Philosophical Discourse Research Articles

The Development of Philosophical Thinking: An Imperative of Modern Education

The core objective of this article is to advocate for the cultivation of philosophical thinking, a pivotal element that fosters a profound understanding of the evolutionary trajectory of the information society and the human role within this paradigm. An examination of the unique attributes of the information-communicative educational space, coupled with the tenets of post-classical knowledge, underscores the imperative for nurturing human capabilities and personality traits essential for efficacious self-identification within the information society. The anthropological nature of philosophy focuses on understanding that rational, abstract-universal, theoretical thinking is fundamentally value-laden, not free from human interests. These interests determine the directions of scientific research and, if necessary, limit freedom of choice. The philosophical perception of communication, seen as a wellspring of new knowledge generation aimed at pragmatic problem-solving and emerging from human solidarity, promotes the cultivation of creativity, an intrinsic quality of the persona. A favorable factor for the successful development of dialogical thinking is the transformation of the previously dominant written culture into an oral one, where natural spoken language plays an increasingly important role. The exigency for a high degree of personal individualization and thought individualization, prerequisites for successful self-identification, calls for the fostering of stereoscopic and pluralistic thinking. Such thinking, inherent to the philosophical discourse, inherently possesses an authorial essence and proffers diverse interpretative responses to identical queries, thereby catalyzing the development of contextual thinking adept at unraveling the meaning of events in situational contexts. Globalization, accompanied by an increase in the world’s diversity, contributes to the development of global thinking – the ability to solve local problems considering global patterns. As a counterbalance to informational pluralism, the visual turn emerges, epitomized by the capacity to encapsulate voluminous data into intricate montaged images and to adeptly interpret such constructs. This paradigm shift necessitates the enhancement of visual thinking, which, as contemporary philosophy posits, is oriented toward assimilating social experience, laying the groundwork for self-identification. The presented arguments substantiate the conviction that the development of philosophical thinking in the educational process is not an auxiliary factor, but an imperative of the modern information society.

Reason and Faith: A Conflict through the History of Philosophy

The relationship between faith and reason has been a subject of profound philosophical inquiry throughout history. Philosophers from different periods and traditions have grappled with the tension between religious belief and rational inquiry, shaping our understanding of the complex relationship between faith and reason. In ancient times, thinkers explored the nature of knowledge and the role of reason in uncovering truth. While reason played a central role, faith in divine beings also had significance. During the medieval period, theologians sought to reconcile faith and reason, considering them as complementary faculties for attaining truth. Throughout history, the exploration of the relationship between faith and reason has shaped philosophical discourse and provided insights into knowledge, belief, and the human condition. The ongoing dialogue continues to stimulate intellectual inquiry and offers different perspectives on the nature of truth and the meaning of existence.

DISCUSSION IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE

The article is devoted to the study of the debate in the history of philosophical knowledge. The approaches to the problem of the discussion of the greatest philosophers: Socrates, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, etc. are analyzed. The features of discourse in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times have been determined. It is established that an important reason for the development of the discussion is the fact that ancient thinkers already began to realize the internal dialectical nature of material, natural, social processes and phenomena. Philosophy, more than any other field of knowledge, needs debate. Where there is no freedom of discussion, there is no true philosophy. Truth is born in controversy. There is probably no other axiom as universally known as this one. But there is no other human activity to which such diametrically opposite evaluations would be applied. Some called the dispute their fate, their element, others avoided it. Kant and Galileo felt pleasure in the struggle of ideas. Newton and Darwin shied away from disputes and polemics, believing that, apart from wasting time and bad mood, they lead to nothing. But both of them sought the truth. In order to find out the truth, it is necessary to study both positions, we need a discussion that communicates not opponents, but interlocutors, and everyone strives not to win, but to reach an agreement, to mutual understanding, through the analysis and synthesis of opinions, to the unity of views on the problem. Therefore, a discussion, a dialogue, a dialectical conversation will lead to the truth (or to a single goal) faster than a dispute saturated with emotional obstacles, temperamental outbursts, the desire to offend the opponent, to strike him more painfully and to defend his opinion by any means. And the fiercer the heat of passions, the more stubborn opponents who convince in their views, the further they depart from the truth. In the course of the discussion, non-traditional approaches to solving complex problems are developed, specific practical proposals and generalizations are made, and proposed initiatives are evaluated. Discussions awaken people's activity and interest, increase mutual demands, self-criticism, strengthen control over the implementation of specific decisions. The article examines some of the main philosophical discussions, conversations, debates during which different views and points of view collided.

Philosophy at Leisure: How Is Festivity Possible?

The article explores the conditions enabling the celebration within the context of philosophical, enlightening, and educational activities. The authors contemplate the role of leisure in human life, referencing Plato’s view of leisure as a prerequisite for philosophical discussion, Aristotle’s concept of intellectual leisure for the free citizen, Josef Pieper’s understanding of leisure as a means for personal and spiritual development, and Sebastian de Grazia’s perspective on the interconnection between leisure and creativity, culture, individual freedom, and society. It is argued that leisure as an intellectual activity has not become customary in society since Aristotle’s time and, in the modern world, the definition of this concept is confined merely to the realm of entertainment. This limitation necessitates the search for new forms of intellectual leisure that are relevant in the context of contemporary mass culture. The authors analyze the philosophical ball as a form of intellectual leisure, particularly focusing on the years of experience in organizing annual festive events by the family philosophical club “School of Socrates” at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. The external, attributive form of the philosophical ball is linked with Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalization of culture: its spectacles, theatricality, the presence of masks and costumes, and the involvement of all participants in a unified action. The internal content of the philosophical ball is determined by philosophical concepts, historical figures, or artistic images relevant to the specific era and culture, facilitating the perception and discussion of the proposed philosophical ideas. The narrative is further enriched by a case study detailing the methodological orchestration of a philosophical ball themed around Russian Symbolism. The authors conclude that the philosophical ball, as a form of intellectual leisure, addresses epistemological tasks and serves enlightening and educational functions: it engenders an authentic milieu of philosophical festivity, nurturing the creative impetus of its participants and facilitating a profound and universally accessible experiential odyssey into the realms of worldview and cognition.

Examples of conceptualisation of morality in emerging Christianity

Against the background of current interdisciplinary discussions in philosophical and theological ethics and discourses on morality, this interdisciplinary essay explored the conceptualisation of morality in emerging Christianity. It illustrated how the early Sayings Source Q and the Gospel according to Mark recollect Jesus of Nazareth’s reception of the Jewish Torah. Then it sketched how Paul’s understanding of God’s and Christ’s compassion serves as guide to integrate basic notions from Hellenistic ethic in his moral exhortation.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Taking cognisance of modern discussions on ethics and morality, the essay placed Early Christian morality within the context of the Law (Jewish Studies) and highlighted Christian reception of virtues in the Graeco-Roman world as studied by ancient philosophy. In conceptualising morality, emerging Christianity borrowed cardinal moral guidelines from its social environment. This foundational procedure studied by the History of the Early Church (within its Jewish and Graeco-Roman context) can serve as a model for Systematic Theology and Ethics to guide contemporary Christianity in their adaptation of moral principles from their cultural environment.

Educational Case Studies and Speaking for Others

AbstractWe have good reasons to be concerned about the underrepresentation of historically marginalized people's perspectives from philosophical and academic discourse. Normative case studies provide a potential avenue through which we can address this lack of diversity. However, there is a risk that those who engage in this kind of project are “speaking for others” in ways that reproduce the inequalities we seek to remedy. While this challenge cannot be avoided, Jennifer Morton discusses here how the problem can be mitigated by conceiving of normative case studies as a way to facilitate dialogue within our classrooms and with communities outside the academy.

Concepts of Knowability

Many philosophical discussions hinge on the concept of knowability. For example, there is a blooming literature on the so-called paradox of knowability. How to understand this notion, however? In this paper, we examine several approaches to the notion: the naive approach to take knowability as the possibility to know, the counterfactual approach endorsed by Edgington (1985) and Schlöder (2019) , approaches based on the notion of a capacity or ability to know (Fara 2010, Humphreys 2011), and finally, approaches that make use of the resources of dynamic epistemic logic (van Benthem 2004, Holliday 2017).

COMPREHENSION OF THE “RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION” OF THE 1960–1980s IN THE WORKS OF ALAN WATTS AND ROBERT BELLAH

The purpose of the article is a historical and philosophical analysis of the English-language material devoted to the phenomenon of “religious revolution” in the second half of the 20th century. The relevance is due to the need to fill in the “white spots” (analysis of ideas from the materials not translated into Russian) in the study of the history of foreign religion philosophy of the 20th century, by supplementing the domestic historical and philosophical discourse with the analysis of Alan Watts’ “Beyond Theology”, Robert N. Bellah’s “New Religious Consciousness and the Crisis of Modernity” and works of his colleagues, which are valuable for exploring the philosophical foundations and explaining the causes of the “religious revolution” of the 1960–1980s. This topic can also be of value as a support for clarifying other little-studied fragments in the world historical and philosophical process.

Modular Bodies of Animated Characters and Posthumanist Connotations. Translation into Russian

This article discusses the molecularization of the body and the meanings pointed out via cyborg bodies in the context of animated characters. We analyze films of Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995), Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045- Sustainable War (Shinji Aramaki Michihito and Fujii Kenji Kamiyama, 2021), Gunnm (Hiroshi Fukutomi, 1993), and Alita: Battle Angel (Robert Rodriguez, 2019) in the context of related philosophical discussions. We carry out the discussion about the body on two axes. First, we examine forms of presenting the modular bodies and discuss their socio-cultural connections. In these narratives, the evolution of the body beyond organic boundaries transforms it into a space where the character reflects the subjectivity and a tool that offers a narcissistic experience of omnipotence regarding bodily strength and competence. However, it sometimes causes the characters to become alienated from their bodies and engage in existential inquiries. Thus, secondly, we examine the existential inquiries/crises of the characters arising from the modularization of their bodies and the philosophical connotations that these emphases indicate. If on this axis, posthumanist arguments that stand out with objections to Cartesian distinctions such as machine-human, mind-body, woman-man, and anthropocentric approaches constitute the focus of the discussions.

CONCEPT “MAN”: LEXICAL-AND-SEMANTIC ASPECT

Problem statement. The article presents lexical-and-semantic analysis of the anthropological concept “MAN” in the philosophical discourse of F. Bacon. The research is aimed at revealing lexical means of verbalization of the concept “MAN” in the philosophical works of F. Bacon, determine the features of its nominative field, which belong to its nuclear and peripheral areas and to analyze frame structure of the concept. Special attention is paid to the contents of the frame “properties of man” in terms of the correlation of the intellectual, sensual and spiritual components and their basic features. The research is aimed at detailed analysis of the frame “properties of man”. Research results. The features of the nucleus of the concept “MAN” are: “sociocentricity”, “individuality”, “specificity”, “commonality”, “high moral qualities”. The near-nucleus area of the concept “MAN” is represented by the features: “category of planetary scale”, “equality”, “unity”, “integrity”. Far periphery area of the concept “MAN” is structured by the following features: “mental abilities”, “sensual and ethical abilities”, “power”, “determination”, “productivity”, “maturity and self-awareness”, “empirical abilities”. Conclusion. Nominative field of the concept ”MAN” in the philosophical discourse of F. Bacon is structured by three frames, representing features, functions and nature of man. Frame “nature of man” contains the following slots: “intellectual abilities”, “sensual abilities” and “spiritual abilities”of man. The largest number of features (positive, negative and neutral) is included in the slot “intellectual abilities” of man. Slot “sensual abilities” represents the features of “ineffectiveness” and “imperfection of nature” of the concept. Slot “spiritual abilities” contains the features of “superiority” and “priority”. The key components of the anthropological nature in the picture of the world of F. Bacon are mind and intellect.

Radical Distinction of the Secular and the Problem of Violence in the Context of Contemporary Culture’s Philosophical Comprehension

The theory of secularization has long been at the forefront of the philosophical discourse of the 20th century. The secular perception of social processes could not help but influence their dynamics, the decisions made by people at different levels of social life. What is allowed for a person in the world where religions no longer form the basis of social behavior and the centuries-old foundations of social life are considered canceled? The author seeks to analyze previous attempts to comprehend the problem of violence in modern culture through philosophical theories, which regard radical secularization as one of the key characteristics of modernity. At the same time, the author refers, among other things, to the study of various approaches to the problem of moral relativism, including the perspectives of theistic and atheistic philosophy: on the one hand, represented by Radical Orthodoxy of John Milbank and Alasdair McIntyre; on the other hand, postmodernism (Gilles Deleuze and Jean Baudrillard), post-structuralism (Judith Butler), and Freudo-Marxism (Slavoj Zizek). All the above-mentioned philosophers associate radical secularism with the escalation of violence in society. The study identifies the meeting point of perspectives on the problem of violence in secular society: the absence of collectively shared values rooted in the discursive tradition inevitably generates and maintains moral relativism, the prevalence of which is generally proportional to the growth in the level of violence, including latent violence. The article suggests ways to mitigate the risks of secularization and moral relativism and puts forwards an argument for the importance of tradition and community in shaping moral values. The author also emphasizes the importance of considering the role of religion, particularly Christianity, in addressing this issue.

The media text of a musical work and its medium texts

Relevance of the study is due to the modern expectations of music science regarding the adequate reflection in its conceptual and terminological apparatus of the media reality of musical phenomena of the modern era. The key in this sense is the phenomenon of a musical work in the aspect of understanding its ontology as a media text. The phenomenon of the media text of a musical work is considered in the genetic interconnection with its medium texts. Theoretical base. The analytical basis of the reasoning presented in the scientific research is the work of the Ukrainian scientist-musicologist, the founder of the Ukrainian school of musical interpretation, Viktor Moskalenko. The achievements of the modern philosophical and sociological discourse, in particular, individual provisions of the works of Michel Foucault, Michel Maffesoli, Jacques Lacan, Jorjio Agamben, etc., own scientific positions and materials of musical-empirical experience structured on the basis of musical-performance practice of outstanding musicians became the essential basis of theoretical generalizations. - interpreters of the beginning of the 20th century 21st century The complex scientific methodology applied in scientific research, which combines the methods of empirical observations of the compositional and performance practice of musical activity, discourse analysis, comparative studies and musicological theoretical generalizations, deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of musical creativity in the plane of the media ontology of a musical work, which allows achieving the main objectives of substantiating the semantic content and concretizing analytical resource of concepts of media text and medium text of a musical work. The scientific novelty of the presented considerations is determined by the introduction into scientific circulation and the definitional specification of the concepts of media text and medium text of a musical work. The conclusion summarizes the results of the research, points out the perspective of the musicological examination of musical phenomena in the aspect of their media ontology, and substantiates the concepts of media text and the medium text of a musical work. The conducted research opens perspectives for the further development of musical media discourse and understanding of musical phenomena taking into account their modern noumenal media specificity

Meritocracy in the Political and Economic Spheres

AbstractThe idea that our economic institutions should be designed meritocratically is back as a hot topic in western academic circles. At the same time political meritocracy is once again a subject of philosophical discussion, with some Western philosophers embracing epistocracy and Confucianism being revived among Eastern philosophers. This survey has the ambition, first, of putting differing strands of this literature into dialogue with each other: the economic with the political, and the Western with the Eastern. Second, we seek here to impose order on the debates over meritocracy by carefully separating out the four steps that must be traversed on the journey to a meritocratic conclusion. Third we want to promote a more productive debate moving forward by cleanly pulling apart three kinds of purported merit base.

Editorial

Albeit often overlapping, sin and vice are two related yet clearly distinguished concepts. It would require an extremely long detour to sketch the history of such thick, central notions in Western culture, as well as their similarities, differences, and overlappings. Sin is a polysemic notion. The word refers, primarily, to an action whereby an agent intentionally fails to live up to the will or commands of God (see Stump, 2018). However, sin can be also considered as a disposition of the will, i.e., an inclination to engage in sinful actions (Plantinga 2000). Finally, according to parts of the Christian tradition, sin is a metaphysical state, i.e., a condition of “uncleanness” which marks a fundamental ontological difference between human beings and God (M. Adams 1991, 20f). While according to the Christian thought vice can be a cause of sin, and a sinful disposition may closely resemble a vice, the two concepts shouldn’t be confused. First, while sin pertains to a theological vocabulary, talking of vices is perfectly compatible with a secular philosophical discourse, as the recent success of virtue ethics and virtue-vice epistemology testifies. This comes as no surprise, if one thinks that the very origin of the concept is rooted in the secular philosophical tradition tracing back to Plato and Aristotle. Secondly, within character-based moral and epistemic theories, a vice is, unequivocally, a trait of character. As such, it is part of an agent’s psychological makeup, which means that it is a stable feature of their moral psychology, independently of its specific behavioral manifestations. And while an action may well be vicious, it can be so only insofar as it springs from a vicious trait, which has—so to speak—ontogenetic, conceptual, and even normative priority over the actions it elicits.

Philosophical Discourses on Economic Governance: An African Perspectives

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of African perspectives on economic governance from a philosophical viewpoint. The study highlights the importance of incorporating African philosophical perspectives in economic governance and provides insights into the challenges and opportunities for economic governance in Africa. It also provides policymakers with valuable insights into the key factors that influence economic governance in Africa and highlights the necessary policy interventions required to improve economic governance in the region. Additionally, the study offers directions for future research, emphasizing the need for further research on the relationship between African philosophical perspectives and economic governance, as well as comparative studies of economic governance in different regions. Overall, this study contributes to the knowledge base on economic governance in Africa and provides important insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to improve economic governance in the region.

The Moral Duty Not to Confirm Negative Stereotypes

Abstract Social interaction is laden with stereotypes. Throughout history negative stereotypes have been immensely harmful, leading to hatred, vilification, and direct harm such as discrimination, and they continue to be so in almost all societies. It is widely accepted that we ought not to view members of other groups negatively in stereotypical ways, and also ought not to apply negative stereotypes to members of our own group (or even to ourselves). However, is there any special moral obligation on the targets of such negative stereotypes to take care not to confirm them? May one even be blameworthy for not doing so? The very thought seems outrageous. Yet I will argue that it is plausible to think that, in fact, the victims, too, have pro tanto obligations to prevent stereotype confirmation (henceforth sc), in many central contexts. I am not aware of any sustained philosophical discussion making this claim.

How Terribly the Plow of History Plows...

In the poetry of the prominent Ukrainian writer Lina Kostenko, the category of “historical memory” is conceptualized in ontological and philosophical dimensions: her philosophical discourses on history and the nation are built on this foundation. By “trying on” eternity (with the manifest: “I am floating into life from eternity”), she comes to philosophical self-awareness and artistic reflection of history, with vivid and convincing motifs / collisions / concepts / plots / images. In her epic poems, she measures human existence throughout epochs through the triad of the dominants of humanity / nation / family, giving each of them nation-building meanings. Her time is always anthropological, with an expressive psychological “face”, heavy with tragedy and endowed with a potential for the future. Her lyrical pieces have the same temporal tint. Through an inte- gral conceptual sphere, in which the category of time remains fundamental (dramatic poems and ballads Skifska Odisseia [Scythian Odyssey], Marusia Churai, Berestechko, Duma pro brativ neazovskykh [A duma on brothers other than the Azov ones], Snih u Florentsii [Snow in Florence], and a number of poems), Lina Kostenko tries to embrace the temporal and anthropological paradigm of man-history-man with her artistic imagination, where the problems of individual and national identity are given primary importance. In this context of the historically conditioned formation of national and national-cultural identity, she unfolds her own idea of a person’s home within history, especially national history, while professing the principle of “simultaneity of non-simultaneities” (R. Kozellek) of a series of past events. The author examines certain “semantic circles” of the writer’s narrative, discovering new semantic historio- sophical projections that in Kostenko’s works eventually form a coherent, verified anthropocentric conceptual model of the decisive role of the individual in the historical progress of the nation, showing, with the help of artistic and figurative means, how she creates the historical and psychological canvas of past events / collisions / interpretations that set the direction for the future. At the same time, the author emphasizes that the poet always upholds the position of the artist’s ultimate accountability in the face of national history.

A Theory of Exploitation for Consumer Law: Online Choice Architectures, Dark Patterns, and Autonomy Violations

Commercial practices that exploit consumer behavioural biases (behavioural exploitation) are an increasingly prevalent issue in online choice architectures. EU policymakers have started to expressly regulate such practices. What remains unclear about this type of regulation is when an online choice architecture exploits biased consumers. What is the legal meaning and significance of exploitation in the digital environment? Even though the concept of exploitation is frequently used in scholarship concerning behavioural exploitation such as “dark patterns”, it is rarely defined. The concept’s normativity is mostly ignored, remains underdeveloped, and lacks solid foundations. This Article aims to close this gap by developing a theory of exploitation for (behavioural) consumer law in the EU that applies to online choice architectures and unfair commercial practices in general. The Article eschews welfare analysis and instead relies on the philosophical discourse on exploitation theory. Even though this discourse is mostly ignored by the literature, the Article submits that this analytical framework fits better with the existing goals and scheme of EU consumer law compared to an approach to legal analysis that is driven by promoting consumer welfare through market efficiency. Ultimately, the Article defends the autonomy theory of exploitation and contends that regulating behavioural exploitation in online choice architectures means regulating for autonomy.

KORKYT ATA, ZHUSUP BALASAGUN, KHOJA AKHMET YASSAWI CONCEPTS OF THE PERFECT MAN IN TURKIC PHILOSOPHY

In this article considered the role of the human concept of three Turkic thinkers and the concept of “perfect man” in philosophical discourse. The concept of a person plays an important role in the formation of personality. At various times, different ideas about human perfection were formed in philosophical thought and were born new concepts, theories, and ideas. It was given the definitions of the concept of the perfect man by Muslim thinkers, the peculiarities of a various aspects of this concept, the meaning in Sufism, the importance of revealing of the general axiological value. Due to its capabilities, we will try to understand the concept of the “perfect man” developed by thinkers.

The Problematic Area of Philosophical Discourses on the Application of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Society

The study relevance lies in understanding strategic objectives' content concerning intelligent technologies’ application. The development and application of artificial intelligence in various branches of human activity carry the potential for global changes in society, which, in methodological terms, increases the relevance of considering these problems. The study of ethical problems of artificial intelligence in the concept of sustainable development of society is connected with the dynamic development of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which are considered a process of becoming a new technosubject in the context of neuroscience development. The article emphasizes that the development of artificial intelligence acts as an innovative form of technology development when a new kind of human-machine technosubject is formed. The authors identify social problems of artificial intelligence application as the digitalization of life becomes a global anthropological challenge. Innovations of artificial intelligence are directly related to a number of ethical problems, as they contribute not only to the sustainable development of society but also cause dehumanization of relations between people and society. Based on the analysis of qualitative changes in scientific and technological research, using human-machine devices is becoming inevitable. Humankind must develop ethical guidelines for the application of AI systems.