Great Thinkers Research Articles

The 2024 Presidential Address. The power of humility.

Physicians generally underestimate their potential to influence social progress, despite substantial precedents for medical professionals leading important societal transformations. The author believes that our times require we challenge the notion that physicians have limited influence beyond clinical settings. Our voice is powerful and important. It needs to be heard. In light of these considerations, the author chose "What Matters" as the theme of the 2024 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting held in Chicago on May 3-6. The topic was reflective of his personal conviction that physicians, by virtue of the public respect and goodwill maintained through their dedication to the art and science of medicine, possess unparalleled potential to enhance both individual and societal health and well-being. The 2024 AANS scientific program committee determined to create an unprecedented program that would allow the community of neurosurgery to engage with some of the greatest minds in American medicine, academics, journalism, technology and public life. All contributors were invited to weave their insights regarding what truly matters into a broad, thought-provoking intellectual and spiritual tapestry. Universally resonant themes such as empathy, innovation, resilience, leadership, value, trust and equity framed the cooperative dialogues, emphasizing our shared humanity and the core values uniting us-despite our differences. The objectives for the 2024 Annual Meeting were ambitious: to consider as a professional community themes of utmost importance to our professional and personal lives; to catalyze a profound reevaluation of our collective objectives; to envision an expanded common mission; and to inspire visionary leaders to collaborate on creating lasting value-both for the patients who are the principal focus of our shared devotion, and for society writ large.

Analysis of Similarities and Discrepancies Between Chinese and Western Hermits Based on Tao Yuanming and Thoreau

Throughout history, the word “hermit” has been a universal concept in both Chinese and western cultures. Chinese and western hermits keep harmony in diversity. To some extent, in terms of some core values, they step on the same paths. At the same time, differences also make them shine uniquely. In ancient societies and modern world, their simple lifestyle and unshakable pursuit of inner purification have inspired people to seek for the real themselves. Their great minds, unique attitudes towards life and extraordinary contributions have significantly promoted the fields of literature, arts and philosophy. This thesis takes Tao Yuanming and Henry David Thoreau, who were typical figures of hermits as main examples, uses a comparative analysis approach, shedding light on the similarities and discrepancies between Chinese and western hermits. Additionally, it provides suggestions on how to live peacefully and easily. In our modern society full of involution and competition, it is of great significance to learn, inherit and internalize the precious spirits, thoughts and ideas from hermits.

Corrigendum to “Do Great Minds Think Alike? High-Ability Male and Female Students’ Perceptions of Mathematics”

Corrigendum to “Do Great Minds Think Alike? High-Ability Male and Female Students’ Perceptions of Mathematics”

La ortodoxia del modelo económico clásico y neoclásico: en hombros de gigantes

The objective of this reflection article is to vindicate great thinkers in economics who shaped the main theoretical postulates, philosophy and methodology of science, exposing their conceptual and theoretical framework for a comprehensive understanding of their most relevant contributions. In the development of the article, a historical description of the evolution of orthodox economic thought is offered, within a framework of analysis of recognition of economic doctrines from their historical, institutional, political, cultural and social situation, where their contributions are still significant for the interpretation of current reality, not in an absolute way due to the limitations of the assumptions, methods and historical interpretation of the authors, but with inputs that, objectively analyzed, provide validity and usefulness to economics professionals, and in general to all social scientists, for the exercises of positive economics of description, analysis and systematization of economic phenomena and of normative economics of intervention of reality through economic policy. The historical framework of the exhibition is until the 19th century, keeping in mind that, if the economy was built from classical and neoclassical orthodoxy, the alternative and subsequent currents are necessarily heirs, direct or indirect, of these giants of thought.

Today's cancer research and treatment - highly sophisticated and molecularly targeted, yet firmly bolstered in the classical theories.

Cancer research is linked to modern life-sciences, encompassing achievements in virology, yeast-biology, molecular-biology, genetics, systems-biology, bioinformatics, and so on. With these fascinating developments, it's easy to overlook that the fundamental theories and treatment strategies were established in the early 20th century and have remained valid ever since. Therefore, tribute must be paid to the founders of the field. The main hypotheses on carcinogenesis, the genetic model and the metabolic model, and the concept of cancer-treatment with cytotoxic, targeted or metabolic drugs were proposed more than 100 years ago by great minds such as T. Boveri, O. Warburg, and P. Ehrlich. Hence nothing about these cancer concepts is really new. Through development of powerful new technologies, we have been able to decipher the mechanisms of malignant transformation, thus significantly advancing the field. Our own studies have been focused on the cross-talk between cell-growth-signaling and lipid-metabolism in ovarian cancer to find crossover-points for co-targeting in order to achieve synergistic treatment effects. Notably, a side-effect of the application of current methods of molecular-cell-biology is a deeper knowledge of the laws of normal cell-biology and cell-life. Thus we anticipate the field will advance rapidly in the near future.

The view of the people in Nguyen Trai’s thought

Nguyen Trai (1380 - 1442) - A bright star in Vietnamese history, the most beautiful crystallization of the nation’s talent, virtue, spirit, and mettle, not only illuminating his era but also shine forever and ever. Nguyen Trai is not only a politician, a genius strategist, a cultural scholar, but also a great thinker. Nguyen Trai left our nation a valuable ideological heritage, of which the most prominent is Nguyen Trai's views on the people, expressed in the spirit of patriotism, love for the people, respect and sympathy for the people. people, in their deep hatred for the enemy; from the perspective of promoting the great role and strength of the people

THE THIRD RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT IN UZBEKISTAN

This article examines the periods of rapid development in science and culture in Central Asia, specifically the First and Second Renaissance periods and their essence. It also addresses the activities, exemplary lives, and unique works of the great thinkers who lived and worked during those times. The article provides analytical insights into the glorious history of Mavarannahr, the gradual decline of science in the region, the processes leading to the end of statehood, and their causes and consequences. It offers relevant information on the scientific study of the great past, the lives and spiritual legacy of the scholars of the First and Second Renaissance periods, and the historical foundation for the Third Renaissance, as well as its relevance to real life, along with appropriate conclusions and suggestions.

ABU RAYHON BERUNIY QARASHLARINING FALSAFIY TAFAKKUR RIVOJLANISHIDAGI AHAMIYATI

This article is devoted to the important role of the ontological and epistemological views and teachings of Abu Rayhan Beruni, the great thinker of the Renaissance in Central Asia, in the philosophical understanding of the rings in the society of that time.

«Гитартхасанграха» Абхинавагупты: альтернативная монистическая парадигма в интерпретации «Бхагавадгиты»

The article analyzes the main ideas of the Kashmiri philosopher Abhinavagupta’s (Xth – XIth cc.) commentary to the Bhagavadgītā – Gītārthasaṅgraha (Sanskrit, “Collection of meanings of the Gītā”), representing the paradigm of monism known as para-advaita (“supreme non-duality”), and different from Śaṅkara’s paradigm of advaita (“non-duality”) reflected in his Gītābhāṣya (“Commentary on the Gita”). The interpretations of the Bhagavadgītā, the only text commented on by both great thinkers, illustrate how each of them defends the idea of the ab­solute unity of the empirical subject (jīva) and the Absolute (Brahman) as the very essence of the Bhagavadgītā philosophy, but interprets this unity differently in dealing with this and other issues. The author sees the most striking difference between their approaches, also observed in the mentioned commentaries, in the dif­ferent assessment of the relationship between knowledge and action, in the under­standing of the nature of māyā and in the treatment of the causality problems

О ДУXОВНО-НРАВСТВЕННОМ САМОСОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИИ ЛИЧНОСТИ

Education and upbringing are a single process that contributes to the development of personality and the formation of a human being. Even the ancient sages said that one cannot become a human being without learning to act as a human being. Knowledge, virtues, piety are acquired through teaching, activity, education and upbringing. The article reveals the ways and means of spiritual and moral self-improvement of a person on the example of the teachings of the great thinker - humanist Jalaleddin Rumi, who was one of the coryphees of science and culture of the medieval East. His works of philosophical, methodological and pedagogical nature occupy a solid place in his creative heritage.

Approach of Mawlānā Syed Abul A ‘alaMawdudi Towards Western Education

Mawlānā Syed Abul A ‘ala Mawdudi was one of the great thinkers of the Muslim world. He lived and worked for the religious cause of Islam during 20th century. He studied all the religious sciences of Islam in depth, and presented a comprehensive interpretation of Islam encompassing all the facets of the society. Moreover, he was abundantly cognizant about the socio-political atmosphere of the Muslim world on one hand, and on the other hand, he had full knowledge about the challenges confronting by the Muslims from Western civilization, especially the influence of Western educational methodology and system. So, accordingly he deliberated over the issues and initiated the religious activities, and produced an extensive scale of literature on Islam, and apprised the Muslims from imminent challenges. He took apposite steps to immune the religious legacy of the Muslims, and to pull out them from situation of daze. Therefore, this study will focus on his approach towards Western civilization and education by applying analytical and critical methods.

ABDURAHMON JOMIY FALSAFIY-TASAVVUFIY QARASHLARI SHAKLLANISHINING IJTIMOIY- SIYOSIY OMILLARI

The article talks about the significant role of social conditions and spiritual environment in the formation of the philosophical views of the great thinker Abdurrahman Jami. At the same time, the specific aspects of the spiritual closeness between Alisher Navoi and Jami are explained in detail. While researching the literary and social environment of this period, Orientalist Y. E. Bertels lists important aspects of Navoi.

On the Eastern style of thinking in A. Bely’s theory of symbolism

RELEVANCE. The study is devoted to understanding and identifying the significance of the eastern style of philosophy and aesthetics of Taoism in the work of the prominent representative of Russian symbolism Andrey Bely (Boris Nikolaevich Bugaev), who determined the development of the literary process (modernist and post-modernist movements) and art of the first third of the 20th century and influenced the further development Russian literature. The purpose of the study is to show the conceptual content of the aesthetic thought of the Russian philosopher and symbolist poet through the prism of Taoism and to clarify the presence of Eastern traditional wisdom (“Tao Te Ching”) in the construction of A. Bely’s theory of symbolism.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The research material was the collected works of A. Bely. The translation of the book “Tao Te Ching” written by the great Chinese thinker Lao Tzu, presented for the first time for the Russian-speaking reader, was used.” When solving research problems, a description method with the interpretive function of language was used, that is, a method of studying the interpretation of knowledge about the world. In our case, the interpretation of Taoism is focused on the interpretive activity of an individual creative personality, which always presupposes the subjective selectivity of the word.RESULT AND DISCUSSION. An analysis of the work of A. Bely showed that in reflecting the problems of the symbol, the philosophical principles of symbolism, in addition to two sources, they participate: on the one hand, the ideas of the Slavophiles, arising from the philosophy of V. Solovyov, on the other hand, the system of Western philosophy (the ideas of A. Schopenhauer and F. Nietzsche), a reflection of the creative borrowing of Eastern wisdom, ideas and functions of Chinese literature. The originality of the imaginative thinking of the Russian symbolist poet, who, in accordance with his spiritual nature, followed his bright creative path, is reflected in the development of the artistic method – symbolism.CONCLUSION. The idea of A. Bely’s symbolism is based on the compatibility of the concepts of various thinkers, including philosophizing in the Taoist style. A. Bely created a unified symbolic picture of the world - the unification of artistic, aesthetic, religious, mystical and everyday ideas and knowledge about the world into one whole. The connecting sign of this unification is the Symbol, which has a pronounced authorial character, has an infinity of boundaries of value, and not a semantic individual interpretation of the word and broadcasts the manifestation of systemic pluralism, revealing the essence of the world and being.

Doctrine of ‘Human Nature is Evil’ – The Fundamental Basis of Xunzi’s Socio-Political Thought

Xunzi 荀子 (third century BCE) was a great Chinese thinker during the Spring and Autumn – Warring States period. He is seen as being represented the last significant figure of Confucian thoughts during the era of Confucius and Mencius. In his works, he critically summarized the intellectual conclusion of pre-Qin scholars and formulated the Confucian and Legalist (Fǎjiā 法家) ideologies to a new paramount, on the basis that Confucianism was as the core. Xunzi’s philosophical doctrine is well-known with idea that “human nature is evil.” The article focuses on analyzing the doctrine of the evil nature to highlight its fundamental role in Xunzi’s political and social thought.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE LEVELS OF HUMAN PERFECTION IN THE TEACHINGS OF NAJMUDDIN KUBRO

To restore national values, traditions, national feeling, character and spiritual heritage, it is necessary to research the teachings of our great thinkers, analyze them from a psychological point of view, and inculcate the thoughts and opinions born on this basis into the minds of young people first. In improving the higher education system, it is advisable not to limit oneself to worldly knowledge, but to make extensive use of the sacred teachings of the spiritual world and the works of figures of Sufism. From this point of view, the role of Allama Najmiddin Kubro, the great exponent of Sufism, i.e. Kubroviya sect, in the world of science is of particular importance.

Separated at birth: Rediscovering the lost emotions in Luria's Working Brain

Aleksandr Luria repeatedly emphasised the importance of emotions and the right hemisphere in his neuropsychological writings. It is surprising, therefore, that Luria's most influential book, The Working Brain, appears to lack an explicit section on these topics. This is especially notable because of a comment in the book's English-language Introduction, by Karl Pribram, referencing Luria's thoughts about precisely this material. Remarkably, it seems that Luria did write such an explicit chapter, in the original Russian edition. However, in the English-language version, the relevant sections were separated, embedded elsewhere without chapter headings, and altered, presumably following an explicit translation decision. The present paper tracks the nature of these changes and, 50 years later, presents the material for the first time translated and reunited in English, as Luria intended. After the translation, we offer a brief commentary, on the ways in which Luria's ideas were in some respects prescient, and in other respects less well-informed about the brain basis of emotions and the right hemisphere. This reunification offers an interesting time capsule on the opinions of one of neuropsychology's greatest minds, on a topic which Luria admits had, at the time, only a modest empirical foundation.

Философия национального духа Георгия Свиридова

The article considers the ideas of the national spirit expressed in a kind of literary work by the great Russian composer and thinker of the twentieth century, Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov (1915–1998), in the book “Music as Destiny” (2nd ed., revised and expanded. M.: Molodaya Gvardiya, 2017. 795 p.). The notebooks of “Various recordings” have rightly become a revelation for his fans, the musical community and a wide readership, revealing the secrets of the soul and the mind of the thinker. The book itself has become a special document of the bygone Soviet era, its spiritual culture, the importance and rele­vance of which will only increase with time. In his “ephemeral” writings, the author man­aged to reflect something more than just his time. He looked far ahead and became an ex­ponent of the national spirit of the Russian people. In the conditions of a sharp decline in the level of culture, morality and humanity, the honest voice of a thinker in defence of the priority of moral choice and sincere human participation becomes truly prophetic. It sounds like a prophetic bell in defence of goodness, justice and life on Earth. Underes­timating culture’s role in society’s life, in forming its spiritual basis, is still having ad­verse effects today. For too long, culture has remained on the periphery. It has been seen as something secondary. Too often in recent decades, culture has been left to busi­nessmen, who have imposed on society a borrowed image of the “right” way to live. This image is alien to local traditions, historical experience and the values of multinational Russia. However, in the absence of an official ideology, culture, as the spiritual core of all peoples and social classes of the country, plays the role of the spiritual and values affir­mation of the new universal cultural identity of Russian society. It consolidates and pre­serves the spiritual community and integrity of this society, remaining as a common spiri­tual and value platform for the formation of the country’s future image. In such a si­tuation, culture is increasingly associated with the environment of the preservation and transmission of the spiritual heritage of the people. Recently, the world has been in the grip of a global instability, the adaptation to which has been a motive for the under­standing of losses and new discoveries. The world has begun to open up in a different way, and it has become clear how many mistakes have been made in the universal chaos, and how many tests still need to be passed in order to embark on the path that des­tiny has outlined for us. The thoughts of the prophet in his homeland, Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov, became a guiding star for many people on the way to the understanding of the Motherland.

Russian writers in french press at the turn of the XIX-XX century. Newspaper “L’Aurore”

The subject of the study is the interest of the French socialist press at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries in the spiritual and political position of Russian writers (using the example of the socialist newspaper "L'Aurore". The article is devoted to an urgent topic – Franco-Russian cultural ties based on the analysis of the Russian literature Since 1870. The purpose of the work is to analyze and generalize the semantic content of published texts from the perspective of determining their adherence to a given political course and the idea of engagement. The material was selected by the method of directional sampling, collection and classification of articles, taking into account the editors' particularly close attention to such writers as F.M. Dostoevsky, Lev Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky. The research methodology is complex and includes content analysis using biographical, historical, cultural and comparative methods. The author's special contribution to the research of the topic is the explication of the close attention of the Western press, especially of the left, to the position of Russian writers, which served to attract the interest of the mass reader to their works. However, the main conclusion of the author is that the driving incentive for the press to address the names of great thinkers was the affirmation of socialist ideals and the idea of the writer's engagement, his unity with the people and opposition to power. The novelty of the work is determined by the scrupulous selection of relevant material and the practical development of this topic, which has so far remained outside the field of research by other authors.

نگرشی مقایسوی بر نظریه امام ابوحامد غزالی و ابوعلی ابن مسکویه پیرامون فلسفه اخلاق

The study of Islamic heritage by predecessors of the Ummah regarding moral philosophy reflects the views and thoughts of Muslim philosophers who have elucidated the nature and essence of ethics and discussed its fundamental principles and theoretical foundations. In the introduction of these intellectuals, two prominent Islamic philosophers, Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Ghazali and Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad Miskawayh, stand out among others. The perspective of these Muslim philosophers on the concept, subject, and goals of the science of ethics, as well as the originality of their theories concerning their relative dependence on the ethical theories of Greek philosophers, is a matter that requires an analytical-descriptive investigation. The present findings indicate that the ethical theory of these two great thinkers generally aims at objectives such as the growth and elevation of moral conscience, purification of the soul, purification of the heart and inner self, strengthening the relationship between the self and the Almighty Creator, moral refinement and optimization, organizing and rectifying human conduct and behavior, achieving balance among the dimensions of human existence, strengthening fraternal bonds, cooperation and benevolence within society, and institutionalizing goodness and virtue, wisdom, courage, chastity, and justice among society and humanity at large by adhering to Islamic ethical standards.

The metamorphosis of the Megatherium: Examples of Goethe's heterodox palaeontology

In this paper I present the well-known German literary giant Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) as a heterodox thinker in palaeontology. In Britain, Goethe is best known as a poet, playwright and man of letters, despite producing substantial and detailed scientific studies to which he occasionally attached highly controversial interpretations. In his scientific studies and perhaps especially in palaeontology, Goethe was at times orthodox and at other times highly heterodox. His fundamental project was to comprehend the unifying principle within all nature and in that respect he was one of the early, great holistic thinkers. Goethe proposed a theory of a dynamic unifying ‘type’ for both plants and animals, working together with an inherent creative drive, which he believed was present in all nature. Here I show how he used this model to interpret the morphologies of extinct Plio-Pleistocene mammals such as the aurochs and giant sloth, and also demonstrate how Goethe's dynamic thinking led to some tentative pre-Darwinian transformationist (‘evolutionary’) propositions.