Transcendental Dimension Research Articles

Intersubjectivity, Ethics in Times of Crisis and Objective Idealism as a Philosophical System: An Interview with Vittorio Hösle

Vittorio Hösle is internationally highly regarded for his attempt to revive objective idealism – the philosophical line along which he situates the positions of Plato, Aristotle, most medieval philosophers, Spinoza, Leibniz, Schelling, Hegel, but also Peirce and Whitehead – as a philosophical system capable of holding together the transcendental dimension of synthetic a priori judgments with the intelligibility and objectivity of being. In this interview, he discusses his work over the past decades, starting from the “Philosophische Lehrjahre” (“years of philosophical apprenticeship”) between Regensburg, Tübingen, Bochum and Freiburg and from the meetings with masters and significant interlocutors (such as Tóth, Thieme, Wandschneider, Beierwaldes, Lohr, Böckenförde, without forgetting Apel and Jonas). Multiple themes dot the path of thought retraced in this dialogue: from the rethematization of Hegel’s (and Vico’s) objective idealism through transcendental pragmatics to the delineation of the relationship between ethics and politics via a theory of the social and the intent of a normative foundation; from the need for a thought that faces the ecological crisis to the reinterpretation of sociobiology; and finally, from the project of an intersubjectively valid understanding to the importance of a theory of comedy. What emerges is the philosophical self-portrait of a cosmopolitan intellectual who was able to grasp the best from inherited and acquired cultural traditions: German culture, inherited from his father; Italian culture, inherited from his mother; and American culture, acquired by moving to the USA. The interview was realised on 17 April 2024 at the University of Trento, as part of the second series of lectures “Voices from Contemporary Philosophy”.

The doctrine of the sky-blue one in Myanmar: disenchanted Buddhism

ABSTRACT While the predominant forms of Buddhism in Southeast Asia are enchanted, some novel interpretations of Buddhism are disenchanted rejecting anything supernatural and metaphysical. One such case is the teaching of the controversial, blue-robed monk Ashin Nyāna in Burma/Myanmar. The aim of this article is, first, to examine Ashin Nyāna's own objectives of his doctrinal and moral reform of Buddhism, and how his followers make sense of his teaching. Second, it argues that Ashin Nyāna's reformist Buddhism, which is characterized by a this-worldly orientation and an absence of supernatural, metaphysical, and transcendent dimensions, can be understood as disenchantment in the Weberian sense and referred to as disenchanted Buddhism or a disenchanted Buddhist discourse that has emerged through a critique of enchanted forms of Buddhism, and in interplay with modern urban life. Third, the article suggests that the concept of a disenchanted Buddhist discourse might have some advantages as a comparative concept.

The death of the embodied philosopher and the life of the mind: On the literary and poetic features of Plato's Phaedo

AbstractSocrates is a man of faith whose love and pursuit of the truth is grounded in religious conviction. Faith, whatever else it may be, involves guiding one's life in terms of a transcendent dimension, recognizing a reality lying behind any particular experience. In Plato's Phaedo, a literary and philosophical masterpiece, we enter the narrative of Socrates' trial and execution on the day of his death, examining arguments for the immortality of the psyche. The dialogue combines logical argument and mythological speculation, and presents Socrates simultaneously as an abstract theorist and an unforgettably singular person. Distinct persons, such as Socrates, have an interest in continuing to exist as the individuals that they are. When we cease to exist, we lose the opportunity to engage in any activity that is worth doing, such as—emphatically, for some of us—doing philosophy. What Socrates is presented as having discovered in the Phaedo—with the ostensibly absent Plato lurking behind every line in this literary gem of a text—is a way of transforming oneself with an eye on immortality. That Socrates dies utterly without fear is the supreme vindication of the philosophical life.

Prophetic Approach in Environmental Education and Community Empowerment: A Case Study of Sustainable Pesantren Development

Purpose: This study explores the application of the prophetic approach in community empowerment for the development of sustainable Pesantren. It aims to investigate how environmental education, integrated with Islamic teachings, can enhance human awareness and commitment to environmental preservation within the context of Pesantren. Method: The study is based on a case study of Pondok Pesantren Islam Modern (PPMI) Assalaam, utilizing qualitative research methods. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and direct observation. The analysis focuses on understanding the implementation of environmental education programs and the prophetic approach to community empowerment at PPMI Assalaam. Result and Conclusion: The concept of Green Pesantren at PPMI Assalaam involves integrating environmental education with Islamic teachings and social values, leading to a balanced education approach. Two main programs, the Adiwiyata Program and the Ekopesantren Program, are implemented to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices within the Pesantren community. The study finds that environmental awareness among the community members influences their beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, contributing to environmental preservation efforts. Additionally, community empowerment at PPMI Assalaam is based on environmental consciousness, community empowerment principles, and the prophetic approach, emphasizing not only physical and social development but also spiritual growth and deeper connections with God. This holistic approach enriches empowerment theory with transcendent elements, providing a profounder understanding of human development and societal change. Implication of the Research: The findings of this study have implications for environmental education and community empowerment initiatives within Pesantren and similar religious educational institutions. By integrating the prophetic approach, Pesantren can enhance their efforts in promoting environmental awareness and sustainable practices among students and the broader community. Moreover, the study suggests that a holistic approach to community empowerment, encompassing spiritual and transcendent dimensions, can lead to more meaningful and sustainable societal change. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the understanding of how the prophetic approach can be applied to environmental education and community empowerment within the context of Pesantren. By integrating Islamic teachings with environmental principles, Pesantren can play a significant role in fostering environmental stewardship and sustainable development. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of considering spiritual dimensions in empowerment theory, offering new insights into holistic approaches to community development.

Редукция трансцендентного как основание имагинативного поворота в неопрагматизме

<span lang="EN-US">The article is devoted to the analysis of the conceptual and methodological grounds of the imaginative turn made within the framework of neopragmatist discourse. The specific works of R. Rorty, H. Putnam, and M. Johnson are used as examples to present the features of the interpretation of ethics, moral law, and rationalist tradition. The article emphasizes the process of metaphorization of key concepts of Kant's ethics by the neopragmatists. It is argued that for Putnam Kant's ethics has value first of all for its figurative component, the presence of colorful metaphors based on the core concepts of the Judeo-Christian tradition. In adding, it is suggested to critically evaluate the position of Johnson, who deals in detail with Kant's main moral law, the meaning of the categorical imperative. It is established on the basis of the fact that neopragmatists have reduced the transcendental dimension that the crucial role begins to be taken by the sensuality of the empirical subject and imagination as a moral moderator. The author refers to this phenomenon by the term "imaginative turn". Citing the works of Russian researcher E.N. Ustyugova the author makes a conclusion that for neopragmatists the human being turns out to be an empirical natural phenomenon, and aesthetics is the only fundament for moral judgments.</span>

The Meaning of Religiosity of The Munjong Traditional Ceremony

The expression of gratitude of the Dayak Tobag community to Jebata is expressed in the form of gratitude called Munjong. Munjong has a meaning as an expression of gratitude for all gifts, fortune / harvest, protection and welfare as well as a form of restoration of relationships that have been damaged due to human behaviour in relation to the cosmos. The purpose of this research is to understand the religio magical meaning of the munjong traditional ceremony from the perspective of Dayak Tobag. This research uses empirical/sociological legal research methods using a phenomenological approach and hermeneutic theory so that it is known that the Dayak Tobag people see everything as a gift, a gift and everything that exists is centred and there is someone who makes it, namely SANG-ADA who makes everything exist and is the centre of everything that exists. All events and activities in relation to nature (cosmos) and humans in the Tobag Dayak community are seen in a transcendental dimension culminating in an expression of gratitude. The expression of gratitude in the Tobag Dayak perspective is manifested in a traditional Munjong ceremony.

Enlightenment Rhetoric Reconsidered: Hume’s Discursive Transcendence in “Of Eloquence”

ABSTRACT The phrase “Enlightenment rhetoric” typically denotes discourses bent on rejecting classical oratorical styles in favor of purportedly scientific ones. Likewise, scholars often associate Enlightenment rhetorical styles with the scientific epistemologies that emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This article reconsiders Enlightenment rhetoric by analyzing David Hume’s 1742 essay “Of Eloquence.” More specifically, the article argues that the Scottish Enlightenment context necessitated a rhetoric that compensated for the discursive limitations of new scientific worldviews. In so doing, the article argues that Hume verbalizes the transcendent dimension of classical eloquence in ways commensurate with the emphasis on perspicuity emerging in English culture, a rhetorical maneuver that the author calls discursive transcendence. Hume’s “Of Eloquence” thus serves as a case study demonstrating how an Enlightenment writer advanced a rhetoric that both rejects and pulls from prior rhetorical traditions, constituting a new understanding of Enlightenment rhetoric.

The semantics of the names of Luo Maishuo’s Piano Etudes as the transformation of traditional national images

The semantics of the names of Luo Maishuo’s Piano Etudes as the transformation of traditional national images

Nietzschean Gift Model as an Alternative to Potlatch Culture in Turkish Cinema: The Movie Kosmos

Potlatch defines the ceremonies where pre-market economy societies come together for celebration and exchange gifts. This universal culture based on giving-accepting and giving back more than enough, aims to destroy the surplus value and spend to the furthest extent. Although gift carries traces of potlatch culture today, it has evolved into gifting consumer products as an expression of love on specific days that have become a ritual of capitalism. This study analyzes the “gift” not with its function in the potlatch or consumer culture but with the dimension of transcendence of humans in a philosophical sense. Therefore, the focus of this study is not Mauss and the anthropologists or sociologists who are in this line, but Nietzsche, who defines the gift as giving oneself rather than giving what one has and interprets that gifting type as one of the key concepts in the transition from human to superhuman. This research claims that in Turkish cinema, the gift is included with the functions and meaning systems in potlatch culture. However, the movie Kosmos deconstructs these systems and leads the audience to Nietzschean thoughts about gifts. In conclusion, an alternative gift model to potlatch culture is presented in Kosmos.

Filozofia, religia i poezja w poszukiwaniu nieskończoności

Man in contemporary culture thinks about the finite by starting from the finite (M. Foucault). The loss of reference to the infinite is not only the dominance of the naturalistic worldview, which rejects the possibility of any transcendent dimensions of the world. It is also a profound change in the areas of life that form the basis of our existence. They all tune in, so to speak, to the „man without infinity.” Historically, it has been common for us to move away from the present towards “more” and “different.” The desire for such infinity was also at the heart of cultural work. The lecture seeks to answer two questions: what happens when we lose the ability to consider infinity as a condition of the possibility of our experience? And: do philosophy, religion, and poetry still liberate us from the danger of finitude?

Constructing the Concept of Student Well-Being within Indonesian Islamic Higher Education

This qualitative study investigates teachers’ and students’ conceptualization of well-being at an Islamic higher education institution in Indonesia. Drawing on a constructivist research design, data for this study were collected via interviews with three experienced teachers and a focused group discussion with eight students. The collected data were analyzed using a thematic analysis framework assisted by the NVIVO Pro 11 application. The results of this study reveal that, for the teacher participants, well-being should be conceptualized with reference to spiritual and transcendental dimensions (chaironic). For the student participants, meanwhile, genuine positivity with mutual respect and understanding (eudemonic) should be more emphasized. Nevertheless, both teachers and students believe that subjective well-being (hedonic) is particularly important in the fulfillment of physical and material needs on campus. This study also uncovers that, besides a context-driven conceptualization of well-being, a set of preconditions is required in order to make well-being part of campus culture, university policies, and teaching and learning practices at Islamic higher education institutions.

Understanding the World Holistically: Heidegger’s Practical Philosophy and the Rethinking of Transcendentality

Abstract: For Heidegger, world is constitutively bound up with human being’s way of being. Yet after Being and Time he criticizes an excessively one-sided pragmatic reading of his concept of world, insisting that world is more than a referential totality of use involvements, tools, or existential projections. This article examines how Heidegger’s phenomenological analysis should be understood to promote both a practical orientation as well as a more transcendental dimension. The centrality of praxis in Heidegger’s work will not be contested. What will be explored is whether what Heidegger calls “worldliness” or the “phenomenon of world” can be reduced to contexts of use relations or social practices and projects. The argument is made that world, for Heidegger, should be understood as an open space of meaning emergence through which diverse activities, some of which are practical, first become accessible to the human being. The claim will be advanced that world is more than the human being’s disclosive understanding and that an overly pragmatic interpretation circumvents the surpassive dimension of world.

From “Sangha Forest” (叢林 Conglin) to “Buddhist Academy”: The Influence of Western Knowledge Paradigm on the Chinese Sangha Education in Modern Times

Drawing on Foucault’s theoretical framework of “space and power”, this paper examines the discursive construction of “knowledge” in the context of Chinese Buddhist education. It traces the historical transformation of Chinese Buddhist education from the traditional “Sangha Forest”(the monastic community; 叢林 Conglin) style education to the Buddhist Academy, and analyzes how modern Buddhism reshaped its social image and function from a faith-based to a knowledge-based culture. Furthermore, this paper explores the reasons why modern Buddhism requires “knowledge” as a bridge between its worldly and transcendental dimensions, and the roles of elite laymen and monasteries as “Buddhist Institutes” in the new discursive practice.

Prosocial behaviour axioms and values: Influence of gender and volunteering

To promote prosocial behaviour, in the present study, we observed the human values that may predict it within the realms of the transcendental views of life, society’s shared culture and the world of personal and interpersonal affections. To do this, we started with two hypotheses: (1) prosocial behaviour differs according to gender and participation in volunteering; and (2) the variables of transcendental values, cultural development, affective development, gender and participation in volunteering predict prosocial behaviour.To do so, we conducted a quantitative study based on the cross-sectional, social analytical-empirical research method. We used a validated instrument with a large sample of 1,712 individuals living in the multicultural context of the Spanish city of Melilla, located in North Africa and one of only two land borders between Europe and Morocco. Values that could promote prosocial behaviour were grouped into four dimensions to locate relevant factors that helped identify which values are linked to specific actions, both formal and informal, through an inferential analysis focusing on regression and multivariate analysis of variance.Our findings highlighted the linkage of the transcendent dimension of the individual in relation to his or her level of prosocial behaviour and the role of women as socialising agents.

The relational dimension of the person in María Zambrano’s philosophy

María Zambrano is among the most influential voices in the philosophical landscape of the 20th century. Her thought, which came to light slowly and with delayed recognition, is still highly topical today. Of great interest is her reflection on the idea of democracy in Europe, which represents an anticipatory look at many contemporary issues. As a Spanish exile and witness of the Second World War, Zambrano is, to all intents and purposes, a European citizen who recounts the agony that her distant Europe is experiencing with great passion. The attention she pays to that decadent and diseased body, as she calls it, captures an additional dimension to the historical-political one, which is nevertheless central. In describing the violence of those years, she reaps the seeds that made the emergence of a common European ground possible, and that must be nurtured again. It is not only a matter of rediscovering the cultural roots - philosophical thought and the Christian message – but also of understanding the causes of that history that became sacrificial. It is, therefore, a matter of rethinking the human in virtue of its creatural and transcendent dimension and rediscovering the common origin that makes every human being a part of the same humanity.

Jung on Transcendence

ABSTRACT Throughout this essay the author analyzes the concept of transcendence in Jung’s theoretical corpus with a focus on its philosophical parameters and therapeutic efficacy in promoting a category of value. Although Jung did not precisely define the terms transcendence, transcendent, and transcendental, it is necessary to tease out these features in order to illuminate the varieties of transcendence in Jung’s thought. Distinctions are made between the ontological, epistemological, and phenomenological dimensions of transcendence, including the structure, method, form, and process of mediating, transitioning, and transforming inner experience. Jung’s notion of the dialectic operative within the transcendent function is specifically critiqued. Here the author explores the possibility of a synthesis of internal opposition that leads to a greater principle of unity through the sublation of psyche. He further examines the transcendent function in the process of active imagination by drawing on patient material derived through associations in the analysis of the transference.

What Does Not Tremble Is Not Stable: Three Philosophical Streams from the Spring of (Un)Certainty

Abstract The article proposes a phenomenological journey through three concepts of uncertainty – those of Blaise Pascal, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Jan Patočka. The discussion focuses on the meaning of certainty and uncertainty and on the mutual relations between the two according to each philosopher. Adopting an embodied philosophical-poetic perspective enables the dialectical relations prevailing between these three conceptions to emerge, clarifying that, despite their differences, they share a deep attachment to the transcendent dimension of human existence. This dimension is described as “uncertain certainty,” implying attention to the quiver of absolute meaning dwelling within and beyond the movement of humans and the lifeworld.

THE REALITY AND MEMORY OF WAR IN THE DIARY OF OLES HONCHAR

The paper examines the representation of war in Oles Honchar’s diary and traces its peculiarities. The analysis of diary entries from the period of the Second World War and the post-war years reveals the chronological and psychological duality of the author’s perception of war as a reality and as a memory. The diary has its specifics of the presentation and understanding of the autobiographical, social, political, historical, and philosophical aspects of war as an inhumane, criminal, and absurd phenomenon, in the context of which life values become reinterpreted and the true nature of a man revealed. The author’s peculiar representation of the war realities is based on the perception of an eyewitness and a participant in the events, reflecting on historical, anthropological, and transcendental dimensions of the phenomenon of war. It was found that in the post-war diary entries, the phenomenon of war is transformed within the confines of personal experience. The temporal projection also brings new meanings, ultimately transforming it into a form of memory. To O. Honchar, every return of thoughts to the past is not just reminiscence; it is a new experience of something that has never been forgotten. Through his vivid memories of the war in new time coordinates, the author of the diary reinterpreted past and present realities, while his love for life, people, and Ukraine became deeper and stronger. The diary entries of O. Honchar hold particular significance in today’s conditions, offering valuable insights into the experience of a notable individual. They provide us with a deeper understanding of the tragedy of the Second World War and the role played by nations and individuals. Moreover, they may expand our comprehension of the modern Russian military aggression against Ukraine and aid us in interpreting the global anti-humane nature of war within specific historical and existential dimensions.

Makna Simbol yang Terdapat pada Menara Masjid Kudus di Desa Kauman Kecamatan Kota Kabupaten Kudus

Kudus Mosque Minaret has symbols that describe the existence of cultural acculturation between Hindu-Budha & Islam culture and Islamization. The purpose of this research is to describe the meaning of symbols at Kudus Mosque Minaret as acculturation. This research uses Hermeneutika Method to know the meaning of the symbols as an object in Kudus Mosque Minaret. This research uses observation, interview, and documentation as data collection techniques. Through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The data analysis used refer to interactive model concept. The result shows that there’s symbolics meaning in the parts of Kudus Mosque Minaret. At the top it says Allah that mean The Highest Symbol of Power. The body surrounded by China and Vietnam ceramic ornaments that mean A Close Relationship and A Journey. The bottom composed by bricks and wooden stairs as a symbol of Power, Solidarity, and Sturdiness. From the three of them refer to something that connected through symbols (infensional). That symbols not only contain imannent horizontal dimension or concerning the visible embodiment of symbols, but also vertical transcendent dimension because its beyond what is unseen and its relation to faith, piety to Allah swt. So they all have meaning in each part and also as a symbols of religious tolerance, especially Hindu and Islam.

The Relationship between Caregiver Burden and Spiritual Intelligence in Caregivers of Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Breast cancer patients’ caregivers seem to face several challenges and problems that affect their physical and mental health. Spiritual intelligence, as the foundation of individuals› beliefs, plays an essential role in promoting the mental health of caregivers. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between caregiver burden and spiritual intelligence in caregivers of breast cancer patients. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 309 breast cancer caregivers at Shahid Ramezanzadeh Radiotherapy Center, Yazd, Iran, based on census method in 2020. Data were collected using three questionnaires: Demographic Information, caregiver burden inventory (CBI) and Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI). Statistical analyses were done using Spearman’s rank correlation, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS-20. Results: The mean total score of caregiver burden was 48.12±20.93. The highest and the lowest mean scores were in the dimension of social pressure (10.33±5.09) and physical pressure (8.14±4.09), respectively. The mean total score of spiritual intelligence in caregivers was (67.32±30.84). The highest mean score was in the transcendent awareness dimension (20.54±18.75) and the lowest was in the personal meaning production dimension (13.07±6.10). There was a significant inverse relationship between the mean total score of spiritual intelligence and caregiver burden (r=- 0.63, P<0.001). Conclusion: Caregivers of breast cancer patients who have more spiritual intelligence, experience less burden of care. In fact, higher levels of spiritual intelligence act as a protective factor against the burden of care. Therefore, strengthening spiritual intelligence in oncology and radiotherapy centers is recommended.