associated with the concepts of “care”, “tenderness”, “warmth”, “joy” and so on. At the same time, this feeling often appears in antinomies, as it can become a powerful destructive force, shattering destinies and entire worlds. The aim of the work is to clarify the dialectic of ethical and irrational in Ukrainian ballads about love and premarital relationships, family life. Among the tasks: to trace the opposition structure of the concept of “love”; to find out the dialectic of the ethical and the irrational in the folk ballad. The vital meaning of the subject is characterized by certain conceptual features: the desire to achieve love, to have a loved one, to give happiness, to die for love, to fight with the world for their feelings, to know the essence of love, to expose indifference to recklessness. Carelessness as a human defect that causes tragedy appears in several realities of the song. Love in the dramatic boundaries of the work becomes not only the world but also the universe. With the death of a loved one does not come the death of love, because a stressful situation exacerbates these feelings, and partially manifests them in the human mind. Textual analysis of ballads reveals that often in life love is associated with a change of ideas, life meanings of the subject, a state of spiritual confusion. Love is distinguished by ambivalence: through suffering or hopelessness it turns into hatred. You can draw the same parallels by exploring the existence of love in folk ballads. The antinomy of the individual and the social in the studied lyrical songs is manifested at the level of a special human reality. Important concepts of “boon”, “care”, “mercy” are taken beyond positive emotional perception: the power of love becomes another force. On the example of such ballads we can trace the realization of educational and psychological functions: to encourage rethinking of the act, to teach a person to love the world and other people with true love, to help in spiritual growth. The ambivalence of love is manifested even at the level of poetic structuring of the text. Even this oppositional structure of the concept of «love», represented in the ballad, confirms the indirect discursive orientation of folklore on the model of the anthropological model, which is structured according to the system of values of the Ukrainian ethnic group. The essential assessment of an event or character of a folklore work, presented at the level of recognition – denial, contributes to the assertion of axiological constants: love in harmony, spiritual unity, mutual aid, tenderness and care as a synthesis of ethical and rational, goodness and beauty can bring this feeling to the horizon of majesty and eternity. Thus, in a folk ballad, the folklore image of a loved one is revealed at the level of cognitive activity of the society and the whole ethnic group.

Comprehensive model of safe educational spaces and lifelong learning for educators: regional approach

This article considers approaches to the strategies and tactics of the methodological support for modern teachers’ activity in the frameworks of the National Project on Education as seen and presented via innovation humanitarian practices in the current professional community of the Regional Destination (Novosibirsk, Russia). Of particular theoretical and practical significance is the identification of the degree of objectivity and safety of the rationale of Tutoring within a network of consulting centers to provide methodological support for assessing the quality of professional skills and knowledge of educators of the Lifelong Learning stage. The empirical array is the regional centers’ activity in the aspect of functional literacy of the participants as the main message of theory, practice and provisions of the comprehensive axiological model of the regional information and education spaces. The conclusion is made on inconsistency of personalized teaching and learning as well as on management of continuing education.

Scientific work and life of Edith Stein - psychological assumptions of empathy in the light of the problem of ecumenism

The article is an attempt to analyze the manifestations of empathy in Edith Stein's scientific work and life, and it draws attention to the psychological role of empathy in the development of personality. It is worth emphasizing the importance of both the very figure of Husserl's outstanding student and the ecumenical significance of her work. The concept of "empathy" appeared in the first decades of the 20th century and the basis for the analysis of this phenomenon was philosophical (phenomenological) deliberations on the problem of cognition of other people's psychic states. One of the first psychologists to draw on the achievements of phenomenologists and apply the term Die Einfühlung was Theodor Lipps. In the Anglo-Saxon literature this term was translated as "empathy" or "sharing feelings with...". In psychotherapy today, important findings in the field of empathy were made by a Rogers and Batson, in Poland Rembowski. The article presents fragments of Edith Stein's selected writings, letters and statements, which bear testimony to her interest in the problem of empathy both in her scientific work and in her personal life. The factual material presented and its analysis is additionally based on the Personality and Axiological Model by Mróz, which focuses on the dimensions of competence, social relations and autonomy. Stein's biographical facts and statements on empathy are presented with emphasis on the relations and dependencies between the scholar's psychobiography and the dimensions of the MOA and references to the issues of ecumenism.

The Pandemic Lockdown Discourse Space: A Critical Cognitive-pragmatic Analysis

Recently, a new coronavirus disease COVID-19 has emerged as a respiratory infection with significant concern for global public health hazards. WHO was alarmed with the growing curve of confirmed cases and death tolls that have been globally reported. During this pandemic, ‘social distancing’ and lockdown were encouraged to flatten the curve which has had major social, political, and economic consequences. Drawing on data from PM Boris Johnson’s and President Donald Trump’s public speeches after WHO’s declaration of the pandemic state, the current study aimed to explore the conceptual and spatial representation of lockdown during the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK and U.S. from a cognitive perspective. Based on a spatial-temporal and axiological model, this study examined the discursive strategies used by the UK and U.S. governments to legitimize the countries’ full or partial lockdown. Applying Cap’s Proximization Theory, a cognitive-pragmatic model of threat construction, this study investigated how these administrations constructed threat by deploying construal of relations between entities within the Discourse Space. The findings revealed how DS between the conceptualizers’ deictic centre and the threat was curtailed or broadened using conceptual, lexico-grammatical, and coercive strategies. The results showed that PM Johnson relied heavily on a dynamic discursive representation of threat; whereas, President Trump represented the Chinese threat statically. The former appealed to conceptualizers’ fear by broadening the distance between the threat and conceptualizers using promising proximization; whereas, the latter downplayed the virus’ risk blaming it on others, positioning adversary state(s) as source of threat in mental space.