Philosophical Views Research Articles

“Let Someone Who is Not a Mathematician Not Read Me” (Natural-Scientific Views in the Works of Leonardo da Vinci)

Introduction. It is noted the originality of Leonardo da Vinci’s natural-scientific views in the context of the Renaissance. The objectives of the article are outlined: the systematization of Leonardo’s natural-scientific views, the identification of methods used by him to cognize the reality, the analysis of the set of social conditions that influenced the formation of the thinker’s views. It is also indicated the relevance of the researched argument; the object and subject of the study are determined. Materials and Methods. It is indicated that the main source used in the article are the notes of Leonardo, reflecting his ideas about nature. The methods used in the study are related to the specifics of this source: a concrete historical approach, a comparative historical method, logical and textual methods. Results. The circumstances that gave rise to an interest in natural-scientific problems are indicated – painting and its interpretation as a reflection of the real world, on the one hand; good mathematical training received by Leonardo in his youth, on the other. It is proved, using primary sources, that Leonardo da Vinci considered experience to be the main method of cognition, and the ultimate goal of cognitive activity was the practical application of knowledge. The peculiarity of the humanistic orientation of Leonardo’s thought is revealed. On the basis of primary sources, the thinker’s ideas about nature, human, and the purpose of science are revealed. It is shown how Christian ideas and the humanistic Renaissance view were combined in a peculiar way in the views of the thinker. Attention is drawn to the inconsistency of Leonardo da Vinci’s relationship with Christianity. Discussion and Conclusion. It is shown the significance of Leonardo’s philosophical views, his role in the history of philosophy as a predecessor of the empiricist philosophers of Modern Time. It is noted that the comprehensive activity of the thinker, in fact, embodied the ideal of a person, great creative opportunities that feed, firstly, the desire to fully know the world and, secondly, the awareness of the usefulness of their activities for others. It is noted that the cultivation of these motivations has a huge educational potential in our time.

Идеи итальянского возрождения в философских взглядах Максима Грека

The article discusses how the ideas of the Italian Renaissance influenced the philosophical views of St. Maximus the Greek, and how they are reflected in his works. The object of this article is the philosophical views of Maxim the Greek, translator and religious figure in Rus' in the 16th century. On the basis of the analysis of his works, a picture of his philosophical views is drawn up. The study of the philosopher's ideas is carried out in the context of the religious and cultural situation of Rus' in the 16th century. The article also discusses the personality of Maxim the Greek himself, and how his life path influenced the philosopher's thinking and his public activities. The duality of the views of Maxim the Greek on the ideas of humanism through the analysis of his texts is noted. It is shown how through his teachings it is possible to trace both the influence of ancient philosophy and Christian content. The texts touching upon the idea of humanism are analyzed, and how the works of Savonarola and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola influenced this. The influence that he had on the cultural life of Rus' in the first half of the 16th century is considered. Particular attention is paid to the ideas of non-possessors, and how Maxim the Greek influenced this teaching. The relevance of these texts in the context of the study of Russian philosophy is noted.

Влияние позднего творчества Вл. Соловьева на философию истории А. Кожева

The later work of Vladimir Soloviev, more specifically his Three Conversations on War, Progress, and the End of World History, is considered as one of the origins of Alexander Kozhev's philosophy of history. The general characteristics of Kozhev's anthropological and historiosophic views and their comparison with the concept of history presented in Solovyev's Three Conversations are given. The comparative analysis of the views of both philosophers revealed eight conceptual points, which are presented in both historiosophic doctrine of the late Soloviev and in Alexander Kozhev's philosophy of history as well. The attention is drawn to the fact that both French thinker and Russian philosopher believe that post-historical state is characterized by the absence of wars and termination of existence of separate national states, replaced by supranational structures of government, which will later be abolished in favor of a single World Empire, based on radical egalitarianism. It is noted that both philosophers agree that the world after history is an undifferentiated culturally homogeneous space in which an apparent material prosperity coexists with a latent spiritual crisis characterized by primitivization of the man, disappearance of culture, domination of atheism, devaluation of Christian values. The emphasis is placed on the affinity between Kozhev's image of Napoleon and Solovyov's figure of the antichrist, whereas in both cases the question is about a personality who expansively imposes his individuality on the world, a subject who moves humanity by his actions into a posthistorical space by means of the establishment of the Total Empire. The main difference between Kozhev's historiosophical concept and Solovyov's is also considered. It consists in the fact that Kozhev's 'end of History' takes place in a purely secular dimension, while Solovyov, who stands on a religious position, leaves room for messianism. In summary, based on the many considered conceptual coincidences between Solovyov's and Kozhev's doctrines, we conclude the late Solovyov's work has influenced on Kozhev's historiosophy.

AESTHETICS IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE ESSENCE OF DESIGN

The article considers the rationale for the need to update knowledge related to the definition, functions, and structure of connections of aesthetics in design; the formation of new ideas about the harmony of the design product, different from those offered by “technical aesthetics”, both in the system of relations “object – person” and in the system “object – person – environment”. The possibility of the specified renewal is based on the understanding of aesthetics and aesthetic as an outer manifestation of the inner content or expression of the inner essence of the object through the external. That is, the term “aesthetic” describes primarily expression or expressiveness, and aesthetics (for example, according to A. Losev) is the science of expression in general. And what we consider beauty or beautiful is a kind of balance between the terms “inner” and “outer”, a certain achievement of the intended or harmony between the “inner” as a goal and the “outer” as the achievement of this goal, that is, the expression or aesthetics. The article focuses on the fact that the understanding of harmony is always correlated with the knowledge and actual problems of humanity that it is trying to solve. And for now, it is a reconciliation between human activity and nature conservation, a solution to existing environmental issues, in particular through the means of design. It is noted that in order to create a harmonious, ecologically appropriate design product, it is important that “ecological aesthetics-expression” is formed at the stage of thinking and included further stages of visualization, materialization, and functioning in the design. The author emphasized that the relationship between personal and object forms of aesthetic culture, where the first (characteristic of an individual or a community) is formed under the influence of the second, and the second is conditioned by the first, proves the existence of a relationship between the form and image of a design object, which is important for the prospects of society’s development and the form and image of human life. It has also been found that the concept of a specific design project, which can be perceived precisely through aesthetics, in addition to solving the utilitarian tasks, will also be correlated with certain ethical norms, ideological preferences, and universal philosophical views held by the author of a project.

The manifestation of Christian attitudes in the anthropology of Marcus Aurelius

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the anthropological attitudes of Marcus Aurelius, formed as a result of the mutual influence of Roman Stoicism and early Christianity. The purpose of this work is to conduct a comparative analysis of the late Stoic and Christian axiology, ethics and demonstrate their relevance in the modern era of postmodernist value disorientation.Materials and Methods. The material of the study is the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the New Testament canonical epistles, the works of Christian apologists of the first centuries, as well as the works of contemporary domestic and foreign authors devoted to the spiritual situation in the Roman Empire during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the moral foundations of Roman stoicism; anthropological, ethical ideas of the ancient philosopher associated with Christian thought; the views of early Christian authors on the worldview of the emperor and Roman stoicism. The author relied on civilizational and dialectical approaches, used methods: hermeneutic, analytical, synthesis, generalization, reconstruction of philosophical views, comparative historical.Results. As a result of the work done, it was found that the essentially Christian anthropological, axiological ideas of Marcus Aurelius (the essence of man, his path in history and posthumous fate, ethical constants) were formed as a result of a bilateral influence: stoicism on the formation of Christian doctrine in the I-II centuries, Christianity - on the worldview of the thinker. Being a persecutor of Christians, the philosopher on the throne unconsciously embodied the goals pursued by the young religion.Discussion and Conclusions. The author managed to carry out a comparative analysis of the anthropology, ethics and axiology of Marcus Aurelius and early Christianity. The study convincingly showed that the demarcation between ancient pagan antiquity and medieval Christianity accepted in philosophical science is conditional. The chronological definition of these historical periods is also conditional. This interpenetration of eras is confirmed by the enormous influence of Roman stoicism on the formation of Christian apologetics, as well as the anthropological, ethical and axiological attitudes of the Roman Stoic Marcus Aurelius congenial to Christianity.

Мағжан Жұмабаев шығармашылығының философиялық аспектілері

This article was written as part of the 130th anniversary of M. Zhumabaev. The article examined the issues of philosophical reflection of the work of M. Zhumabaev. M. Bekenuly is a poet lyricist and he is truly perceived as a single, public figure of the Turkic peoples. The poet's work is characterized not only by historicism, reflections on spirituality, but also by an irrational experience, abstract imagination. The article contains a study of the spiritual activity of M. Zhumabaev and a comparison of his works with the philosophical views of the German philosopher F. Nietzsche on art. A comparative study by F. Nietzsche on the role, specifics of categories of religion, art and philosophy in determining the cognitive actions of a person was used. The poetic heritage of M. Zhumabaev passed the test of time and proved its artistic value and synthesized the categories of humanism, nobility, happiness and pan-Turkism, pessimism and lyrical experience of the aspirations of Kazakh society. The article uses the hermeneutic method of contents of the verse “Prophet” and “Flood” to determine the philosophical meaning of artistic images. The revival of national identity in modern Kazakh society, the strengthening of independence aroused interest in the poetic activities of Magzhan as an object of philosophical research. The field of study of the works of Magzhan strengthened the spiritual, historical self-awareness of generations. She laid the groundwork for shaping it as ideological content of public policy. He painfully assessed radical changes in society, trying to comprehend the future of the Kazakh people and the tragedy of the rash action of contemporaries. The value of M. Zhumabaev's creative contribution for the culture and historical memory of Kazakhstan was analyzed.

THE INFLUENCE OF ORATORY ARTS ON THE REGULATION OF TOLERANT INTERETHNIC RELATIONS

This article analyzes the manifestations of the concept of tolerance, as well as its cultural and spiritual foundations in the era of globalization, from the standpoint of philosophical science. The article emphasizes that tolerance contributes to the further development of Kazakhstani society. The theoretical foundations of postmodernist paradigms of the concept of tolerance are analyzed, its definitions and basic characteristics are philosophically analyzed. Philosophical analysis of the role of the concept of tolerance in the development of the nation and the state, as well as human society as a whole. The thoughts and philosophical views of scientists about tolerance in the history of philosophy are revealed. The philosophical meaning of the concept of tolerance is discussed.

THE PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY, SUFISM, ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE AND JAVANESE TRADITION ON WOMEN

Islamic philosophy, Sufism, Islamic jurisprudence and Javanese traditions have their views on women. Some regard women as subordinate to men, some groups position women as equal to men, and others accept women as male leaders. This study aims to analyse the views of Islamic philosophy, Sufism, Islamic jurisprudence and Javanese traditions on women. This study is a literature review using qualitative methods. The data source was taken from the literature using primary sources as the main reference. The results indicated that Islamic philosophy represented by al-Fârâbî (870-950) and Sufism by Ibn Arabi (1165-1240) placed women in an equal position with men. Nevertheless, Islamic jurisprudence studies tend to place women below men. Meanwhile, the Javanese tradition encapsulates both views. On the one hand, the Javanese tradition places women as an important part of men, but on the other hand, it places women as men's assets. However, the Javanese tradition can accept women's leadership over men. Regarding this, this study recommends that Islamic philosophy and Sufism's perspectives on women should be socialized more to strengthen a balanced view of the relationship between women and men.

Recovering from cultural blindness: multimodal Positive Discourse Analysis of metaphors in hand-drawn sketches about Islam

Abstract This paper extends Nartey’s model of Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA), examining the visual metaphors (VM) in the representations of Islamic identity. The paper highlights how hand-drawings operate as a positive discourse resisting negative accusations in hegemonic discourses about Islam. This PDA study is an intellectual proximity between semiotics, VMs and cultural studies. Through the constructed framework, I argue that PDA can utilize VMs to construct/construe homogeneity and inclusiveness. Through the findings of this study, we can construe the imageries as a reflection of the physical and cultural environments whose cognition is attained by examining how semiotic signs reflect and are reflected by conscious awareness and perception. A major criticism of PDA is its lack of contextual framing, that’s why this paper provides a contextual framing mixing semiotic visuality and the sociocultural construal of discursive representation of Muslim identity. The interpretation of the findings is contextualized after the adaptation of the philosophical view of Molyneux’s question, the issue of blindness from birth, and the capability of seeing things properly if someone, hypothetically, gains his sight again.

Justification of the right to subsistence in contemporary Western philosophy: challenges and solutions

The article discusses the views of modern Western philosophers on the isuue of socio-economic human rights, including the right to subsistence. The purpose of the work is to answer the question of whether the right to a decent life is morally justified. The work was carried out within the framework of the analytical approach and its inherent methodology. The author identifies several types of arguments expressed in Western literature against the right to a worthy existence. They are 1) actual impossibility of guaranteeing these rights; 2) denial of non-contractual positive obligations that could correspond to this right; 3) problematization of the imperfect nature of positive obligations corresponding to this law. It is shown that these objections in themselves are not sufficient to reject the right to a worthy existence, but they show that at the abstract level this right cannot be justified only in a “negative” sense, that is, as the right to which only the negative duties of others correspond. The author proposes to consider options for solving the problems that gave rise to discussions concerning the right to a dignified existence, outside of human rights discourse. Thus, the moral basis for the fight against poverty and other features of an “unworthy” existence can be formulated by applying to the public sphere (by analogy) the categories of civil law - condiction, tort and contract, as well as taking into account the classical conditions for the onset of legal liability. Moreover, the moral justification for securing some “decent” level of existence is achieved by referring to the general principles of fair distribution of material wealth (regardless of what is considered a “decent existence”). One of these principles is the Rawlsian principle of difference, which does not depend either on the idea of a person as a “moral agent” who requires some kind of minimum (“worthy”) level of well-being, or on understanding of the human rights nature.

Books and Other Reviews

Key Points Birds and reptiles living together in perfect harmony — Richard Wenning A philosophical view of risk — Dr. Glenn Suter There's one teeny‐weeny little problem — Richard Wenning Changing business risks to nature from “unknown unknowns” to “known unknowns” — Bea Covington Making the most of walks in the woods — Glenn Suter

ВЕРБАЛІЗАЦІЯ КОНЦЕПТІВ ВІЙНА, МИР, ЖІНКА, ЧОЛОВІК У ГАЗЕТНОМУ ДИСКУРСІ УКРАЇНИ У ВОЄННИЙ ПЕРІОД

The article examines the semantic field of the concepts war, peace, woman, man and the means of their verbalization in the newspaper discourse of Ukraine during the war period. It was established that the researched concepts have a complex structure and a branched nominative field. One of the significant linguistic resources of the linguistic representation of conceptual units in journalism is artistic imagery, because it is tropes that convey cultural meanings in a special way: through mentality, ontology, stereotypes, the modern artistic dimension of the representation of the present. Thanks to the tropeic constructions, the authors emphasize the individual vision of certain realities of modern military life, single out the essential features, signs of the personality, the described object or phenomenon. No matter which journalists choose the language means of expressing their creativity, their function is mainly aimed at addressing new concepts and phenomena related to the full-scale war in Ukraine, and also, taking into account the interest of readers, not only to increase the information literacy of the recipients, but also to cause excessive emotionality and encourage to react to the journalistic text, to critically interpret the described current events. It has been proven that in newspaper discourse media workers achieve a high degree of emotional coloring and expression thanks to the use of profanity to denote the enemy, because newspaper texts have accumulated folk wisdom, national characteristics, and moral-ethical, philosophical views in the process of verbalizing the semantic field of concepts of war, peace, woman, man. That is why, for an objective understanding of conceptual units, we used an integrative approach, which involves the synergy of linguistic, psychological, and cultural understanding. So, it can be argued that authors use many means of verbalization, which are implemented at different language levels: lexical, grammatical, and word-forming, all in order to impress the reader and draw attention to their article.

Religious and philosophical views of Dada Omar Rovshani and moral and didactic motives in "Miskinlikname"

Orta Çağ Türk dilli edebiyatın önde gelen temsilcilerinden, zengin sanat mirası ile dini ve felsefi düşüncenin gelişmesinde önemli rol oynayan Dede Ömer Rûşenî'nin edebi sanatı, 15. yüzyıl Azerbaycan-Türk edebiyatı ve edebi dilinin gelişim tarihinin incelenmesi açısından oldukça önemlidir. Eserlerinde, özellikle de “Miskinliknâme”de, tasavvufi görüşlerinin yanı sıra, dönemin sosyal manzarasına ışık tutan ahlakî ve didaktik fikirleri, insanları kötülükten çekindiren eleştirel açıklamaları yansıtılmıştır. Şairin sanatsal yeteneği, halk yaratıcılığı ve klasik şiir geleneklerinden ilham almış, onlarla olgunlaşmıştır. Türkçeyi, Arapçayı ve Farsçayı çok iyi bilen şair, bazen dini ve felsefî görüşleriyle ilgili mürekkep ifade ve terimleri kullansa da, genelde aşkla, yaşamla ilgili konularda halk dilini, tarihen Türk halklarının dilinde kullanılagelen kelime ve ifadeleri kullanmayı tercih etmiştir. Sözlü edebiyattan örnekler vermesi, atasözleri, deyimler, genel olarak, canlı anlaşılır halk dilini kullanması Rûşenî'nin halka, onun diline, yaşamına, gelenek-göreneklerine saygısını göstermektedir.
 Mesnevi'de nasihat hayatın birçok alanlarında daha belirgin olmakla birlikte, ana tema ilahi aşk, Hakk'a kavuşma arzusu, insanın manevi nitelikleri ve hayatla ilgili düşüncelerinin ifadesidir. Halk sanatı, atasözleri, deyimler, genellikle folklor üslubuna yakın bir dil kullanması, anlaşılır halk konuşma dilini kullanması Rûşenî`nin halka, onun diline, hayatına, geleneklerine bağlılığını açık göstermektedir. Dede Ömer Rûşenî'nin dilinde ve ruhunda halk yaratıcılığından kaynaklanan bu hususlar makalede incelenmiş, canlılık, samimiyetle birlikte derin tasavvufi, ahlakî ve felsefi görüşleri örnekler temelinde açıklanmış, şairin dünya görüşü, yaratıcılık tarzı, mantık uyarlılığı temel etmen olarak ele alınmıştır.

The Effect of Reward Programmes on Employees’ Performance in Ghana: Evidence from Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly

The research investigated the influence of reward programs on employee performance in the context of the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly. Supported by the Expectancy Theory and the Goal Setting Theory as philosophical views on which the study is grounded, 10 employees from the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly made up the study population, and were chosen using standard random sampling procedures as the study mainly followed the qualitative paradigm besides demographics of respondents that were determined quantitatively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). This was used to calculate the ages, educational background, and number of years in the Assembly appropriately. Empirical outcomes of the study reveal that the primary means of rewarding employees is compensation. Word-of-mouth accolades, meeting allowances, gift packages, cash, and external training were also considered. The study also revealed that positive attitudes regarding employment are boosted by rewards. The practical implications encountered by the KKMA in compensating its employees according to the investigation were also deliberated.

Plurality of Hryhorii Skovoroda`s philosophical practices in the modern reading

Hryhorii Skovoroda's philosophy is distinguished by a variety of interests and a combination of different genres of the embodiment of philosophical ideas. Skovoroda's philosophical views were reflected in his various life practices in different ways. And yet these different practices harmoniously support each other, ensuring the successful integral self-support of Hryhorii Skovoroda both as a philosopher and as a person. He highly valued the importance of practice for human improvement, but did not develop a special concept of practice of his own. Since Skovoroda himself did not clearly distinguish different types of practices, it is necessary to reconstruct them based on modern ideas about possible philosophical practices. Among the various types of philosophical practices, which are distinguished by modern philosophy and some signs of which can be found in the life and work of Hryhorii Skovoroda, the following were found: practices similar to avoiding metanarratives; practices similar to deconstruction; practices of metaphorization; informational diet practices; improvisation practices; practices of avoiding the effects of the society of the spectacle; spiritual self-reference practices; critical thinking practices; social networking practices. The article attempts a reverse theoretical reconstruction of Hryhorii Skovoroda's philosophical practices. That is, from the standpoint of modern philosophical concepts, the meaning of those life practices that Hryhorii Skovoroda adhered to when he embodied his philosophical views in his actions, mostly without unnecessary declarations, has been partially reconstructed. Skovoroda's practical philosophy was not built by him as a theoretical system, although his life clearly shows the coherence of various life practices. All the practices followed by Hryhorii Skovoroda were fundamentally philosophical – he lived like a philosopher and approached everything like a philosopher, with a philosophical heart and a philosophical head. There were many of these practices, and this article mentions only some of them, namely those that seem significant to us today in the light of the later development of European philosophy – as we know it to this day. It is quite likely that other philosophers of our time, and even more so philosophers of the future, will see in Skovoroda's philosophical life also other various practices.

Philosophical Conversations about Music in Simple Language. Pythagoras: the Divine Number and World Musical Harmony

The article is written on the basis of a conversation on the philosophy of music by Professor G.G. Kolomiets, author of the book Value of music: philosophical aspect, with a musician from France, Dmitry Rasul-Kareev, Clarinet solo of Orchestra de la Suisse Romande. The dialogue gives a detailed and simple understanding of the philosophical view of music on the example of the ancient philosopher Pythagoras. His cosmological teaching saw the kinship of music, mathematics and philosophy and stated that the divine perception of the world is contained in the divine Number permeating the entire cosmos and our life. Music is made of numerical proportions and acts as a substance that exists even without a person, yet this unchanging principle of divine harmony, can be felt, experienced and expressed in musical art. Cosmologists believed there is a comprehensive law, according to which objects obey the divine mind, the great Rhythm. Music seemed to be the embodiment of the rhythm of the universe and harmony. The essence of the harmony of the spheres is that the cosmos is a harmoniously arranged and musical-sounding body. The movement of the starry sky creates the music of the cosmic spheres, which is refracted when playing musical instruments, and this lends itself to precise mathematical calculations. The intervals between the cosmic spheres are mathematically correlated with each other like the intervals of tones in music. The Pythagorean understanding of the numerical harmony of the structure of the universe largely determined the path of development of music theory, forming the main musical categories: fret, rhythm, interval, modulation and others. The modern philosophy of music deepens the Pythagorean ideas of harmony of spheres, putting forward the principles of functionality and processivity as properties of music, and allows us to talk about the law of cyclicity on a global scale. For example, following Pythagoras, music outside of the actual musical art is interpreted as a reflection of the vibrations of a complex communicative system: man-society-nature-cosmos.

Ambivalence in the assessments and perception of the heritage of F. Gulen by the certain part of the Belarusian academic environment

The main aim of the article is to realize the reconstruction of cultural-historical and religious-philosophical foundations of F. Gulen's doctrine, thus, to reveal the place and the role of this doctrine in the ideological heritage of the Republic of Belarus. The objective is subordinated to the logical arguments of historical and philosophical interpretation. The paper also reveals the understanding of the meaning and purpose of the intelligentsia; it carries out the philosophical and epistemological analysis of Gulen's teaching. The aim of the investigation includes a thorough study of plausible inferences showing intensive characteristics of political conclusions, their role and place in modern transitive societies. This article emphasizes the key aspects of understanding the variability of Gulen’s social and philosophical views known as conceptual foundations. Moreover, the study uncovers the ambiguity and even the so-called «extremist» potential of these thoughts. Also the authors revealed the fact to what extent Gulen’s heritage gets into a resonance with the modern philosophical culture. The conclusions of the research can contribute to deepening the ideas about the essence of self-knowledge.

KONSEP MERDEKA SEBAGAI LANDASAN PENDIDIKAN DI ERA KURIKULUM MERDEKA BELAJAR

Educational philosophy determines educational decisions, alternatives and choices that are guided by education and curriculum developers. The emergence of the term "Freedom to learn" is a new policy program of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendikbud RI) launched by the Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet, Nadiem Anwar Makarim. This independent learning curriculum aims to answer the challenges of education in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0. The method used in this research is literature research (library research). The results of the literature review in this study concluded that the concept of independent learning curriculum education integrates literacy skills, knowledge skills, skills and attitudes as well as mastery of technology. The independent learning policy is based on four philosophical views, namely progressivism, constructivism, humanism, and anthropological philosophy. In addition, the philosophical basis for the policy of independent learning can also be found in Ki Hadjar Dewantara's view of education.

Ko te mana o te tamaiti te aro o tātou mahi: Listening to voices from Tai Tokerau to re-frame literacies

Western literacy theories and models often reflect Eurocentric notions of literacy and literacy practices. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the prevalence of these conceptualisations is linked to issues of power and result in a narrow and inaccurate framing of Māori tamariki (children). In this article Tiritiria, a Māori philosophical view of knowledge, knowledge generation and knowledge exchange is used alongside Webber and Macfarlane’s (2020) Mana Model to challenge this dominant framing of literacy. Using the whakataukī ‘Ko te mana o te tamaiti te aro o tātou mahi', translated literally as ‘Let the mana of the child guide our work’, tamariki Māori are (re)positioned as maurea (treasures) to further support the (re)framing of literacies. In this study we focus on listening to the voices of whānau Māori from Te Tai Tokerau (Northland, New Zealand), including the voices of tūpuna (ancestors). Through a developing understanding of tiritiria and an analysis of data sets from Tai Tokerau a nascent definition of literacies, as multitudinous, practical enactments of tirititia, emerged. Findings indicated that Māori literacy practices (both traditional and contemporary) move beyond subject learning, to incorporate multiple interpersonal, cultural, environmental and textual processes of knowledge transfer which affirm the inherent and inherited mana of tamariki.

Teleonomy in living systems: an overview

Abstract An introduction, overview and discussion are provided for this special issue of the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, entitled ‘Teleonomy in Living Systems’. The introduction offers a brief account of the origin of Colin Pittendrigh’s notion of teleonomy, in many ways comparable to Dobzhansky’s later proposal of ‘internal teleology’, and a subsequent externalist interpretation of the concept by Ernst Mayr which, unfortunately, has remained influential. As part of the growing movement that places organismic purpose, goal-directedness and agency back at the centre of biology, in June 2021 a 2-day online international meeting was organized by the authors through the Linnean Society of London, under the title Evolution ‘On Purpose’: Teleonomy in Living Systems. Our overview provides a summary, with some commentary, for each of 15 papers presented here. Together with a complementary volume of 18 papers published by MIT Press, they form a selected and extended proceedings. These papers represent scientifically founded views of evolutionary biologists and philosophers of science who seriously question the adequacy of the neo-Darwinian Modern Synthesis to account for the purposive nature of living systems. Like any other phenomena associated with life, purposive and teleonomic behaviours demand evolutionary explanations and context. Without any recourse to supernatural or non-material processes, various approaches to trying to understand how this goal-directed, teleonomic property of life has influenced the course of evolution are explored.