Philosophical Congress Research Articles

A Man of Intellectual Integrity: А Philosopher, a Culturologist, a Logician (Solonin Yury Nikiforovich – Scientist of St. Petersburg State University)

The 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg (Leningrad) State University (February 2024) is an occasion to remember the wonderful scientists who devoted their entire lives to their beloved university. The article is devoted to the scientific work of the philosopher Yu. N. Solonin, noted for his contribution to the theory of philosophy, cultural studies, and communication studies. Yury Nikiforovich was born on June 5, 1941 in Tbilisi. After graduating in 1966 from the Faculty of Philosophy of Leningrad State University, named after A. A. Zhdanov, majoring in logic, he stayed to work at the university, until 1980 he taught at the Faculty of Philosophy, and in 1980 he became a professor at the Faculty of Journalism and Head of the Foreign Press Department, then Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, and in 1989, having defended his doctoral dissertation “Science as a subject of philosophical analysis”, was elected dean of the Faculty of Philosophy. He was elected to the State Duma as a single candidate from such parties as the Unity Party of Russia, Fatherland, SPS and Yabloko. In 2005 Yu. N. Solonin became a member of the Federation Council of Russia, putting the issues of culture and the development of civil society on a practical plane. The range of scientific interests of Yury Nikiforovich Solonin is practically inexhaustible. He addresses not only the history of philosophy and culture, but also the political and ideological life of Russian society, the role of mass media in its development. A scientist is an excellent organizer of science. In the 1990s he managed to preserve the best traditions and maintain the scientific educational status of philosophy. The famous scientist became vice-president of the Russian Philosophical Society and led the work of the first Russian Philosophical Congress in Russian history in 1997. The tradition of the Days of St. Petersburg Philosophy, conceived by Yury Nikiforovich as a large-scale scientific event, is still alive. As part of the Days, several international and all-Russian representative conferences are held annually in November. Circle of scientific interests of Yu. N. Solonin is practically inexhaustible. He addresses not only the history of philosophy and culture, but also the political and ideological life of Russian society, writes about the role of mass media in its development. A scientist is an excellent organizer of science. In the 1990s he managed to preserve the best traditions and maintain the scientific educational status of philosophy. The famous scientist became vice-president of the Russian Philosophical Society and led the work of the first Russian Philosophical Congress in Russian history in 1997. The significance of this scientific publication is the fact that it contains the philosophical ideas of Solonin, which were ahead of their time in many respects and have not lost their relevance and today can be filled with new meanings.

Indian Philosophy and Some Perspectives of Non-Violence

Abstract The interview given by Dilipkumar Mohanta (b.1959), a Professor of Philosophy in the University of Calcutta (India). He is presently the Joint Secretary of Indian Philosophical Congress (Estd. 1925). He is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kalyani, and also the founder Vice-Chancellor of the Sanskrit College and University. He is a former member of Indian Council of Philosophical Research. Professor Mohanta is the recipient of number of awards for his academic contribution; such as US Government State Scholar Award (2008) at the University of California (Santa Barbara), Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Lecturer (2011) at the University of Florida, William Paton Fellowship at the University of Birmingham (2015), IUC Associate at IIAS (Shimla, 2001-2003), Professor B. M. Barua Samman (award) in 2016, Jan Jacobsen prize (2016), Manjusree Samman (2022), Kamaladevi Smriti Samman (2022). He is the author of 15 books and 60 papers (in English & Bengali) published in journals in India and abroad. Cognitive Scepticism and Indian Philosophy, Studies in Vaidalyasutra of Nagarjuna, Studies in Jayarasibhatta’s Critique of Knowing from Words, Advaita-Siddhanta-Sara-samgraha (Sanskrit text with Introduction in English), Collected Works of Brajendra Nath Seal (ed.) are some of his important books in English. Mohanta also authored some books on Buddhist Philosophy, Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion and Political Philosophy in Bengali.

The Unknown Reviews by S.L. Frank in the “Neue Züricher Zeitung”

Оffers a historical-philosophical reconstruction of Frank’s collaboration with the Swiss newspaper “Neue Züricher Zeitung” in the late 1920s and 1930s. The circumstances of Frank’s contacts with the newspaper’s editor Hans Barth are analysed on the basis of archival material and the correspondence ran between the philosophers. It is established that the beginning of their intensive collaboration was laid at the 8th International Philosophical Congress, held in Prague in 1934. Following this event, Barth not only began to publish regularly Frank’s texts in the Swiss newspaper, but was also involved in organising his lecture tours to Switzerland and assisted in finding publishers for the first German edition of Frank’s work, Das Unergründliche ( The Unknowable ). Particular attention is paid to the context of Frank’s publications in the “Neue Züricher Zeitung”, and in particular to his reviews of works by French thinkers René Le Senn ( Obstacle and Value ) and Eugene Augustovich Minkowski ( Towards a Cosmology. Philosophical Fragments ). The circumstances of the Russian philosopher’s acquaintance and communication with the French authors are discussed. Their responses to Frank’s reviews, which are preserved in their personal correspondence, are described. Frank’s critical approach toward M. Heidegger’s fundamental ontology, which appear in the review, is also presented.

О III РОССИЙСКОМ ФИЛОСОФСКОМ КОНГРЕССЕ: ДВАДЦАТЬ ЛЕТ СПУСТЯ

The article reconstructs the main events and ideas of the III Russian Philosophical Congress held in Rostov-on-Don in 2002. Quantitative characteristics of the events, topics of plenary and breakout sessions, colloquiums and round tables are given. The chronology of events and the emotional and intellectual atmosphere of the congress are being restored. The article is not limited to memorial tasks only. A number of theoretical positions containing an analysis of the socio-cultural situation at the turn of the second and third millennia, opening the space of modern social consciousness, are given. The realities of this world – reason, science, morality, their convergence and divergence and their civilizational differences are the subject of ongoing discussions. The discussion of the future of Russian philosophy, held at the congress, and its fate is characterized. Attention is focused on the problem of life meanings that are significant for society and central to philosophy. The role and significance of the ideas of the Russian Philosophical Congress held in Rostov-on-Don for modern intellectual life is substantiated.

Introduction

On behalf of myself and the editors for this debut edition, Yunus Tuncel and Francesca Ferrando, we are most pleased to offer the first issue of the Journal of the World Posthuman Society, 'Infinity: A Journal for Posthumanists'. The papers collected here were presented at the 24th World Congress of Philosophy held in Beijing in 2018. Paper are drawn from Roundtables and Workshops organized to accommodate the surging interest in Posthumanism. The reader may accept my assurance that within these pages is contained some of the most avant garde thinking in this bourgeoning movement in philosophy.

Философия в полицентричном мире: о VIII Российском философском конгрессе

The main issues discussed at the VIII Russian Philosophical Congress held in Moscow are considered, an assessment of its results is given. The appeal to the memory of outstanding Russian philosophers A.A. Zinoviev, V.V. Mironov, V.S. Stepin, I.T. Frolov, B.G. Yudin and other colleagues-philosophers gave the work of the congress the character of a philosophical reconstruction carried out in the space of personal knowledge. The question of the polycentricity of the modern world allowed us to proceed to the consideration of the civiliza­tional ideas of Russian philosophers. The issues of civilizational differences and relations between Russia and the West found a significant addition at the plenary session “A.A. Zinoviev’s Philosophy and Modernity”, at which A.A. Guseynov, V.A. Lectorsky, A.P. Kozyrev and others spoke. The recognition of civilizational diversity, as A.V. Smirnov specially noted, involves thinking about the poly­centricity of philosophy itself, about its role in ensuring the “coherence” of cul­ture as an integrity. The symposium dedicated to the memory of V.V. Mironov, “Metaphysics does not die”, allowed us to draw a number of generalizing con­clusions about the metaphysical foundations of philosophy and the need to un­derstand it as a form of cultural self-consciousness and civic identity.

«Философский конгресс. Pilot» Беседа А.Ю. Антоновского и О.В. Никифорова с академиком А.В. Смирновым

Conversation of A.Yu. Antonovsky and O.V. Nikiforov with Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.V. Smirnov about the problems and features of modern Russian philosophy, about the history of Russian and foreign philoso­phy, about polycentricity in the context of the VIII All-Russian Philosophical Congress (“Philosophy in a Polycentric World”)

When Is Poetry Political? Césaire on the Role of Knowledge in 1944

This essay investigates a moment for Caribbean knowledge production in which intellectuals, gathered in Haiti in 1944 for an International Congress of Philosophy, questioned whether to politicize knowledge or to seclude it from politics. Focusing on Aimé Césaire’s “Poetry and Knowledge,” the author compares the 1944 conference paper with the version published in Tropiques in 1945 to show a feedback loop between poetry and politics. The war, the isolation, and the intellectual evolution of Tropiques coalesced to form a new environment that prompted Césaire to rethink the relation between poetic practice and political relevance. Illuminating the relation between poetry and politics, “Poetry and Knowledge” is symptomatic of an epistemological shift from poetic writing geared toward political actions to poetic knowledge uncorrupted by political considerations that prepared Césaire for undertaking in 1945 a new literary and political trajectory.

Women in Philosophical Congresses and Conventions (review of postcongressial publications)

The article presents an analysis of women’s participation in the world philosophical congresses held between 1900 and 1914: in Paris (1900), Geneva (1905), Heidelberg (1908), and Bologna (1911). The range of problems and contents of the papers delivered by the women at these congresses are reviewed, and their intellectual biographies are briefly described. It is shown that male philosophers were overwhelmingly among the participants in the congresses, while women were a rare exception. Particular attention is given in the article to identifying the reasons for the lack of women’s involvement in philosophy. The main reason is claimed to be the ban on higher, including philosophical, education for women, which lasted until the First World War and the October Revolution. In addition, there were real obstacles to building a professional philosophical career for women, even if they did have academic degrees. Nevertheless, women during the 19th century not only took an interest in philosophy, translated philosophical texts, organized philosophical publishing houses, edited philosophical articles and books, but also lectured on philosophy and acted as independent and original researchers. It is concluded that the full inclusion of women in the philosophical community is a prerequisite for the further development of philosophical culture. Unfortunately, despite the fact that women formally have the same equal rights and chances as men in terms of education, work, and life, in practice these rights and chances are very different.

Философия с высоты времен: обзор работы V Международного конгресса в Бари

Философия с высоты времен: обзор работы V Международного конгресса в Бари

'Epistemology Naturalized' and the Vienna Circle

This paper considers W.V.O. Quine's inauguration of naturalistic epistemology at the 14th International Congress of Philosophy in Vienna in 1969 and argues that, contrary to his suggestions, naturalistic epistemology was practiced in the Vienna Circle already back in the days when he visited them fresh out of graduate school.

Pensamiento Europeo y Latinoamericano en Diálogo. Claves para la Formación Social y Ética

 In this article we develop our presentation presented at the XVII National Congress of Philosophy, “Critical reflection, teaching of Philosophy and crisis of humanity” (Huánuco 2019), entitled: “European thought, personalism and Latin American philosophy. Contributions for a social ethic in a solidary and integral humanism ”. We expose the dialogue and encounter between a series of currents of thought and culture inspired by faith such as European or Western, the labor movement, personalism or Latin American thought with its theological background; with authors such as E. Mounier, G. Rovirosa, I. Ellacuría, etc. Which provides us with keys and guidelines for a social thought, a culture of solidarity and ethics manifested in an integral humanism that enables a critical, liberating and transforming education-training. In this sense, it is about promoting values and principles such as solidarity, peace, justice, interculturality, integral ecology together with good living that guide a critical and transformative formative-pedagogical paradigm or model.

Университет и конгресс как междисциплинарная коммуникативная среда (опыт философского сопоставления)

The article actualizes the problem of the university community as a key meaning-forming scientific environment and the congress as a form of scientific communication. The perspectives of interdisciplinary communication in the university environment and also the experience of Russian philosophical congresses, which have become an important factor in the scientific consolidation of the Russian philosophical community, are considered as material for this kind of comparison, designed to demonstrate the substantial similarity of the problems arising in scientific communities. The author notes the similarity of the problems arising in the formation process of the disciplinary diversity (specialization) of the university environment and the similarity between the functioning of the classical within a modern university (on the example of Belgorod State University) and the problems that are solved at philosophical congresses. Philosophical congresses help to overcome a period of disciplinary fragmentation, which philosophy is now also going through. At the same time, the author notes the importance of the experience gained within the framework of philosophical congresses for solving the problems of university education, in which philosophy traditionally plays an important role in ensuring interdisciplinary communication between faculties. It explains the need for consistent and various attention to philosophical congresses on the part of Russian national universities, which are going through the time of searching for historically well-timed forms of scientific and educational activity. Due to the practical development of personal worldview and methodological beginnings of cognitive activity of high educational level, the author proposes for discussion at the upcoming philosophical congresses (Russian and international) topics related to the question of prospects of philosophical communities in universities. According to the author, it can be the subject of a broad discussion at the next Russian philosophical congress.

Присвоение философского Конгресса

Communication of philosophers is one of the necessary conditions for holding International Philosophical Congresses. This article problematizes the format of a philosophical congress concerning political and scientific congresses, on the one hand, and international art forums and biennials, on the other. The author notes that another area related to philosophy – poetry – also has a congress format in several competitions, but it differs significantly from a philosophical congress. In addition, the article focuses on the problem of locality and univer­sality in the production of philosophical concepts. The author pays special atten­tion to the language of global philosophical forums, emphasizing that it evolved under the influence of a shift in the socio-economic and cultural center. To the ex­tent that philosophy is inseparable from culture and the language spoken by the philosopher, it recognizes itself as a part of the culture, as a derivative of topos and its time. The author believes that to increase interest in the origins of Russian thought, it would be appropriate to expand the area of exchange of views at national conferences and world congresses. Such an instrument can be philosophical and related prizes, since they contribute to the growth of in­terest in Russian thought, and also constitute a reliable basis for philosophical communication.

Ценностно-смысловые доминанты философского конгресса (поправки эпохи COVID-19)

The article is a revised version of a report prepared and read at the international scientific conference “What is a community? Social hermeneutics, power and media” (Belgorod, 2019). Changes’ took place that significantly clarify the very idea of the congress, its substantive content and historical relevance during the preparation for the publication of the following report materials within a few months (!). Communication as a living sense-forming beginning of the congress has been tested by the idea of social distance as some completely stable form of self-organization of the philosophical community. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the emergence of new conditions for its possibility: the personal turned out to be in some involuntary, “digital” identity with the public. It was impossible not to take these changes into account in the final edition of the text of the report, which included some additional semantic accents and historical in­formation. The presented material specifies the historical semantics of the idea of a philosophical congress, its substantive content and relevance. The article substantiates the understanding of the congress as a special, value-rich form of cognitive activism. The ethical and communicative meanings of the international philosophical congress are as a special or formative dialogic constellation of pro­fessional community, which does not require renouncing the individuality of each of the participants. It is thus important to suggest the moral prospects of the next VII Russian Philosophical Congress in probably an intensive connection with the renewal of value-epistemological attitudes and traditional technologies of philosophical education as an indispensable condition for the moral health of a philosophizing people.

Международный философский конгресс как пространство личного общения

The article looks into the World Philosophical Congress as a space for personal communication. The author examines the archival (primary epistolary) legacy of the organizers and participants of the Second Congress (Édouard Claparède, Henri Bergson, Vladimir Nikolaevich Ivanovsky, Georgy Ivanovich Chelpanov). H. Bergson’s letters to Ed. Claparède show us how the topics of speeches formed, what role journals played in organizing congresses, and how the partici­pants of this event reacted to the publication of reports and speeches. It is return­ing to the history (to the handwritten and published materials) of international philosophical congresses of the beginning of XX century, that allows us today to comprehend the trends in the development of Philosophical issues, to record the successive thematic areas that have not lost their relevance for modern intellec­tual culture, and also to show the existential specifics of reflection about con­gresses, which manifested itself in reviews of V.N. Ivanovsky and G.I. Chel­panov. Their discourse about plenary and sectional reports, evaluations of speeches, as well as general conclusions about the strength and weaknesses of this intellectual event in the life of the world (international) philosophical com­munity, resulted from their own philosophical interests. The most significant at­tention is paid to the “fatal flaws” of any philosophical congress (according to Chelpanov’s apt remark): lack of live communication (debate on reports), as well as “the lack of one language, equally accessible to all participants”. Both of these flaws are genuinely unavoidable. Even with the expansion of the technical possi­bilities of transferring information, the monologue of speakers and terminological pluralism persist throughout the existence of World philosophical congresses.

Поль Рикёр о совместном бытии людей (по страницам книги “Paul Ricoeur. Politique, économie et société. Écrits et conférences 4” (Paris, 2019))

The 4th volume of “Manuscripts and Speeches” by the prominent contemporary thinker Paul Ricoeur (1913‑2005) contains works discussing one of his central themes — the problem of a common existence of men considered from the point of view of politics, economics, power, law, culture, morality, and ethics. At the same time, the French thinker specifically highlights and discusses such burning problems of modern life as mutual recognition, the fragility of human existence and earthly civilization in general, tolerance, care, justice, responsibility for the future of humanity, for the very idea of man. In a number of works, Ricoeur expresses his views on the possible future of Europe — on its new ethos overcoming the boundaries and structures of national states, on the combination of their “identity” and “otherness” at the global level. Translation from one language to another as a kind of a priori communication, exchange of memory as a preliminary transfer to a different cultural environment, forgiveness that stems from the suffering of others and raises the question of the burden of debt, — all this is being considered as a models of integration. Originally presented at philosophical congresses and symposia, as well as qua journal publications, the highlighted problems were fundamentally studied by the philosopher in his works “History and Truth” (1955), “Oneself as Another” (1990), “Ethics and Responsibility” (1994), “The Just” (vols. 1, 2 — 1995, 2001), “Ideology and Utopia” (1997), “Memory, History, Oblivion” (2000), “The Way of Recognition” (2004). The book “Paul Ricoeur. Politics, Economics and Society. Manuscripts and Speeches 4” is addressed to philosophers, cultural and political scientists and scholars representing different branches of humanitarian studies, as well as to readers interested in contemporary philosophy.

Философские конгрессы:понимание и субъект-свидетель

The article considers philosophical congresses as phenomena of scientific and cultural life. The experience of holding international philosophical conferences “Russian Logos – 1. Horizons of Comprehension” and “Russian Logos – 2. Modern – Borders of Control” was illustrated illustratively, where a comprehen­sive diagnosis of research related to understanding the Russian logos was pre­sented. This revelation of unity in plurality is an actual strategy of acquiring meaning, which is extremely indicative in a situation where uncertainty appears as a challenge in science, philosophy, and culture. In terms of perspectives and benchmarks, it is precisely the reflection of uncertainty that characterizes the sit­uation (post) of modernity, acting as one of the intellectual gestures for overcom­ing the postmodern relativism. In conducting philosophical congresses, the eco­nomics of philosophical production in its reflexive and personal content is essential. It can be said that a topological strategy of sense genesis is being im­plemented with varying degrees of success. This is very important for the forma­tion of a possible philosophical community in Russia, which is quite hetero­geneous and controversial in a number of positions. In this context, there is an acute problem of creating a new philosophical “poem of affirmation”, which, for all the features of cultural differences, has similarities and kinship in the mul­tiplicity of projections. The leading role of topological reflection and subjectivity in their correlation with the landscape of life and cultural tradition is indicated. Particular attention is paid to the importance of ethical and aesthetic knowledge in the philosophical reflection of post-modernity. The figure of the subject-wit­ness is presented as an actual configuration of subjectivity in philosophical cre­ativity and socialization processes.

The Language Predicament in Science. On the World Congress of Philosophy

Introductory remarks of this article are reflections on monolingualism in science. In the following step, the article presents Hegel’s arguments in favor of multilingualism in science, illustrated on the example of Christian Wolff, and proceeds to discuss the position of German at the World Congress of Philosophy. The analysis shows that the use of German at the 23rd Convention in Athens in 2013 was in radical recline. When it comes to the predicament mentioned in the title, which is in close connection to the question whether science would be better suited by a universal language or language variety, more arguments seem to be in favor of multilingualism.

Международный философский конгресс как «самосознание философии»

The author suggests rethinking the institutional status of philosophy in the con­text of the analysis of International philosophical congresses as collective forms of expression of thought. It is stated that communication platforms for philo­sophical debates such as seminars, conferences, congresses, etc. largely deter­mine the content of philosophical knowledge, therefore it is impossible to raise the question of “pure” philosophy, free from the sphere of conversation (Tatiana G. Shchedrina), in which philosophy is produced as an event. Science and phi­losophy as communicative phenomena require collective forms of work. Scien­tific communities are an indispensable attribute of the existence of science, just like philosophy is the presence of a philosophical school, college, lyceum, acad­emy. Even if science and philosophy are done “armchairly”, then the “armchair” format also presupposes a communication platform, a network of communica­tion between different authors. In this sense, any conferences, congresses, and round tables – with a successful coincidence of academic circumstances – be­come not just a continuation of philosophy but also a direct part. On them, not only and not so much the “philosophical result” is presented, but the process of philosophizing is going on. This indisputable significance of World congresses as collective forms of philosophy and as its self-consciousness was recorded by the famous Russian logician N.A. Vasiliev when he was thinking about the re­sults of the Third World Congress of Philosophy.