Philosophical Problems Research Articles

From imagery to revelation: interpretation of the apocalypse in the novel The Idiot by F. M. Dostoevsky and in the film Stalker by A. A. Tarkovsky

In the literature dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky, parallels between the protagonist of the film Stalker and the main character of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, have been repeatedly drawn. The aim of this study, based on the analysis of the novel and the film, is to show how Tarkovsky attempted to rethink the main philosophical and religious problems of The Idiot in Stalker, centred on the image, and the meaning of the Apocalypse. The starting point of our study is Hans Holbein the Younger’s painting The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb, which appears in both works: as an ekphrasis in the novel and as a visual quotation in the film. The painting and its interpretation play an important role in the formation of apocalyptic images in the inner world of the characters.

The Philosophical Investigations in Philosophy of Religion

Despite overlooking religious topics, Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations (PI) has had a large impact in philosophy of religion. This article surveys that influence and the reasons for it. In what follows, I first describe the reception of certain key concepts from the PI in philosophy of religion. Second, I examine a few scattered remarks on religious topics in the PI. Third, I consider the relevance of the PI for contemporary philosophy of religion. I argue that the dialogical nature of the PI, allowing different generations of readers to engage it with their particular philosophical problems, is key to its longterm influence.

Wittgenstein and Toulmin’s Model of Argument: The Riddle Explained Away

AbstractThe article undertakes the problem of a Wittgensteinian background of Toulmin’s model of argument. While appreciating the original character of the investigations set out by Toulmin in The Uses of Argument, Wittgenstein’s ideas taken to be forerunners of both Toulmin’s philosophical method and the particular elements of the model of substantial argument are traced backward, to Toulmin’s earlier books: The Philosophy of Science (Toulmin, The philosophy of science. An introduction, Hutchinson University Library, London, 1953) and An Examination of the Place of Reason in Ethics (Toulmin, An examination of the place of reason in ethics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1950). The technique of pinpointing the constituents of that model in the books preceding The Uses of Argument is superposing the layout of Toulmin’s model on the crucial arguments concerning the earlier books: the scientific one based on Newtonian optics and the moral one concerning keeping promises. Such a procedure allows identifying backing for warrants and argument fields with the methods of representation in The Philosophy of Science and with modes of reasoning in An Examination of the Place of Reason in Ethics. The former is traced to passages 6.3 ff of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus, while the latter—to the concept of word-games (the later Wittgenstein’s language games). The claim regarding Wittgenstein’s background is that in Toulmin’s view of Wittgenstein, some parts of Tractatus concerning representing are in line with Wittgenstein’s later reflections on language games; as well as that the overall method of The Uses of Argument goes along with Wittgenstein’s therapeutic approach to philosophical problems that have to be placed in the context of their ordinary use.

Lost in a Maze? On the Philosophical Problems With Differential and Individual-Level Susceptibility in Research on Media Effects

This paper provides a philosophical discussion of moderators and person-specific differences (referred to as “hedges”) in research on media effects. It is shown that while, historically, the reliance on hedges has been regarded as a sign of theoretical sophistication (the “hedges-as-progress-perspective”), it has left the field behind in a maze of epistemological problems. The paper therefore urges to reinterpret the role of hedges as a sign of theoretical resilience instead of sophistication (the “hedges-as-protection-perspective”). This shift is shown to have substantive implications for how one describes and evaluates media effects research—not just its history, but also its current state and its ambitions going into the future.

To the history of the philosophical problem of the meaning of human life

To the history of the philosophical problem of the meaning of human life

The Poet-Creator of Philosophy: To the Methodology of Research in Philosophical Thought by Rabindranath Tagore

The Indian poet and educator Rabindranath Tagore was the creator of an original philosophy that gives additional meaning to the picture of the history of Indian philosophy in the 20th century. He usually emphasized his identity as a poet and an artist, not considering himself a philosopher. However, Tagore embodies the phenomenon of a poet-thinker who comprehends universal philosophical problems and, in the process of philosophizing, offers his own vision of them. Moreover, he owns a number of texts of a religious-philosophical and socio-philosophical nature, in addition to the content of poetry and fiction. The philosophy created by the poet requires a comprehensive holistic study, which, in turn, raises the problem of research methodology. The article proposes the author's methodology for the reconstruction of Rabindranath Tagore's philosophy, based on an understanding of his personality, the contexts of thought and the hermeneutics of texts. The methodological model of philosophy reconstruction includes three levels. The first involves analyzing the personality of R. Tagore using the categories "cross-cultural thinker" and "problematic thinker". The second is a description of the contexts of his philosophizing: external general civilizational, internal epochal and internal biographical. The third is the hermeneutics of texts, taking into account the poetic component and the philosophical problems of speeches and fiction. The novelty of the described methodological model is due to the possibilities and prospects of reconstructing Tagore's philosophical thought and concepts. 1. Description of the phenomenon of a poet and writer creating a philosophy in which the experience of artistic creation generates a universal religious and social meaning and actualizes humanistic issues. 2. Presentation of the process of formation of cross-cultural philosophy of the XX century on the material of a particular thinker. 3. The analysis of the contexts of the unfolding of philosophy helps to trace the continuity of the thinker and his ideas with the Indian philosophical tradition in a broad sense and at the same time identify innovation, not least due to his dialogue with Western culture and modernity. 4. Seeing Tagore's philosophy as a kind of quintessence of the Bengali Renaissance heritage, it is not difficult to notice its significance and relevance for modernity. 5. Reconstruction along the proposed methodological path will open up not only direct, but also comparative prospects for studying Tagore's philosophical thought in comparison with the reflections of philosophers from different cultural areas, primarily peripheral to the West and non-Western ones.

Chan Buddhism on the Non‐duality of Practice and Realization

AbstractThis paper introduces readers to the philosophical problems related to Chan Buddhist meditation practices. By looking at the Platform Sutra's teachings of “non‐abiding” (wuzhu) and the Hongzhou Chan Buddhist's teachings of being “without seeking” (wuqiu), I illustrate how a major problem that the Chan Buddhists were attempting to deal with was of the dualism between practice and realization. To properly understand the Chan Buddhist attitude towards meditation, we need to see them as critical of a means/ends dualism operating in human experience. Contrary to interpretations by recent scholars that believe the Hongzhou Chan Buddhists abandon meditation practices, the Hongzhou approach to meditation is to be “without seeking” or the freedom from a means/ends dualism structuring how we perceive the world.

Философский диалог: М.М. Бахтин – А.А. Дорогов (воспоминания и архивные свидетельства)

The name of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin (1895–1975), an outstanding thinker of the 20th century, philosopher and cultural scientist, is widely known. The relevance of his research thought, which comprehended the depth of knowledge about man in the forms of literary creativity, as well as in historical forms of culture, only increases over the years. Because of this, interest in his legacy, including his scientific dialogues, is also increasing. The article provides memories about one of M.M. Bakhtin’s interlocutors – Alexei Alexandrovich Dorogov (1923-2003), whose name is well known only to those who knew him personally, talked with him, listened to his lectures on a wide range of historical, philosophical and cultural problems. This publication sets out to bring out of the shadows of oblivion our remarkable compatriot, a profound and original thinker who was linked to M.M. Bakhtin by a friendship that began on 20 August 1965 and lasted until the latter's death in 1975. Their dialogues can be attributed not just to the genre of memoirs, but to the history of scientific thought. The article is supplemented by the author’s personal memories of meetings and conversations with A. Dorogov. The publication may open up new facets of M.M. Bakhtin’s life and work, as well as to complete the picture of scientific thought of the twentieth century by including in it a little-known thinker, Alexei Alexandrovich Dorogov.

FEATURES OF TEACHING THE DISCIPLINE «PHILOSOPHICAL PROPAEDEUTICS» TO FUTURE MASTERS OF PHILOSOPHY

Аrticle emphasize philosophy as a special type of worldview arose as a response to the eternal need for man to expand the worldview, which is developing historically. Inherent inquisitiveness of people gradually grows into an intellectual need for limitless expansion and deepening of knowledge about the world, the human intellect tries to grasp the world with its mind in such angles that cannot be given by any experience, the intellect seeks to gain knowledge about the world as a holistic reality that a person must constantly take into account in forming programs of their behavior in society. The discipline «Philosophical propaedeutics» at the V. G. Korolenkо Poltava National Pedagogical University is taught to students of the second (master’s) level of higher education, specialty 033 Philosophy. The purpose of teaching the educational discipline «Philosophical propaedeutics» is to master the philosophical categorical toolkit, get acquainted with concepts and approaches, the specifics of the subject of philosophy, and the main philosophical problems. In the process of mastering the course «Philosophical propaedeutics», students must understand what is the specificity of philosophy, master its problematic field, understand the specifics of the philosophical knowledge of the world, understand the main categories, concepts and terms, on the one hand, and the principles and methods of knowledge, on the other hand. The course is also aimed at developing the skills of critical reading of propaedeutic philosophical literature, working with dictionaries, encyclopedias and other scientific literature, philosophical reflection and primary reasoning skills. The educational and professional program for the specialty «Philosophy» of the second (master’s) level of training defines a list of specific general and special competencies, as well as predicted learning outcomes that students must achieve as a result of studying this discipline. During the study of the course, the attention of applicants is drawn to the fact that philosophical propaedeutics is a preliminary cycle of lectures that acquaints young students (readers) with the peculiarities of philosophy as an educational discipline; It provides preparation for creative assimilation of the topics of the philosophy course and for independent study of philosophy. The task of philosophical propaedeutics is to prepare students (students, readers) for the transition from the level of their everyday worldview to the level of a theoretical worldview, from a chaotic worldview to a conscious worldview, from a worldview based on faith to a worldview based on evidence, which relies on reason.

Обзор российского шанкароведения начала XXI века

The analytical review examines the most signifi cant publications of Russian researchers devoted to Śaṁkara (VII–VIII centuries), issued since 2000. The review is divided into parts devoted to individual authors, and their works are evaluated according to their contribution to Russian Śaṁkara studies, the criterion of which is the author’s translations of Śaṁkara’s texts from Sanskrit into Russian, and their conceptual interpretations. The “calling card” of V.K. Shokhin’s works is the inclusion of Śaṁkara’s discourse within the discussion of topical issues of philosophical Indology, theoretical philosophy and religious studies. The review examines the monograph “Stratifi cation of Reality in the Ontology of Advaita-Vedānta” and a number of articles; it explicates the methods by which Śaṁkara “fi ts” into the history of world philosophy. In S.L. Burmistrov’s publications, Śaṁkaraa’s texts are also used not only to solve special historical and philosophical problems, but also to solve topical problems of philosophy. The article “The Concept of Consciousness in the Philosophy of Śaṁkara” makes a completely reasonable conclusion on the decisive role of Śaṁkara in the formation of the Vedāntist concept of consciousness. In the article “Religious Consciousness in Classical Advaita-Vedānta”, Śaṁkara’s interpretations of Ātman are placed in the context of modern discussions on the forms of religious consciousness. N.V. Isaeva’s publication “The Teachings of Śaṁkara – Brahman as a Look and a Tail ...” contains interesting material that contributes to Śaṁkara’s understanding of Brahman as “full of bliss” (ānandamaya), and an assessment of the importance of the philosopher’s ideas in the development of Vedānta concepts. In V.G. Lysenko’s article “Sleep and Dreaming as States of Consciousness...”, structured as a “slow reading of the text”, two versions of Śaṁkara’s topology of consciousness are considered. The researcher reveals ambiguity of Vedāntist terminology, leading to different models of consciousness. Y.V. Predtechenskaya in her article “Defi nitions of Brahman in the Upaniṣads: Apophatic and Cataphatic Approaches ...” quite productively draws Śaṁkara’s comment to the solution of the religious problem of contrasting apophatic and cataphatic approaches to the defi nition of the Absolute. The book by R.V. Pshu “Vedārthasaṁgraha by Rāmānuja and the Formation of Viśiṣṭā-dvaita-vedānta” brings some new information of the infl uence of Śaṁkara’s ideas on t he Vedānta movement. The author notes that the Vedāntists lived after Śaṁkara did not consider his ideas as fundamental to them, and they did not develop them, but Śaṁkara’s teachings provoked their criticism, and they formulated their conceptions as antitheses to Śaṁkara’s ideas. There in the book, the reader can also fi nd useful information on the history of world Śaṁkara Studies.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Views of Modern Science: An Evaluation

This paper focuses on Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s views of modern science. By focusing on Nasr’s opinion of modern science this paper explores how and why he rejects mechanical and positivist views of modern scholars. This research examines why he accepts the theory of creation and appreciates the spiritual and religious worldviews of science. In so doing, this article contributes to the ongoing discourse on the issue of modern science and eternal wisdom. By reviewing the relevant literary sources, some required data are collected and then used in the analysis hereafter. In this discussion Nasr talked about practicing science while keeping religious beliefs integrated. That is why, the existence of the creator of the world has been acknowledged. Whereas he excelled in the knowledge of science. As a result, the limitations of science arise in his mind. The philosophical problems he faced in his youth were not solved by modern science or western philosophy but were solved by the holy Qur’an. He accepts Tawheed or the oneness of God. Although he accepts modern science, he criticizes the resulting secularism. Nasr said that science should be practiced while maintaining religious values. His response to modern Science was to subordinate it to the systems and principles of the Islamic worldview. Moreover, to him, Modern Science was the largest framework of Knowledge (Ilm). This Modern science does not violate the core values of Islamic knowledge but inspires it with divine inspiration. In this case, the method came to be known as the Islamization of knowledge. Philosophy and Progress, Vol#73-74; No#1-2; Jan-Dec 2023 P 215-240

Philosophical Foundations of Transformation in the Information Space in the New Uzbekistan

The article analyzes the philosophical foundations of information space transformation. The solution to the general philosophical problem of information as an attribute of matter in the modern world is researched. Also, this issue, in turn, is the subject of debates between attributive and functional approaches, supporters of the functional approach associate the phenomenon of information with the existence of the subject of knowledge, rejecting its functionality at the level of inorganic systems. The conclusions of the supporters of the attributive approach that information is a general characteristic, an attribute of organic and inorganic natural matter, are stated.

«Европеизм» между политикой и культурой: исторические смыслы и современные трансформации (материалы «круглого стола»)

The journal “Voprosy Filosofii” has repeatedly addressed various aspects of the philosophy of culture. In particular, issues of the interaction between Russia, the West, and the East, the unity of the world and the diversity of cultures, multicultur­alism and the dialogue of cultures, the role of the philosopher in culture, and the prospects for the development of Russian culture have been discussed. Special im­portance has been given to the understanding of cultural studies as a scientific and ed­ucational discipline. In April 2024, we once again turned to the philosophy of culture in the context of the problem of “Europeanism” and discussed the historical meanings and contemporary transformations of this cultural-historical phenomenon. The follow­ing questions were proposed for discussion. What constitutes the “essence” of Euro­pean culture? Does “Europeanism” have an obligatory historical and geographical at­tachment? Why does the methodological concept of “presentism-antiquarianism” gain crucial importance today, particularly for research in the field of the philosophy of cul­ture? Is antiquity the origin only of European culture, or is it the origin of the Great Culture? Is “Europeanization of the Earth” possible today? (Spengler, Husserl, Hei­degger). Who are the true heirs of antiquity today? Are there differences between Greek and Roman cultures? Which type has Europe inherited today, and to what ex­tent? Has the perception of “Europeanism” changed in Russian and world philosophy of the 19th–21st centuries? The role of Hegel in the mythologization of “Europe.” Is “Europeanism” a political myth of the 21st century? How do you evaluate the at­tempts at philosophical comparisons of the crisis of European culture in the 1920s and the 2020s? Does “Europeanism” exhaust European culture? And what philosophical or cultural problem do we want to see behind this? The crucial topic of discussion was the interpretation of Europeanism as a symbolic construct, connected with the assessment of the prospects for the development of the cultural future of Russia, Europe, and Humanity

How ideas connect to the world

The celebrated Russian philosopher, Evald Ilyenkov, draws on Spinoza to solve a key philosophical problem: how exactly does the mind connect to the real world? However, the proposed solution has come under much criticism, for example in a recent special issue of Studies of East European Thought (74, 3). This paper aims to clearly explain the solution, overcoming misunderstandings that are evident in the special issue. The kernel of the solution is an argument that human cognition rests on practical activity. In practical activity humans do not act on a fixed structure within their own bodies, in the manner, say, that the activity of water is determined by its fixed structure, H2O. Instead, human practical activity directly connects with and continually adapts to the structures and causal powers of external bodies. Awareness of practical activity thereby gives the human mind access to a mode of activity that is in direct contact and ever-greater accordance with the objects of the real world. The paper will elaborate and develop this kernel, with particular attention to the notion of ‘causal powers’ that it contains, by drawing from the revival in philosophy and the social sciences of what has been termed ‘causal powers realism’. The paper thereby opens new insights and connections regarding the Spinoza-Ilyenkov solution, alleviating the potential for misunderstandings evident in the special issue.

The Non-Duality of the “Conditioned” and “Unconditioned”: Hongzhou Chan Buddhism on Reconciling the Morality/Prudence Distinction

This paper illustrates how Hongzhou Chan Buddhism provides valuable resources for dealing with issues in contemporary moral philosophy. In particular, when philosophers adopt the Hongzhou Chan Buddhist’s non-dualistic account of reality, we can see how their teachings provide us with important resources needed for resolving philosophical problems that were originally undertaken by philosophers like the American Pragmatists John Dewey and Richard Rorty. When the pragmatists hoped to extirpate traditional metaphysics from moral philosophy, one of their focuses was on providing an alternative to the morality/prudence distinction. As this study illustrates, by overcoming the metaphysical dualism between the “unconditioned” and the “conditioned”, the Hongzhou Chan Buddhist can provide an account of compassion that is unconditionally grounded. Their account of compassion can then be understood as bridging the divide between “morality” and “prudence”.

Tense-Logic and the Revival of Philosophical Theology

The article discusses Nicholas Wolterstorff’s explanations for the flourishing of philosophical theology in analytic philosophy by taking Arthur Norman Prior’s (1914–1969) development of tense-logic into account. Prior’s work challenged the prevailing anti-metaphysical norms in analytic philosophy and introduced an alternative understanding of the relationship between logic and metaphysics. Prior’s application of tense-logic to an analysis of the concept of existence in quantified tense-logic and his exploration of future contingency in branching time semantics provide a strong reason for why analytic philosophy naturally incorporates philosophical theology. These considerations lead us to modify Wolterstorff’s emphasis on the importance of meta-epistemology for the resurgence of philosophical theology. A development in logic was necessary. Furthermore, Prior’s importance questions the assumption that philosophical theology was a consequence of theistic philosophers seeking ways to defend theistic beliefs in analytic philosophy. This is not true for Prior. His invention of tense-logic and discussion of omniscience was driven by an existential interest in finding answers to philosophical problems concerning divine foreknowledge and human freedom which ultimately led him to reject his Christian beliefs.

Anaximander on basic substances and the desiccation of the sea

Abstract This paper deals with the physics of Anaximander and argues that, in his theory, the drying up of the sea cannot be accounted for in terms of the kind of conflict envisaged in his main fragment between the four basic substances: the hot, the cold, the wet and the dry (DK 12B1). In so doing, the paper takes issue with a classic interpretation of Anaximander’s cosmology advocated by Jaap Mansfeld (2011). This issue also brings us to a wider philosophical problem: are meteorological phenomena in general amenable to this conflict according to Anaximander? In the conclusion, a few conjectural remarks are made regarding what may have been the real explanandum of this theory.

“And They Shall Be Two in One Flesh”: A Scotistic Exploration of Marriage, Intersubjectivity, and Interpersonality

Marriage is an institution known for both its virtues and challenges. This study examines marriage not merely as a sociological or theological construct but as a lens to explore the profound philosophical problems of intersubjectivity and interpersonality. By examining both the relational and sacramental dimensions of marriage, we gain insights into how two distinct individuals can form a deep, enduring bond that transcends individual isolation, thus offering a model for understanding both intersubjectivity and interpersonality. The unique perspective offered by Christian theology, which regards marriage as a sacrament, entails a fundamental and irreversible transformation in the individuals involved. This provides a unique venue to address intersubjectivity and interpersonality using unconventional sources and analysis. The objective is not to advocate for Catholic doctrine or any specific religious perspective but to deploy the sacramental understanding of matrimony and its conceptual framework to address these intertwined philosophical issues.

Philosophical and legal ideas of F.M. Dostoevsky in modern legal doctrine A. I. Bastrykin, R. F. Ismagilov, V. P. Salnikov. The idea of goodness in the works of F.M. Dostoevsky and its influence on the development of the philosophy of law (to the 200th anniversary of F. M. Dostoevsky) / opening speech by A. I. Aleksandrov. 2nd, rev. and exp.

In the presented review, the authors provide a doctrinal content characteristic of the current ideas and scientific provisions of the monograph by A. I. Bastrykin, R. F. Ismagilov, V. P. Salnikov “The idea of Goodness in the works of F. M. Dostoevsky and its influence on the development of the Philosophy of Law (to the 200th anniversary of F. M. Dostoevsky”. It is noted that this scientific work is devoted to a complex of currently relevant philosophical and legal problems, related to the understanding of goodness and evil. until now has this topic not found its worthy philosophical and historical-legal justification, as well as unambiguous perception and interpretation both among scientists and among various social groups of Russian society. The authors of the review note that the appearance of the second edition of the monograph is positive for science and practice, and also the fact that this work once again raises questions traditional for the domestic intelligentsia in the philosophical and legal discourse.

The meaning of mass extinctions and what the fossil record tells us about angiosperm survival at K-Pg: a reply to Hagen (2024).

Last year, we published research using phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) to reveal no phylogenetic evidence for elevated lineage-level extinction rates in angiosperms across K-Pg (Thompson JB, Ramírez-Barahona S. 2023 No phylogenetic evidence for angiosperm mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary. Biol. Lett. 19, 20230314. (doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0314)), results that are in step with the global angiosperm fossil record. In a critique of our paper (Hagen ER. 2024 A critique of Thompson and Ramírez-Barahona (2023) or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the fossil record. EcoEvoRxiv. (doi:10.32942/X2631W)), simulation work is presented to argue we erred in our methodological choices and interpretations, and that we should have deferred to fossil evidence. In our opinion, underlying this critique are poor methodological choices on simulations and philosophical problems surrounding the definition of a mass extinction event, which leads to incorrect interpretations of both the fossil record and PCMs. We further argue that deferring to one source of evidence in favour of the other shuts the door to important evolutionary and philosophical questions.