Existential Research Articles

Stein’s Anthropological Approach to the Humanities

Should we approach the lived experience and/or understand the other with the sense of things? If this is the case, how are we to treat the human experience par excellence? Paradoxically, Edith Stein gives a fresh meaning to the Husserlian term “leiblicheSelbstgegebenheit.” In contrast to Max Scheler’s account, she develops the “persönliche Note” criterion of authenticity. And against Maetin Heidegger’s existential philosophy, a concern for human existence itself resonates. Based on these three dimensions, this article discusses the idea of “the lived experience” according to Edith Stein, that is, the human experience contemplated by the humanities.
 --------------------------
 Received: 03/02/2023. Reviewed: 16/03/2023. Accepted: 30/03/2023.

중국 근대의 일상과 문학, 그 기억과 표상

Modern China had all the conditions for the development of popular fiction such as detective novels, thanks to the development of various modern media, the expansion of mass education, and urbanization. In addition to the basic principles of presenting a case and resolving it logically, detective novels have secured their own unique territory based on the selection of themes that attract readers' attention, the surprise of unexpected endings, and the scientific knowledge and rational thinking that can convince readers. The popularity of modern detective novels in China is closely related to the daily life of modern society, which dynamically reflects the tastes and hobbies of the times and the specificity of modern thinking and perception. This paper is motivated by the same problem: in order to approach the substance of modern Chinese detective fiction, it is necessary to understand the cultural and literary characteristics of the society in which it is written. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the modern ideas and perceptions that made detective novels possible as a genre of fiction based on a comprehensive set of texts, including detective novels, as well as related novel publicity, event reports, and novel criticism, during this period. Specifically, it explored the daily life and literature of modern China, focusing on the aesthetic phenomena of expectation and fun in detective fiction. Second, it examined detective fiction in terms of the logic of the Enlightenment, represented by scientific knowledge and rational thinking. Third, it explored the possibilities of detective fiction in terms of hobby tastes as a modern reading material. This study, which examines the daily life and literature of modern China, as well as its memory and representation, through the analysis of modern Chinese detective fiction works and extracurricular materials, will provide an opportunity to reestablish the status of detective fiction.

Analyzing Female Tragedy and Female Consciousness in the TV Series "Empresses in the Palace" from the Female Perspective

The TV series "Empresses in the Palace" is a rare boutique in the harem theme category in recent years. The TV series narrates the life of concubine Zhen Huan and her life in the harem from her perspective. Based on the plotting and textual analysis of the drama, this paper analyzes the female tragedy and the awakening of female consciousness in the drama from the female perspective. Three main aspects are analyzed: the microcosm of the harem from the female perspective, the image of women from the modern female perspective, and the overall tragedy of the harem concubines. The research objectives are achieved by studying the influence of Cheng-Zhu neo-Confucianism on feudal rituals, the embodiment of female self-awareness, and the portrayal of characters in the play. The study concludes that the characterization of Zhen Huan, as an example, contains a sense of independence in modern women's thinking and that the overall tragedy of the harem concubines and the shackles of feudal rituals lead to a clear understanding of the oppression and mutilation of women in feudal society.

Kant: on the Way to Understanding the Spiritual Nature of Man

Purpose. The main purpose of the study is to examine Kant’s first experience in creating a methodology for determining the holistic, spiritual nature of man, firstly, in terms of identifying the range of phenomena that should be included in the analysis of the spiritual essence of man, and secondly, this experience may be indicative for identifying dead ends in the research of spirituality of modern philosophers. Theoretical basis. The study is based on the methodology of philosophical anthropology formulated by M. Scheler, which, on the one hand, integrates the achievements of philosophy of life, phenomenology, existentialism and philosophical hermeneutics, and on the other hand, is based on the premise of the initial direct unity of the opposition of mental and physiological processes of human life. The basis for further expansion of the theoretical framework is the experience of spiritual practices of the Ancient East and religious practices of the Christian Middle Ages. Particularly noteworthy is the experience of modern psychotherapeutic practices, which, for all their diversity, have their roots in the depths of primitive beliefs and mysteries of ancient civilisations, and the tips of their branches reaching to the ideas of modern transpersonal psychology. Originality. Firstly, the author uses M. Scheler’s ideas about the spiritual nature of man and the unity of his essential forces: corporeality, senses, feelings, thinking, values of worldview principles and the Absolute to analyse Kant’s anthropological concept. Secondly, Kant’s position on the way of describing human nature reveals contradictions. These contradictions are caused, on the one hand, by the prevailing mechanistic picture of the world, and, on the other hand, by the philosopher’s intuitive assumptions that did not follow from the provisions of his dualistic position (the concepts of mind and soul as used in Kant’s work "Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View"). Thirdly, the author identifies those fragments of the said work where Kant assumes the presence of corporeality, but does not clearly formulate its role in building the integral nature of the spiritual man. Conclusions. Immanuel Kant was one of the first to raise the issue of the primary study of human nature in comparison with issues of ontology, epistemology, morality, etc. However, the philosopher failed to create a concept of holistic human nature, the essence of which would be its spiritual core. Kant based his methodology of studying human nature on the dualistic opposition of the essential forces of man. This methodology was conditioned by the dominant mechanistic picture of the world. Kant’s researches in the field of morality, aesthetics, and science were carried out in the cognitive-theoretical plane, so they were unable to reach a true synthesis of the essential forces of man by their methodology. Such a synthesis is possible on the basis of spiritual practice. The results of the study of the experience of the achievements and mistakes of the outstanding philosopher in the study of human nature open up the possibility of further refinement and development of philosophical and anthropological methodology in understanding the spiritual nature of man as a whole through comprehension of the mechanism of spiritual practice and, on this basis, understanding of the phenomenon of spirituality in all historical forms of its manifestation.

Legendary tales about saints in Tatar folklore

The relevance of the research topic is the cultural and social need to comprehend one of the Tatar history and culture key phenomena in terms of holiness and subjects, reflecting the image of “the saint”, the tasks of restoring the people’s spiritual values, the most important ones for the moral education of modern society, as well as the need to replenish knowledge about the specific features of folk spirituality and folk beliefs. The object of the study is Tatar legendary tales about saints. The subject of the study is the image of a saint and motifs about saints in Tatar legendary tales. The purpose of the work is to identify the features, reflecting the image of the saint in Tatar tales, and the prerequisites, forming the basis of the holiness phenomenon. The research task of the article is to review legendary tales about saints, determine their genre features and identify the specific features of reflecting religious trends in modern folk thinking based on the transformation of the image of a saint and ideas of holiness in the oral folk art of the Tatars living in different regions of Russia.The article concludes that the characters of the tales are endowed with holiness due to their sincere faith in God, a feeling of sincere love for him, they do not pursue the goal of demonstrating their abilities.

Философия эпохи модерна и постмодернизм

In the history of philosophical thought the past twentieth century was marked by a great turning point caused by the collapse of the previous intellectual, cultural, and attitudinal paradigm characteristic of the classical modern era. Acting as the destroyer of this paradigm, postmodernism prioritized the “effectiveness of language”, freeing it from morality and truth, and reducing it to the transmission of information regardless of the degree of honesty or dishonesty of the position taken by the interested party. It is in the philosophy of postmodernism that language in its functional and especially in its axiological relation has undergone a violent degradation. Unlike postmodernism, the philosophy of the modern era has never ceased to live the history and heritage of world philosophical thought, the importance of which in the history of cultures and civilizations has always been recognized as the beginning of all subsequent intellectual and technical achievements of mankind. The key place in the article is occupied by the analysis of Heidegger’s fundamental ontology, which creates a “theology without God” and rejects divine reality, without the realization of which the only possibility remains despairing pessimism. In postmodernism, language ceases to be an instrument of cognition of reality, remaining an instrument of the strategy of persuasion. Thus, philosophy should not abandon its own purpose in the search for teleological meaning in the evaluation and interpretation of human being in the world. The new conceptualization of the existence of the world and man was formalized in the philosophy of existentialism and postmodern. These approaches to the interpretation of man, his language, thinking, consciousness and faith inherent in the philosophy of J.-P. Sartre, N.A. Berdyaev, K. Jaspers, M. Heidegger, J. Derrida, M. Foucault and R. Rorty form the subject of this article. The author shows that it is the philosophy of classical modernity, based on Christian doctrine with its orientation to the life of the future century, is an alternative to postmodernism.

The Loss of Individuality in War: Existentialist Approach

The article explores the issue of loss of individuality in the war according to theoretical perceptions of existentialist philosophers. The problem is observed and discussed focusing mainly on the cases of two world wars emerged in 20th century. It is obvious that these wars had a huge global impact not only on the social and political life worldwide, but also on the philosophical perceptions of human life valorization and his existence.
 Based on the comparative analysis of philosophical views of different thinkers the article reveals the loss of human individuality both in social conditions and on the ontological level. 
 It is concluded that if the philosophy of World War I observed death as a unifying factor, including an equalization that excludes the individual, then existentialism, as a condition of the reality of widespread death, considers it as a phenomenon that opens the spiritual eye of a person to the reality of death. As the development of technology and wars are closely related, world wars represent a direct threat by primitive nations that assimilate and use technology to absorb nations endowed with peace-loving and creative spirit. This is a big threat to humanity in terms of its dehumanization and destruction.

Acetamiprid's degradation products and mechanism: Part II – Inert atmosphere and charge storage

Reuse and/or recycling of spent adsorbents is taking a central role in modern thinking and catalyzed carbonization is the way forward. Herein we explore the carbonization of adsorbed acetamiprid, in an inert atmosphere, as a way of recycling and producing nitrogen-rich carbon material for potential use in supercapacitors. Added value material and the reuse of the adsorbent were achieved by carbonization at 700 °C under argon. The formation of a nitrogen-doped carbon layer as an active material on the adsorbent, bonded through a C-Si linkage, has been conclusively verified through elemental composition quantification using XPS and EDX measurements. Two-stage catalytic decomposition and condensation of the adsorbed pesticide is followed by TGA and TPD-MS. Attained carbon-based materials give stable Faradaic capacitance with a slight dependency on the number of adsorbing cycles. Capacitance calculated with respect to the adlayer carbon material reaches values as high as 610 F g−1. Galvanostatic Charge/Discharge measurement confirmed the stability of explored materials with a slight increase in capacitance over 1000 cycles. The presented results envisage electroactive materials preparation from environmental pollutants, adding value to spent adsorbents.

Екзистенційна сутність роману Мирослава Дочинця «Бранець Чорного лісу»

The existential essence of Myroslav Dochynets’s novel “The Prisoner of the Black Forest” The article focuses on the existential essence of the novel “The Prisoner of the Back Forest” (a version of the novel “Vechnik” for young people) by the contemporary Transcarpathian writer, laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Award, Myroslav Dochynets. The genre, plot, composition, linguistic and stylistic features of the text have been analysed. It is determined that the genre is a synthesis of an adventure novel, a novel of education, and a parable novel: the adventure line is the external, eventual plot line – the birth of the hero in the Silver Land, in Transcarpathia, his participation in the struggle of the region for its independence; survival in the wilds of the Carpathians, travelling in Romania, exile in Siberia, Kolyma, a trip to Greece, the island of Crete, Mount Athos, taiga crafts in Vladivostok, planting gardens in Colchis, and, finally, returning to his native land; the internal, ideological dominant line is revealed both at the level of metaphorical language and in certain philosophical passages in italics. The narrative is told in the form of a life story-confession, and the protagonist himself is a spokesperson for existential truths. The article provides an interpretation of the moral and ethical issue which is the key concept in the novel; focuses on the main existential issues covered in the novel – the fate of a person in an absurd, indifferent, often hostile world; his/her choice in crisis situations, which are often caused by political events; stoicism, responsibility and “self-sufficiency”; humanity and altruism; kindred labour and unity with nature; the need for constant self-improvement, which is possible through study and work. The study has established the closeness of the author’s worldview to the philosophy of existentialism, stoicism and transcendentalism. The key ideas of the novel are the establishment of a life-affirming philosophy of human existence, that should be based on Christian and universal values. Another fundamental truth of Myroslav Dochynets’s work is the sense of integrity with his land, his motherland and its traditions. The use of Transcarpathian dialectisms, exoticisms, ethnographic sketches and historical facts is not just a tribute to fashion in literature, but an internal necessity, an opportunity to truthfully build his artistic world, rooting it in the land where he was born and raising it to higher levels of awareness of himself and the world in the continuous movement of history. The purpose of the artist is to share God’s revelation, which his heart has known; to glorify his native land, which gave him a soul; and to lead the reader to the light, showing him the main ways of spiritual and intellectual growth. Keywords: adventure novel, parable novel, novel of upbringing, existentialism, transcendentalism, metaphor, images-symbols, images-archetypes.

TEOLOGI MODERN RUDOLF BULTMANN; ESKATOLOGI DAN DEMITOLOGISASI

Rudolf Karl Bultman was a New Testament scholar who began his studies at the University of Marburg in 1916-1921. Bultmann was influenced by Existentialist philosophy. His thinking was not merely superficial but posed a serious challenge to liberalism and orthodoxy. For several centuries Christology has been built using the "above" approach or Christology from above, one example is Cur Deus Homo? Written by Anselm. Modern theologians reverse this approach with the Christology from below pattern. This pattern changes the direction of Christology from theocentric to the anthropocentric. Christology becomes Jesusology. Bultmann, as a child of the modern era, clearly understands the problems of liberalism, so he stands up to challenge his era which has gone beyond the proper limits in treating biblical texts, especially the New Testament. He is more skeptical than Barth and Brunner in his criticism of the reconstruction of the historical Jesus according to the historical pattern of modernism. The evangelical wing tends to be “hostile” to Bultmanian thought because its demythologizing program attacks the validity of the Bible. However, the author sees the points of Bultmann's contribution as well as the weaknesses of his thinking

A deceased doctor healing the living in the enchanted world of the Brazilian Northeast

AbstractThe theme of this paper is that people in Northeast Brazil refuse to let a good person who helped them during his (or her) lifetime die. They do this through several of the religious traditions practiced in the region. Beings, human and other, now in another plane of reality established in modern thinking, cross the conceptual divide and return through mediums or other intermediaries to heal the living. We examine two religious traditions, “folk” or “popular” Catholicism and Kardecist‐Spiritism, focusing on the spirit of Argeu Hebster, a medical doctor who lived in the municipality of Marangaupe in the state of Ceará until his death in 1977. The return of the doctor is told in stories told to the authors while doing ethnography that provide the data used in analyzing the enchanted worlds of the two religions.

Sociability of ‘Selfishness’ and Individualism in Chinese Modern Thought and Society

Abstract The debate on the sociability of self-interest has resonated through diverse cultures and epochs, with particular relevance to the ongoing discourse concerning the resurgence of Confucian thought and the evolution of individuality within contemporary Chinese society. Li Zhi (1527–1602) brings forth a novel perspective with his concept of innate ‘selfishness’. Li’s proposition offers a profound exploration of the human psyche. His reinterpretation of ‘selfishness’ resonates with modern psychological terminology, bearing resemblance to concepts such as ‘self-motivation’ and the ‘flow experience’, in alignment with the economic development and social mobility of the mid-Ming era. However, it also fosters an awareness of interconnectedness with all beings, as epitomized by the concept of oneness. This emerging paradigm of self calls for a comparative analysis with the trajectory of individualism in modern and contemporary China. From a cross-cultural perspective, Li’s proposition grapples with challenges that have perplexed thinkers across diverse civilizations, echoing the discourse in modern Europe regarding the paradox of ‘unsocial sociability’.

Способы художественной когниции поэтов американского постмодерна

The aim of the study is to identify the innovative methods of artistic cognition characteristic of poets in the postmodern era. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the author identifies such methods of artistic cognition as artistic fractal, chaotic thinking, cognition through linguistic structure and interaction with the reader, the functioning of which is considered based on the American language poetry of the late 20th century. The specific characteristics of the postmodern poets’ creative thinking, expressed in a special language of lyrical texts, are determined. As a result, it has been found that the chaotic nature of modern creative thinking is realized by such linguistic means as paradox, oxymoron, paronomasia, an extended metaphor, a semantic flow, a line break, etc. One of the forms of the chaotic nature as a method of artistic cognition are fractals, represented at the structural level as complex graphic systems. Cognition through linguistic structure is realized both at the lexical (paronomasia, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox) and the grammatical (a line break, violation of grammatical norms, use of graphic symbols and drawings) level. Interaction with the reader is carried out in the course of solving logical riddles represented by paradoxes.

Shakespeare’s reflective genre. On reflection involved in the staging of culture

The opposition of two terms, tradition vs reflection, is laid at the foundation of the construct which is often accepted now as a representation of world culture in the process of its staging. ‘Tradition’ stands for the collective mind and the ritual/norm, while ‘reflection’ covers the growth of the individual talent liberating itself from the normative authority of generic and other prescriptions. The borderline — beyond which the power of genre with its rules, rigidly established in the classical poetics, visibly loses its prescriptive power and individual talent takes over — is usually located somewhere between the late Renaissance and the early romantic era. Among the generic forms thatrepresent a new reflective genre, S. Averintsev reckons the novel by Cervantes, Shakespeare’s tragedies, Montaigne’s essays, Pascal’s intellectual prose... In the present article, the renaissance sonnet is added to this list due to the role it played in ‘the origin of the modern mind’ (P. Oppenheimer) and its three hundred years of domination in European lyric poetry. The sonnet, with special attention given to Shakespeare’s sequence, is analyzed after a model elaborated by M. Bakhtin for the novel and by Y. Tynyanov for the Russian ode.

Meta-Existentialism in Albert Camus' Cross Purpose: Deconstructing Narrative Layers of Absurdity Concerning Human Choices

The present essay intends to look through and into the play Cross Purpose (1943) by Albert Camus as an illustration of existential philosophy, looking at how the characters—Jan and Martha in particular—maneuver through the absurdity of life. Echoing Camus' central theme of absurdity, it will examine the futility of pursuing moral clarity in a universe devoid of inherent meaning. The play's criticism of society norms, questioning of accepted morality, and blending elements of dark comedy and tragedy to produce an engaging theatrical experience will also be examined in this paper. By closely analyzing Cross Purpose, this paper hopes to add to the larger conversation about existential issues and the search for purpose in life's meaning in an oblivious universe. With a meta-existentialist lens, this essay also aims to evaluate the play and uncover intricate narrative layers that represent the complexities of existential philosophy. Through nuanced structural details and character interactions, it will look at how Camus incorporates the absurd into the narrative and challenges the audience to think about the nature of storytelling and meaning formation.

A journey of self-discovery and survival: A critique of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (1977)

The focus of this study is to examine Toni Morrison's conceptual approach in portraying the main characters of Song of Solomon. Existentialist philosophy and literature largely focus on the inquiry of how humans navigate their existence in a rapidly evolving world. The text explores obligation and freedom as integral aspects of a purposeful existence for individuals. The textual analysis of Song of Solomon formed the basis of the study. Morrison presents Milkman and Pilate, the two main characters in this book, with circumstances that need them to make decisions between different options. This analysis will concentrate on the characters' endeavours to chart their lives and overcome obstacles to underscore the existential concept of the work being examined. This analysis will centre on Morrison's approach and the extent to which she successfully incorporated the social and cultural contexts of the two main characters. The study examines Milkman's inclination to adapt in order to align with his evolving identity, as well as his reluctance to conform to the established norms. In summary, the study thoroughly examines the author's existential perspective and evaluates Aunt Pilate's ability to make autonomous choices and take complete accountability for the outcomes of those choices. The study will centre on the self-perceptions of each character, as well as their perspectives on the community, its norms, and its principles.

Eksistensiell psykoterapi

Existential psychotherapy is a pluralistic tradition with a background in existential philosophy and humanistic, experiential and psychodynamic therapy traditions. A basic premise is that psychological difficulties arise when we encounter difficulties in dealing with emotional pain that is at once specific to our own individual lives, and at the same time related to common human concerns. This may be due to a lack of the inner tools to deal with emotions or of access to the kind of contact with others that can make the pain bearable. It may also have to do with being constrained by self-interpretations that lead us to believe that emotions, needs and passions can harm or destroy. The aim of existential therapy is to help enable the patient to be present in their own life, such as it is, with curiosity, humility and awe, and to constructively engage with both the possibilities and the limitations that inevitably are there. Keywords: existential psychotherapy, therapy traditions, emotional pain, therapeutic aims

Structural Existential Analysis (SEA) – A step-by-step guide for application to research

Context & FocusThe field of existential research is gently growing, yet currently relies on methods rooted in other psychological approaches. In 2014, Deurzen introduced her innovative phenomenological research method entitled: Structural Existential Analysis (SEA). SEA is increasingly being used as a secondary layer of analysis within qualitative research, yet few have applied SEA as an outright method before now. This paper expands upon the original SEA foundations to provide a clear, empirically supported 8-step guide for the application of SEA as an outright research method. The researcher’s personal existential journey and their subjective use of philosophical heuristic models are considered. Resources for immersion into global existential philosophies are provided, moving beyond the prevailing Eurocentric sources to enrich the depth of insights available within the researcher’s project and wider disciplinary field.ConclusionStructural Existential Analysis (SEA) can be used as a stand-alone method of analysis for qualitative research. Unparalleled by existing research methods, this step-by-step application of SEA enables researchers to achieve a level of existential depth throughout their research journey moving beyond the prevailing Eurocentric contributions, advocates the importance of the human behind the research, supports the researcher’s creativity and intuition within the research process, and provides resources for personal reflexivity and self-development. Positioned towards novice and qualified researchers, this step-by-step guide offers a foundation for conducting ethical, empirically valid, and replicable lived-experience research.

Maintenance and Alimony Under Various Personal Laws

Once a marriage comes to a halt, the relationship bonds that formerly existed come to an end. Thus, the financial support that once existed between the partners also comes to a stop. In cases where one of the parties had financially depended on the other party, they tend to find it difficult to support themselves, and thus the concept of maintenance comes into play. This paper revolves around the concept of maintenance under distinct personal laws that govern them. It is interesting to note the minor differences that exist between the personal laws.The paper revolves around the concept of maintenance, starting from the types of alimony till the nuances that are to be noted in different personal laws, highlighting husband's right to maintenance. As the society has become more inclusive of modern thoughts and ideas, the concept of maintenance under live-in relationship has also been discussed. Though it has not been legalised yet, it is a fact that it is not illegal either. Hence can either party claim maintenance if the live-in relationships break, is a question that has also been addressed in this paper.

Kierkegaard's concept of self-identity dynamics to awaken spiritual powers: Spiritual counseling perspective

Counselees who take part in spiritual counseling are usually those who are experiencing life impasses. Spiritual counseling offers intervention to reactivate the counselee's spiritual powers. This article aims to look at the possibility of using Soren Kierkegaard's thought of self-identity dynamics as a framework for spiritual counseling interventions. Kierkegaard, who is known as an existentialist philosopher, considers that human self-identity has three dimensions. First, the synthesis of two opposite poles: between the infinite and the finite, the mortal and the eternal, freedom and necessity. Second, internal relations: relations that connect oneself and one's individuality. The third is deep dependence on the transcendent. The three dimensions of human identity are in harmony with the main character of spiritual counseling. The method used to see this possibility is a literature study. The author reviews various literature related to spiritual counseling and Kierkegaard's concept of self-identity dynamics to produce a comprehensive discussion. There are ten journal articles that the author used for this research. Three main discussions of this paper are the definition of spiritual counseling, the concept of Kierkegaard's Self-identity dynamics, and the application of Kierkegaard's self-identity dynamics to spiritual counseling. The discussion concluded that Kierkegaard's thoughts on self-identity provided an adequate framework for the dynamics of spiritual counseling, especially to help counselees realize and actualize spiritual powers to build wholeness in freedom. This study will benefit spiritual counselors to deal with counselees experiencing life impasses and to broadenthe counselor's understanding in facilitating the counseling process.