Materialism Research Articles

The Quest for Happiness: Medieval Perspectives for Our Future. Philosophical and Literary-Historical Investigations

Human life makes sense only if the individual can achieve a certain degree of happiness. In order to address this topic in an insightful and effective way, this paper turns to a selection of medieval literary narratives where the focus specifically rests on happiness that an individual might achieve when the circumstances and the ideals are right. As human beings, happiness does not simply come into our lives, at least not for adults. Instead, much intellectual education is required to gain the ability to distinguish between self-created meaning and relevance and alien control and enslavement as expressed in fake happiness. Hence, this paper intends to outline some preliminary thoughts and present literary and philosophical material from the Middle Ages where the issue of happiness has already been examined and discussed from various perspectives, inviting us to revisit them for our learning experience today and tomorrow. Since ancient times, philosophers have investigated the true meaning of happiness, offering the results of their experiences and insights. In order to reinvigorate the discourse on happiness, this paper draws from late antique philosophy, medieval verse narratives, and German literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including a modern-day movie. The quest for happiness has been ubiquitous, and it continues to matter for us universally across all cultures. The Humanities by themselves might not bring about happiness, but they certainly offer important perspectives toward the meaning of human life, individuality, the sense of community, communication, and compassion, all of which pave the way toward happiness.

Landscape and Shadow: A Comparison of the View of Nature and Philosophy of Art in the Artworks of Fan Kuan and J. M. W. Turner

In Chinese and Western painting, respectively, there are apparent differences in the representation of the vision of nature and the philosophy of art, even though paintings carry nature as their theme in art history. The extent of these differences can be well understood by comparing works of different artists from diverse cultures. The case selected for analysis in this paper comprises the Chinese Northern Song period painter Fan Kuan and the British Romantic painter J. M. W. Turner. This paper compares and contrasts the two artists regarding their perceptions of nature and aesthetic systems. Various perspectives of nature can be explained by works like Fan Kuan's Travelers Among Mountains and Streams and William Turner's The Blizzard or Snowstorm. This paper uses a qualitative research approach to understand how the two painters depict their understanding of the topic through their creativity. Many of the works painted by Fan Kuan illustrate the Confucianistic notion of 'heaven-men unity', focusing on such aspects of nature as peacefulness and timelessness. On the other hand, Turner in his paintings responds to the relation of the age of romance to the force of light, the force of colours, Turner responds to this power of the age. The study findings reveal that though the two painters had a clear distinction based on their cultural origin, style, and thought on philosophical matters, both the painters had artistic interpretations of the natural world in their use of artistic forms.

Fraters' Learning Approach for Understanding English Philosophical Texts Through the MOOC

This study examines the impact of the Frater learning approach through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in enhancing the reading comprehension skills of philosophy students tackling English-language philosophical texts. By integrating pre-tests, post-tests, and qualitative feedback, the research highlights how MOOCs address challenges in understanding dense and complex philosophical material. The findings reveal a significant 11% improvement in reading comprehension after MOOC participation, emphasizing its effectiveness in breaking down intricate concepts into manageable components. Key elements contributing to this success include segmented video content, which facilitates focused learning, and interactive assessments that reinforce comprehension in real time. This research underscores the potential of the MOOC-based Frater approach as an innovative solution for bridging language and content barriers in the study of philosophy.

Гносеологическая проблема созерцания и симулирования в философии

There are two ways to gain new knowledge: 1) when incomplete and inaccurate knowledge becomes more complete and accurate as a result of formal logical deduction, and 2) when “contemplation” is established as a direct connection of the subject with the being of the object of knowledge, which implies the formulation and solution of the main question of philosophy, including ontological and epistemological aspects. Turning to the concept of contemplation, K. Marx pointed out the main drawback of previous materialism, which ignored human activity with the subject. Idealism developed it, but misinterpreted its correlation with the subject of knowledge. Further, the objective-idealistic version of contemplation, dating back to the ancient philosophy of Plato, and the subjective-idealistic version, dating back to the philosophy of I. Kant, are analyzed. The differences and similarities in their content are revealed. Finally, it is shown that contemplation, as an epistemological problem, has a rational content in materialistic philosophy, because here we are talking about establishing a direct connection between the subject and objective reality, the various phenomena of which act as a variety of cognizable objects, providing absolutely new knowledge (absolute truth) in contrast to knowledge relatively new (relative truth) in the course of formal logical deduction. Such contemplation is obtained by the subject of cognition in the process of his contemplative activity. It is opposed by simulation, and its characteristic is given, which goes back to the Platonic concept of “copy of a copy”, which is being mastered in modern philosophy. The difference between the concepts of Plato and Plotinus, who switched to the position of simulation, is shown. The dialectical method of the unity of historical and logical, supplemented by the comparative method, was used as a research methodology, which made it possible to identify the fundamental opposite of contemplation and simulation.

Cognitivism about religious belief in later Wittgenstein

AbstractWittgensteinian philosophy of religion has traditionally been grounded in non-cognitivism about religious belief. This paper shows that the Wittgensteinian tradition has wrongly neglected a significant movement towards cognitivism in Wittgenstein’s later writings. The argument proceeds on the basis of two main claims. First, Wittgenstein’s mature philosophy, as expressed in his Philosophical Investigations, clearly favours cognitivism over non-cognitivism with regard to certain linguistic facts about ordinary religious discourse. Second, during the last decade of his life Wittgenstein’s view of religious belief actually underwent a significant shift in the direction of cognitivism, which finds its most striking expression in the analogy he draws to the ‘honest religious thinker’.

Empire, Secular Materialism, and Alternative Knowledges

Abstract: This essay probes the ways that secular thought worked in tandem with the imperial management of colonized peoples. Colonial policies of religious neutrality could not fully obscure the judgmentalism toward the religions of colonial subjects, exposing the power dynamics within which secular discourses of empire operated. A case in point is the rationale for the introduction of English literature into the colonial curriculum as a secular surrogate for Christian values. No writer of the imperial age was more attuned to the complex workings of the secular imagination and the conflictual languages of tolerance and intolerance than Rudyard Kipling, for whom India served as a backdrop for probing the unsustainable power of colonial legislative reforms in altering the religious mindset of Indians. His fascination with technology and its conceptual relation to occultism enabled him to probe the intersections between religion and science, highlighting his imaginative reinterpretation of secularism's fragility as a mechanism of colonial power.

Human Rights and Transhumanism: From Natural Rights to Trans-Natural Rights

This text explores the evolution of human rights throughout the 20th century. The text analyses the transition from traditional conceptions of human dignity rooted in human nature to emerging notions influenced by transhumanist ideologies. The analysis delves into contrasting perspectives on human dignity, comparing the Aristotelian-Christian tradition, which values the unity of body and soul, with materialist philosophies that prioritize intellect over physicality. The document outlines how these philosophical shifts have led to the emergence of “disembodied dignity” and the promotion of “anti-natural” and eventually “trans-natural” rights, which prioritize individual will over inherent human nature. Through historical analysis and philosophical inquiry, this text examines how these evolving ideologies have influenced legal interpretations, societal values, and the trajectory of human rights discourse.

Performance of chatbots in queries concerning fundamental concepts in photochemistry.

The advent of chatbots raises the possibility of a paradigm shift across society including the most technical of fields with regard to access to information, generation of knowledge, and dissemination of education and training. Photochemistry is a scientific endeavor with roots in chemistry and physics and branches that encompass diverse disciplines ranging from astronomy to zoology. Here, five chatbots have each been challenged with 13 photochemically relevant queries. The chatbots included ChatGPT 3.5, ChatGPT 4.0, Copilot, Gemini Advanced, and Meta AI. The queries encompassed fundamental concepts (e.g., "Why is the fluorescence spectrum typically the mirror image of the absorption spectrum?"), practical matters (e.g., "What is the inner filter effect and how to avoid it?"), philosophical matters ("Please create the most important photochemistry questions."), and specific molecular features (e.g., "Why are azo dyes non-fluorescent?"). The chatbots were moderately effective in answering queries concerning fundamental concepts in photochemistry but were glaringly deficient in specialized queries for dyes and fluorophores. In some instances, a correct response was embedded in verbose scientific nonsense whereas in others the entire response, while grammatically correct, was utterly meaningless. The unreliable accuracy makes present chatbots poorly suited for unaided educational purposes and highlights the importance of domain experts.

NIETZSCHE’S WILL TO POWER AND EVENT PHILOSOPHY

This paper explores event ontology, a foundational philosophy of the materialist worldview, and presents an analysis of Nietzsche’s philosophical materialism, drawing upon his late notebooks, particularly his project on the Will to Power. Our approach situates Nietzsche’s perspective within the metaphysical direction of immanent materialism, and we draw connections between his ideas and the materialist monism of Russell, the process ontology of Whitehead, and the ontology of individuation developed by Simondon. The paper contributes to ongoing discussions on materialism in philosophy and sheds light on the intersection of Nietzsche’s thought with other prominent materialist theories.

Hybrid: Reading Godzilla Through Posthumanism

This essay proposes to read the classic cycle of Godzilla films (roughly, 1954–1995) using a posthuman perspective that makes its emphasis on animal, vegetal and mineral life. We will use posthuman and materialist philosophy to analyze hybrid monsters as part of new interdisciplinary studies about non-human agencies and their creepy potential. As such, we want to offer the first posthumanist readings of the Godzilla franchise, in time to celebrate its 70 years of existence and, in consequence, highlight how posthumanist the series has always been.

A crítica de Hegel à certeza sensível e a sua reabilitação por Feuerbach sob a perspectiva da teoria da fotografia

Feuerbach proposes a break with modern philosophy through his critique of Hegelian speculation. Aiming for a new materialist philosophy, he conceptualizes sense and immediate intuition as the primary organ of reality. The article examines Feuerbach’s re-evaluation of Hegel’s critique of sense-certainty and his rehabilitation of this figure of consciousness. His rehabilitation is contextualized within the cultural-media revolution of photography, suggesting that this approach responds to the impact of the new media techniques of the time. According to the author, sense-certainty should be understood as a “theoretical reflection of a figure of the spirit of the people based on a media technique.” Therefore, it shows that photography, as a new technical medium, plays a central role in Feuerbach’s rehabilitation of sense and immediate certainty. The analysis reveals that the discussion on this figure of consciousness goes beyond the philosophical debate, as it reflects a significant change in the way experience and reality are organized and understood.

Using iPad Making Comics for Teaching the “Fire and the Cave Men” for K-10 Students

This work explores the potential of iPads in creating educational comics to teach K–10 students the philosophical topics of “The Fire and the Cave Men”. The visual and interactive features of the iPad can assist educators in crafting captivating stories from intricate philosophical materials, thereby enhancing student understanding and engagement. The study highlights the iPad’s ability to demystify abstract ideas, foster innovation, and promote student collaboration through instructional comics. Incorporating visual arts and narrative also aids in establishing a deeper connection to environmental and historical topics, fostering an ecological attitude and viewpoint. The article concludes that iPads offer a versatile platform for enhancing educational outcomes through creative expression, with practical implications for educators and students alike.

La persona como innovación radical de la realidad en Julián Marías

This research paper analyses how, by developing the metaphysics of human life of the Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset, his disciple Julián Marías has discovered the subject of the person as a philosophical matter and how, especially in his work Antropología metafísica (1970), he has developed the appropriate philosophical concepts to understand it: empirical structure, installation, vector, corporality, temporality, sexual condition, etc. In his work Persona, the philosopher has defined it as “radical innovation of reality”, which has deep metaphysical implications, coming from the philosophy of vital reason of Ortega y Gasset, who, in contrast to idealism and realism, considers that life is the radical reality, in which all other realities find their root. This means that the person, a “corporeal someone”, is fully a who, he who lives, and must be thought of with personal categories that give reason for his character irreducible to any other reality.

Hans-Georg Gadamer's “On the idea of a system in philosophy” (1924)

ABSTRACT This article is the first English translation of Gadamer's early essay “On the Idea of a System in Philosophy” (“Zur Systemidee in der Philosophie”) from 1924. Influenced by Marburg Neo-Kantianism and Heidegger's hermeneutic phenomenology, Gadamer is concerned with the problems that arise with the idea of systematicity in philosophy. In particular, he focuses on conceiving of an idea of a system that does justice to the historical variability of philosophical thoughts. He shows that systematicity and history are, in fact, not in tension but deeply intertwined because of the foundation philosophy has in factical and historical human life. Gadamer, therefore, already anticipates some of the most characteristic ideas of his later magnum opus Truth and Method. The translator's Introduction contextualises this essay in both its relation to Marburg Neo-Kantians and Heidegger's thought, highlights the most significant continuities to Gadamer's mature philosophy, and provides an overview of the essay's main arguments.

The Evolution of Materialism from Democritus to Karl Marx

This paper delves into the evolution of materialism from its origins with Democritus to its development by Karl Marx. It begins with Democritus' atomism, which proposed that everything is made up of indivisible atoms, laying the groundwork for a materialist worldview. The study then explores how Epicurus expanded on these ideas, focusing on sensory experience and the pursuit of a tranquil life. Moving into the Enlightenment, the paper examines the mechanistic materialism of thinkers like Hobbes and La Mettrie, who viewed humans as complex machines governed by physical laws. Finally, it addresses Marx's dialectical and historical materialism, which combined materialist philosophy with Hegelian dialectics to explain the influence of material conditions and economic structures on society and history. This analysis highlights the enduring significance of materialist thought in understanding social and historical processes.

Quantum Mechanics and Inclusive Materialism

Since its inception, the intricate mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics has empowered physicists to describe and predict specific physical events known as quantum processes. However, this success in probabilistic predictions has been accompanied by a profound challenge in the ontological interpretation of the theory. This interpretative complexity stems from two key aspects. Firstly, quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory that, so far, is not derivable from any more basic scientific theory. Secondly, it delves into a realm of invisible phenomena that often contradicts our intuitive and commonsensical notions of matter and causality. Despite its notorious difficulties of interpretation, the most widely accepted set of views of quantum phenomena has been known as the Copenhagen interpretation since the beginning of quantum mechanics. According to these views, the correct ontological interpretation of quantum mechanics is incompatible with ontological realism in general and with philosophical materialism in particular. Anti-realist and anti-materialist interpretations of quantum matter have survived until today. This paper discusses these perspectives, arguing that materialistic interpretations of quantum mechanics are compatible with its mathematical formalism, while anti-realist and anti-materialist views are based on wrong philosophical assumptions. However, although physicalism provides a better explanation for quantum phenomena than idealism, its downward reductionism prevents it from accounting for more complex forms of matter, such as biological or sociocultural systems. Thus, the paper argues that neither physicalism nor idealism can explain the universe. I propose then a non-reductionistic form of materialism called inclusive materialism. The conclusion is that the acknowledgment of the qualitative irreducibility of ontological emergent levels above the purely physical one does not deny philosophical materialism but enriches it.

Computer English Teaching in Summer Learning Programs As Foreign Language

Language is the mode of identity and recognition. Summer learning programs are essential in helping children and young people interact and develop solid ethical bonds in different communities. Current issues related to the linguistic and philosophical nature of socio-ethical vocabulary in terms of diachronic are discussed in the article. Based on the analysis of a large amount of historical and philosophical material, the authors present their interpretation of the formation stages of the vocabulary of ethics as an integral part of the general philosophical vocabulary. However, each time and in each country, the interpretation of ethical concepts and norms, and therefore terms, was of a concrete historical and purely national character. In view of the objectives of this article, we consider it necessary to give a brief overview of the ethics of antiquity and the Middle Ages in order to understand and consider the specific role of ethics in science and practice of later historical eras. The authors hope that adopting pre-communicative activities as a part of the teaching method will be more effective in learning English as a foreign language.

Don Cupitt and the State of Radical Theology

Don Cupitt’s non-realist thought is an important part of the ongoing story of radical theology. This article surveys some of the most important recent figures and trends in that story to assess the current state of the field. It sets out ways in which Cupitt’s attack on dualistic and dogmatic thought is strongly echoed by thinkers such as John Caputo, Richard Kearney, Catherine Keller and Grace Jantzen, and how major materialist philosophers like Slavoj Žižek still show a fascination with the emancipatory potential of Christianity. The article argues that some of Cupitt’s positions need to be challenged in the light of the contemporary ecological and metaphysical concerns of radical theology today.

Factors in the formation of information culture(socio-philosophical aspect of the problem)

In this article, the author offers a socio-philosophical analysis of the factors contributing to the formation of information culture. This research perspective seems extremely relevant and requires serious scientific under-standing. It is obvious that the main characteristic of modern society is its information content, which creates new horizons in the space of identification, the formation of a new cultural field, and the definition of new contours of communication. In this regard, it seems very important to identify and designate the main factors that determine the nature and value of the new information culture. In this article, the author, relying on exist-ing scientific research in this problem space, offers his own view on this problem and outlines his own system of these determining factors. The author in this article uses extensive historical and philosophical material, indicating the difference in approaches to this problem in different philosophical schools and concepts. The article also proposes to trace the logic of the influence of active digitalization processes on the formation of the information field and, accordingly, on the formation of a new information culture. The author quite clear-ly outlines his opinion regarding the influence of information and digital culture on the formation of a per-son’s identification code in modern conditions, and speaks about the positive and negative aspects of this phenomenon. The article also proposes to comprehend the state of information literacy, the status of an in-formation-literate person. To solve his research problem, the author uses a rather original methodological and methodological complex, which made it possible to fully outline the author’s scientific position on this issue.

Do we really need financial literacy to access the behavioral dynamics of generation Z? A case of Oman

The ability to manage money has been identified as a vital talent. In this context, financial literacy has a role to play. There are significant gaps, though, such as the financial connection to human behavior. The purpose of this study is to look at the overall effects of financial literacy (FL) on the behavioural aspects of materialism (ML), compulsive buying (CB), and tendency to debt (TD). It attempts to develop and evaluate a model that is based on these variables and to examine the relationships between these research constructs. The study looked at 233 respondents mainly students studying in Omani universities.A comprehensive literature review, confirmatory factorial analysis, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), and comprehensive analysis were used to develop research hypotheses. The primary findings suggested that financial literacy had the most significant impact on compulsive purchasing behaviour in comparison to materialism and the propensity to accumulate debt, among the direct relationships that were suggested. The study's findings have important implications for the formulation of public policy and other interested parties, as financial literacy is advantageous for individuals with poor financial health and facilitates the participation in other psychological behaviours.