Philosophical Positions Research Articles

Understanding democracy in Africa: Concept and praxis

AbstractDemocracy is a political system that has some universal appeal, and, this seems to invest it with some kind of legitimacy over other systems of government. But this in no way suggests that it is homogenously conceived or practiced across the world—particularly in Western and African countries. Yet there is some supposition that some cultures have (almost) perfected their practice of democracy while others are learning its rudiments. This tends to arouse the philosopher's interest in the conceptual and practical bases for the supposition. In African philosophy, the notion of consensus has often been touted as a kernel and mēnsūra for evidence of democracy in traditional African thought. This paper examines the propriety of this move, taking into account the specific positions of the Ghanaian philosophers, Kwasi Wiredu and Kwame Gyekye. It explores the political dynamics of contemporary Africa and brings out the challenges and prospects for the sort of democracy that is being practiced—or, at least, is said to be practiced—in Africa. It is often debated in African political thought whether consensus or majoritarian rule (characterized by such activities as voting and multipartism) defines democracy, but the paper argues that neither of them really brings about democracy. It then highlights the humanistic end of democracy. Using the Ghanaian experience especially, the paper proposes ways of improving the understanding and practice of democracy in Africa.

Ambiguity and experience: ethics of action in early twentieth-century France

ABSTRACT This article examines the ethics of ambiguity formulated by existentialist authors in the 1940s, linking it to turn-of-the-century debates on ethics between philosophy and the social sciences. The underlying thesis is that, rather than representing a radical conceptual novelty, the ethical thought of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, strained between freedom and situation, constitutes a revisiting and updating of philosophical positions from the landscape of the Third Republic. To demonstrate this, the thought of Frédéric Rauh is examined. Indeed, anticipating what de Beauvoir would later call “ambiguity”, Rauh sought to develop an ethics of action that would constitute a third way between sociological objectivism and the empty abstractions of idealism and rationalism. By reconstructing the transitions from one generation and historical context to the next, the article shows how, and through which mediators, the existentialists were well aware of this debate and, in their own way, developed a philosophy of action, of ethical experience, similar to Rauh’s.

Particularities of Interpretations of the Main Provisions of Madhyamaka and Yogācāra by Buddhist Authors in Tibet and Other Countries

Various features of the interpretation of these schools main positions, the reasons for their appearance and the consequences for the development of Mahayana Buddhism have been the subject of discussion in this research. Attention is drawn to the existence of various ideas of Buddhist authors about the interpretation of fundamental philosophical ideas of these schools. The influence of the peculiarities of translation into other languages for the adequate transmission of the author’s thought is discussed. It is noted that the possibility of different interpretations was already established in the very methodology of the transmission of Buddhist doctrines, formed at the earliest stages of Buddhism. The opinions of a number of Tibetan authors are analyzed. The study presents the derivation of the existence of different interpretations of some categories central to Mahayana Buddhism due to the presence of different philosophical methodologies. A number of features were associated with the interpretation of the correlation of logical-critical knowledge, yogic methods and their priority in choosing ways to achieve an exit from the chain of rebirth. The factor of similarities in the positions of such authors as Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu (traditionally attributed to different schools) makes it problematic to unambiguously interpret their philosophical positions; Some features of these schools were determined not only by theoretical backgrounds, but also by political struggle for a leading place in the Buddhist hierarchy of a certain country, as well as the desire to affect authorities.

Significant Absences: Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Silence and Joyce’s Poetics of the Unspoken


 
 
 This paper discusses an important phase in Ludwig Wittgenstein’s analytic philosophy through a comparative examination of the profound correspondences that exist between his concept of silence and the poetics of another crucial authorial figure of the 20th century: James Joyce. Based on the hypothesis that there are striking resemblances between their early works, that is, between Joyce’s realistic short-story collection Dubliners and Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, the article employs mostly close-reading, analytical-interpretative and comparative methods. It argues that silence was an intentional intellectual, aesthetic and ethical choice of both these authors, their way to preserve the autonomy of metaphysics and to honour the beauty of the unspoken.
 Starting from their common critical treatment of the habitual and largely alienated speech, the discussion connects Wittgenstein’s philosophical attitudes regarding the imprecision and inadequacy of every-day language and Joyce’s notion of ‘spiritual paralysis’ of the city-life, which he saw as the main motive for writing his collection about fin-desiècle Dublin. On the grounds of their shared views about the limits of words, behind which there are worlds that cannot be properly uttered, the idea of silence – or the highly significant narrative absence – grows to permeate the work of both. In the case of Wittgenstein, it is a call for a new philosophy, or anti-philosophy, which in negating metaphysics in effect preserves its independence from a discursive speech which cannot express it, whereas in the case of Joyce, correspondingly (and almost simultaneously), it is a quest for a new literary mode that will foreground a particular Modernist allusiveness, rhetoric of omission and deliberately incomplete, gnomonical narrative structures.
 
 

Black Boxes that Curtail Human Flourishing are no Longer Available for Use in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Design


 
 
 AI is considered to be very abstract to a range of critics. In this regard, algorithms are referred to regularly as black boxes and divorced from human intervention. A particular philosophical maneuver supports this outcome. The aim of this article is to (1) bring the philosophy to the surface that has contributed to this distance between AI and people and (2) offer an alternative philosophical position that can bring this technology closer to individuals and communities. The overall goal of the analysis in this paper is the humanising of AI by addressing the shortcomings of conceptualising algorithms as black boxes.
 
 

Pascal’s “Order of the Heart” in Phenomenological Value-Theory

Among those enthused by Pascal’s pithy remark that “the heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing” are phenomenological value-theorists. What makes Pascal particularly attractive to these phenomenologists is the suggestion that the heart has reasons, and reasons of its own, which resonates with the quasi-cognitive function that they ascribe to feeling. Feelings apprehend values, which are genuine objects that display an essential order and a rank distinct from the objects of reason. In this paper, I introduce and evaluate Pascal’s reception in phenomenological axiology. I begin by reviewing the philosophical position that for the phenomenological value-theorists corresponds to the Pascalian notion of the order of the heart (I). I then turn to Pascal and explore the notion of the order of the heart, especially in relation to the order of reason, in his thought (II). Finally, I evaluate the legitimacy of the attribution of the phenomenological position to Pascal, arguing that, while there is not a perfect correspondence, there is an affinity that warrants the phenomenologists’ allusions to Pascal (III).

Militant primitivism of F.I. Girenok and the logic of “cultural” self-awareness

The article analyzes the speech of F.I. Girenok at the Philosophical Council in 2022. The author identifies two components in Girenko’s position. The first is primitivism in thinking. The author examines the logic of sociocultural primitivism in its many historical manifestations, highlighting its ideal-typical form. The logic of primitivism is revealed as a response to the negatively understood complexity of sociocultural existence. The second component is “cultural” self-awareness. The author reveals the logic of this type of self-awareness, contrasting it with “postcultural-intercultural” self-awareness. At the same time, the logic of the sociocultural development of humanity is affirmed as moving in a “postcultural” direction. The author reveals a negative version of “cultural” self-awareness as a closure on one’s system of ultimate ideas about the world. Girenko's philosophical position is considered as a combination of an extreme version of primitivism with an extreme version of “cultural” self-awareness.

Critical realism as an underpinning philosophy for the implementation of digital twins for urban management

ABSTRACT This paper promotes critical realism as a suitable and fruitful philosophical foundation for the development and implementation of urban digital twins. The proliferation of a-theoretical digital twin research and practices, not declaring their philosophical positions, is threatening the scientific soundness of this new paradigm and offers little evidence for reflecting on the knowledge it produces. To address this issue, first, this paper uses focus group discussions to explore digital twin experts’ perceptions of digital twin best practices for urban management and uncover the philosophical worldviews underlying these perceptions. A philosophical worldview is a general orientation about the world that is described in terms of ontological and epistemological assumptions and views on human nature. The inferred philosophical worldviews are then compared with critical realism principles, supporting the argument that critical realism provides a suitable philosophical foundation for digital twin practices in urban management envisaged by participating experts, as well as enhancing current forms of digital twin practice.

Is the Civil Process an «Ideal Communicative Community»? The Idea of Discursive Ethics in Relation to Judicial Proceedings

From the philosophical and sociological positions of discursive ethics and an ideal communicative community (K.-About Apel, Y. Habermas, A.V. Nazarchuk), post-non-classical legal understanding and theory of communicative law (A.V. Polyakov, E.V. Timoshina, M. van Hook), the civil process is considered as public communication between society, the state and individuals on the topic of the ultimate concretization of subjective law (legitimate interest). The vector of judicial communication development as a form of social management is revealed, which does not coincide with the normative foundations of argumentative discourse in philosophy and sociology in a number of parameters. A typology of models of judicial communication in civil proceedings has been developed according to the criterion of interaction of the subjects of the dispute in procedural legal relations (there are five types in total). On the basis of an interdisciplinary approach, the most promising types of civil proceedings in the domestic legal order are identified for legal modeling.

Poetry and Well-Patterned Language (in Philosophy)

ABSTRACT Toni Morrison suggests that storytelling is a highly effective way of structuring knowledge, and that the harnessing of a clever allegory, the search for well-patterned language is a constant, provocative engagement with the contemporary world. This article considers the ways poetry, imagination, and well-patterned language are utilized in the philosophies of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard Rorty, and Leonard Harris. The author notes that there are apparent similarities between Rorty and Harris, but one should also notice that there are significant differences in these two philosophical positions. The author ultimately argues that Harris’s move toward poetry and well-patterned language is extremely powerful and needed if people wish to move beyond a well-established set of values and norms. Harris prods us to tell thought-provoking, engaging stories—to intricately tuck knowledge into allegory and well-patterned language—but do it without being an apologist for the prevailing bourgeois liberal democratic tradition. In this manner, the harnessing of metaphor and clever allegory, the creative engagement with poetry and well-patterned language (in philosophy) is a provocative means of engaging the oppression, dispossession, and immiseration of the contemporary world.

Selecting the Methodological Path: A Beginner’s Guide to Grounded Theory Approaches

A grounded theory methodology is a qualitative approach to exploring and describing social processes based on the people's perspective and the researcher's philosophical position. Since the methodological approach is a consequence of the philosophical orientation of the researcher, it is imperative to consider the role of the researcher in the interpretation of the data, the place of the literature review in shaping the theoretical models, the research questions, and the approaches to the data analysis to be able to justify the choice of a specific type of grounded theory approach. Since the grounded theory is too broad a methodology, this article will help provide a novice-level researcher with structuring and developing a grounded theory methodology consistent with the essential elements of each grounded theory type.

Exploring the Perceived Barriers of Effective Communication Within the Coach–Athlete Relationship: A Sample of Scandinavian Coaches and Athletes

Coaching is a process that guides development and is shaped by sound relationships between athletes and coaches. Interpersonal communication represents a mechanism for developing functional relationships. However, not all interactions between coaches and athletes are optimal, and limited research has attempted to understand the factors that impede the ability to engage in effective communication. This study aimed to contribute to the literature by exploring the barriers experienced by high-performance coaches and athletes that hinder interpersonal communication within the coach–athlete relationship. A qualitative design grounded in a pragmatic philosophical position was utilised, and 20 semistructured interviews with 12 coaches and eight athletes participating in elite team sports were carried out. Interviews were conducted either in person or digitally via an online platform and analysed through content analysis. Barriers were identified for either coaches, athletes, or both and categorised as follows: (a) intrapersonal (e.g., lack of skills and negative experiences), (b) interpersonal (e.g., lack of concern/interest and power imbalance), and (c) environmental factors (e.g., hierarchy and toxic culture). These results suggest efforts should be focused on equipping coaches and athletes with intra- and interpersonal skills and empowering them to co-create a safe and united culture for themselves and their sport.

PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY AS FOUNDATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE CONCEPTUAL ORDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY AND FINANCIAL SYSTEM

This article delves into the foundational philosophy of money, exploring its pervasive influence on the conceptual framework of the global financial and monetary systems. Tracing philosophical attitudes towards money from ancient to modern times, it critically examines the moral and ethical tensions inherent in the relationship between money and truth. The analysis begins with classical antiquity, where philosophers like Plato and Aristotle juxtaposed the pursuit of truth with the economic functions of money, viewing it as a morally corrupting influence that impedes the genuine search for wisdom. The narrative progresses through history, highlighting how subsequent philosophers have consistently mirrored this scepticism towards the monetisation of human values. The discussion extends into modern philosophical interpretations, notably Georg Simmel’s “Philosophy of Money,” which articulates money’s dual role as both a disruptor and an integrator within society. Simmel’s analysis portrays money as a fundamental mediator in social relations, yet also a catalyst for alienation and reification, reflecting a deeper philosophical inquiry into the nature of value and the ethical implications of economic interactions. By engaging with these philosophical discourses, the article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how money has been perceived and theorised as a force that shapes societal structures and human interactions. It invites readers to reconsider the ethical dimensions of economic practices and the profound impact of monetary philosophy on the fabric of modern society, advocating for a critical reassessment of the values that govern our financial and social systems. Through this exploration, the article contributes to a deeper intellectual discourse on the role of money in shaping not only economic but also cultural and ethical landscapes.

A politikai vallás Agamben nyomán. Határ és politikum

My paper raises the question of political religion. Although Voegelin introduced the term (political religion) in 1938 to characterize the totalitarian powers of the 20th century, he did not specify what „religion” means in this compound term. I claim that following Agamben we can articulate the peculiarity of political religion. To substantiate my claim I retrace his steps to reconstruct his philosophical position, while placing him alongside relevant thinkers on religion, and some religious texts. According to my thesis, before the appearance of political power, the political space is originally partitioned by the duality of the sacred and the profane. The political space is criss-crossed by the intersecting boundaries of the sacred and the profane in multiple layers. Yet modern political totalitarianisms cannot be derived directly from this religious concept of the sacred, only in a modified way. As I see it, Agamben moves from the ambiguity within the sacred to the concept of the homo sacer and the zone of indistinguishability. This last move will finally allow us to specify political religion.

Rimutė Jablonskytė-Rimantienė (1920–2023) Remembered

Sadly, a great and famous Lithuanian archaeologist, Dr. Rimutė-Jablonskytė Rimantienė, passed away on July 4, 2023, aged 102. Her legacy is defined by an endless love of archaeology and a philosophical attitude, which encourages us to rethink the meaning of archaeology in these troubled times. Rimantienė underwent good and bad phases during her long life.

Legal coordination: value and legal aspect

The article reveals the value and legal content of legal agreement as a general legal category, which includes a set of methods for regulating legal relations on the basis of solidarity and the presence of mutual interest. The prerequisites for the formation of a modern understanding of the essence of legal agreement are given, and classical philosophical positions on the value characteristics of conciliation procedures are revealed. The features of the relationship between the nature of consensus as a result of legal agreement and the legal categories that are closely related to it are characterized. The value properties of coordination in law are determined, influencing society’s ideas about the sought category. The impossibility of using national and religious values as a basis for achieving public consent is substantiated. The interdependence of ensuring public law and order and increasing the level of legal culture as a secondary result of a long process of applying sustainable forms of conciliation procedures is revealed.

CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND FOR THE FORMATION OF PHENOMENOLOGY IN THE GERMAN PHILOSOPHY OF THE 19th CENTURY

An early stage in the development of phenomenology, as a matter of fact, is considered, which completes a long, foldable and richly planned process, within the framework of which a new philosophical methodology was formed. Among the concepts of phenomenology, the concept of intentionality is especially distinguished, as it is not only the basic characteristic of all mental acts of a person, but also a rethinking prompting ontology of wisdom. The basic provisions of the phenomenological theory of information are not in themselves an intentional principle, which changes the traditional for that hour the understanding of information as a mental interpretation of speeches. F. Brentano's position forces us to talk about certain ontological levels that are associated with a greater or lesser obviousness of real or mental objects. The general thesis proposed here is that phenomenology is not the creation of a single, even brilliant, thinker, but is a doctrine that completes a rather long, complex and multifaceted process within which a new philosophical position was formed. In this sense, it can be argued that the emergence of the phenomenological method was prepared by the entire development of European philosophy, in each stage of which one can find points of formation of the phenomenological method or points of thematic intersection with phenomenology. In this respect, phenomenology is not just a philosophical «invention», another» «system», but a doctrine that emerged at the intersection of rational and empirical theories of New European philosophy, starting in the nineteenth century. At an early stage of phenomenology's development, an important conceptual basis for building a scientific psychology that wants to consider mental phenomena in any meaningful way is revealed. This basis is contained in the concept of intentionality, which is fundamental to the construction and development of phenomenological discourse. However, it would be a mistake to treat intentional objects as products of the imagination or simple empirical data that psychology usually deals with. In a certain sense, an intentional object is not a psychological phenomenon, but one of the constituent elements of the original ontology, a material, a brick, which consistently makes up any ontological structure. Thus, already at the stage of the formation of the phenomenological doctrine, the contours and priorities of a new philosophy were determined, which positioned itself as a philosophy of consciousness and should be read as a prerequisite for the construction of a fundamental ontology.

Legitimation of Euthanasia Decisions: A Philosophical Assessment of the Assisted Life Termination

The purpose of this article is to find out whether philosophical and anthropological studies of human nature affect the legitimization of decisions about human life and death, using the example of a philosophical analysis of the problem of euthanasia. Theoretical basis. Philosophically and anthropologically based situational analysis in bioethics is chosen as the research methodology, which reveals the legitimation of euthanasia as a complex and highly responsible moral decision, which should be based on both the consideration of all the patient’s special circumstances and the competent and adequate application of fundamental knowledge about the human being. Originality. From a philosophical point of view, it would be correct to legalize euthanasia, but under the condition of significantly limiting the cases of its application, clearly defining the conditions for its provision and strict control over its implementation. It is morally unacceptable to justify either murder or torture, so euthanasia appears as an attempt to avoid both at the same time. Conclusions. Specific solutions to practical problems often indicate the necessary direction for solving theoretical difficulties. Thus, making proper moral decisions about euthanasia requires reliance on fundamental knowledge about human beings, but at the same time it provides arguments "for" and "against" artificial termination of life. The basic principles of bioethics – autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and respect for the dignity of human life – serve as criteria for making balanced ethical decisions both in theory and in practice. These principles should be complemented by a coherent ethical, legal and philosophical position on euthanasia, which is achieved through legitimation procedures. Decisive for making a decision on euthanasia should be the strong desire of the patient himself.

«Японский след» в пейзажной лирике казахского поэта Бахытжана Канапьянова

Introduction. The influence of the Russian poetic tradition on works of Bakhytzhan Kanapyanov is a well-known fact. However, his poetry, particularly topographical lyrics, has also been influenced by Japanese culture and literature. Goals. The article attempts an insight into landscape lyrics of the Kazakh poet from how it reflects the Japanese philosophy of landscape, most fully expressed in the genres of haiku and tanka. Results. Using the structural-semiotic method, the work reveals that B. Kanapyanov’s landscape poetry is based on the Japanese principle — ‘the beauty of the moment’ which demonstrates the eternity of nature. Just like the Japanese masters of haiku and tanka, B. Kanapyanov depicts nature in small, insignificant details through human sensations and perceptions. Often these sensations complement each\ other: smells and sights, hearings and visions, etc. Traditional Japanese landscape symbolism, e.g. the moon, gets transformed in the poet’s artistic picture of the world depending on his ideological precepts. The Japanese poetic technique also influenced the formal side of B. Kanapyanov’s poetry: preference for syllabic versification, loose adherence to meter and rhyme. Such a significant influence of Japanese culture and literature is explained by the common philosophical attitude to nature among the Kazakh and the Japanese, namely: principles of unity of man and nature, harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and non-interference of man in nature. The syllabic type of versification is also characteristic of not only Japanese but also of the Kazakh language.

Мир счастья человека и его философские истоки

The subject of this research is various ideas about happiness in the history of philosophy. Happiness is a concept of a special kind, the importance of which in motivating human activity is extremely great. The subject arouses a constantly renewed interest among philosophers, psychologists, educators, sociologists and other specialists throughout the foreseeable intellectual history of mankind from Antiquity to the present day. All people strive for happiness, understanding it as a guarantee of a prosperous existence, but they put the most diverse meaning into this concept. Happiness has always been the most important motive of human actions, therefore it is necessary to clarify the actual content of this phenomenon in the conditions of the modern spiritual situation of the time of the confrontation of cultures and civilizations. The purpose of the work is an attempt to analyze from the historical and philosophical positions the intellectual and emotional-spiritual state of a person in which he feels happy. Each historical epoch put forward its own ideals, so intellectuals offered new formulas of happiness. The philosophical origins of the concept of happiness investigated in the article allow us to consider and substantiate its substantive aspect from various positions (theological, social, psychological). The methodological basis is the general scientifi c methods of cognition (historical, system-structural and dialectical, due to the complexity and internal inconsistency of the subject) in combination with the philosophical and anthropological approach. The main method of research is the historical-deductive method, a method of comparative analysis of philosophical approaches to solving the problem of happiness in various historical epochs. In conclusion, the authors assert that happiness is a deeply experienced complex integral physical, mental, intellectual, social and spiritual state that depends on the person himself. A person’s happiness is himself, his life created by him, in which all the acquired values of culture fi nd their true place and meaning. The results of the study can be used in the process of educating young people and teaching philosophy and humanities in various educational institutions.