Philosophical Work Research Articles

ОСМЫСЛЕНИЕ ЦЕННОСТНОГО ОТНОШЕНИЯ В НОВОЕ ВРЕМЯ

The aim of the work is to study the formation of value discourse in modern period and to find the relationship of the concept of «Good» with the question of the truth of being. Based on the works of modern period philosophers, the author’s interpretation of the change in understanding the nature of the value relationship is given. Cartesian ontology, which pushed the study of values into the field of the humanities, gradually became obsolete in modern European philosophy. It has been suggested that the general tendency in modern European philosophy was a restoration of the status of the value relationship (the Good) as a key point in the development and knowledge of entity. Only in German classical philosophy did practice become the basis for the structuring of being and the conquest of entity. The value of a thing is determined by its role in labor activity, the result of which is the truth, revealing the true significance (value) of the thing. A person asserts himself in the world, with the help of practice, and at the same time individualizes this world. An understanding of being is unthinkable without value ideas about the underlying value relationship, which, in turn, is a form of realization of the individual’s practical relationship to the surrounding entity. Evaluation is a moment of practice: work is the realization of a value relationship, the realization of a goal immanent in the very being of an individual (ontologically united with entity).

Fragments of Thought: Considering Sophie Germain’s Process Epistemology

Abstract In this paper I look at the philosophical work of Sophie Germain, a woman mathematician and philosopher in nineteenth-century France. Although forgotten after her death, Germain’s contribution to mathematical sciences has been revisited and reappraised in recent years, but with very few notable exceptions, her philosophical work is still in the margins. In addressing this gap in the literature, I revisit Germain’s contribution to the history of ideas, particularly focusing on her contribution to process epistemologies. I argue that Germain was a truly transdisciplinary thinker avant la lettre and that her philosophical work should be mapped in the wider field of process philosophies. In doing so I make connections between Sophie Germain and Alfred Whitehead’s philosophy of the organism, particularly focusing on their take on feelings, prehensions, happy ideas, and events.

Ethics and Autonomy in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Word for World Is Forest

Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Word for World Is Forest (1972) offers a sustained critique of imperialist doctrine and the American war in Vietnam. It also raises important questions about soldierly autonomy and personal responsibility in action. Drawing on the work of philosopher Jacques Derrida, this paper examines modern-day interpretations of autonomy in a military setting, including the emerging field of drone theory. Given that the novella’s antagonist Don Davidson is accused of “irresponsible autonomy” for the way he mistreats the natives of Athshe, this paper asks: is Davidson really irresponsible, or is he rather an alibi for insufficient state control?

Multilingualism from the perspective of the medieval Islamic vision of language

Abstract Arabic holds a cardinal position within Islamic civilisation, where it enjoys the status of sacred language for its direct connection to the Revelation and for the role attributed to it by the Revelation itself. However, not only does the Qur’an mention the existence of other languages and put them in relation with different divine messages, but also the providential nature of language diversity is explicitly maintained by the Holy Book of Islam. This theology of multilingualism represented the theoretical and symbolic framework within which the premodern Islamic world conceptualized language diversity. By looking at the works of philosophers, historians, poets, and religious masters from different parts of the Islamic world, we will try to understand how premodern authors viewed multilingualism, explained the existence of different languages, and accordingly engaged in plurilingual practices. Plurilingual practices provided the fertile ground on which various vernaculars, often bereft of any former written tradition (let alone literary prestige), could be transformed into full-fledged literary languages and become part of the wide Islamic language family. This process of incorporation of the multiple languages, encountered by the Islamic civilisation in its expansion, gave rise, throughout the Islamic world, to complex multilingual societies where individuals were frequently plurilingual and able to accommodate language diversity in flexible, creative, and, as reflected in literary productions, even aesthetic ways. In some cases, like the Andalusian context, such linguistic incorporation even involved romance vernaculars with significant consequences for their destiny as future modern European literary languages.

Thought Experiments, Literary Fiction, and Science Fiction: The Example of Isaac Asimov's Robot Cycle

Abstract Literary cognitivism can be broadly defined as the claim that literary texts can be a source of knowledge. This article proposes the concept of aimless argumentativity to denote a paradoxical epistemic activity performed by fictional narratives. This concept is conceptualized and explored through an engagement with recent philosophical work on the epistemology of thought experiments and their similarities, or lack thereof, with literary fiction. These points are then illustrated through examples drawn from science fiction, and specifically Isaac Asimov's Robot series, which deploys its thought-experimental character in a specific form of nonlinear seriality, thus providing a clear and articulated demonstration of the oxymoronic, aimlessly argumentative power of fictional texts.

Materialism in Chawaka's Philosophy

Materialism is the name given to the metaphysical doctrine which holds that matter is the only reality. The doctrine tries to explain mind and consciousness as the products of matter. In general outlook materialism represents the tendency that seeks to reduce the higher to the lower or explain the higher phenomena in the light of the lower ones. In this respect it is opposed to spiritual interpretations of the universe. Though materialism in some form or the other has always been present in India, and occasional references are found in the Vedas, the Buddhistic literature, the Epics as well as in the later philosophical works, we do not find any systematic work on materialism, nor any organised school of followers as other philosophical schools possess. But almost every work of other school’s state for refutation, the materialistic views. Our knowledge of Indian materialism is chiefly based on these. Charvaka was even originally a common description name given to a materialist either because he preaches the doctrine of eat, drink and be merry.1 Some writers again regard Brhaspati as the founder of materialism.

Becoming impactful: Humanities doctoral researchers navigating a lively zone of entanglement

This article explores societal impact of humanities doctoral research. Through an empirical inquiry based in Denmark, we analyse how current doctoral researchers conceptualize societal impact and how they articulate potential contributions to society. For theoretical framing, we employ a double-winged perspective combining concepts from the work of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard with others from French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, namely concepts of subjective thinking, necessity-freedom; and the concepts of field, capital and habitus. Such a combination allows taking into consideration both the structural, social factors and the individual and subjective elements shaping doctoral researchers’ perspectives. Our findings offer both shared concerns and anxieties across several humanities doctoral contexts in Denmark with regards to the impact agenda and the more subjective aspirations of researchers for producing impactful research, as articulated in idiosyncratic ways. We offer the term of ‘zone of entanglement’ to describe the landscape of humanities doctoral researchers navigate.

The fate of philosophy in Russia as reflected in the works of Kazan University philosophers

In this article, Kazan University philosophy, its characteristics and development trends, are analyzed from the perspective of the history of philosophy in Russia. The equivalence of the concepts “history of philosophy in Russia” and “history of Russian philosophy” is questioned and explored using the examples from the “stories” and “essays” written by prominent Russian philosophers such as A.I. Vvedensky, M.N. Ershov, B.V. Yakovenko, N.O. Lossky, and V.V. Zenkovsky. It is shown that they are likely to be equivalent and interchangeable, with the concept “history of Russian philosophy” approached in a broader sense. However, some important distinctions are still observed. When considered in a narrow sense, “Russian philosophy” appears to have certain fundamental, specific characteristics that define it as a specific type throughout its history and determine its unity. The results obtained reveal that some scholars view certain philosophical trends that developed in Russia as foreign or alien to the “spirit of Russian philosophy.” The peculiarities of Russian philosophy are singled out and summarized, and the validity of attempts to obstruct some of its manifestations is discussed. The critical role of university philosophy in the overall history of Russian philosophy is emphasized: it fostered philosophical interest and paved the way for purely philosophical work. Within this framework, Kazan University philosophy is examined.

Пропаганда як системоутворюючий елемент освіти в авторитарних країнах: проблеми розуміння

Modern Ukrainian society is faced with a threat that democratic political regimes could not imagine before. Propaganda, disinformation, informational and psychological operations and countermeasures have become familiar activities for Ukrainians. Today, we often analyze certain challenges and in some sense society has already adapted to them and learned to respond to new challenges according to a certain system. However, the very definition of propaganda and the principle of its action remains a blurred problem for society and it is covered from the standpoint of journalism rather than science. Even despite the rather urgent need to scientifically analyze and respond to informational challenges, today’s Ukrainian scientific opinion has little to offer to this struggle. An even bigger mystery for us is the question of why the propaganda worked at all, and how did it happen that we did not notice it for years? Why, despite all the principles of common sense, propaganda can work as a tumbler that fundamentally changes not only how a person understands this or that concept, but also distorts the thinking paradigm and fundamentally changes the picture of the world and political orientations. This work provides a broad understanding of the concept of propaganda, how it works and affects society, what methods propaganda authors use, and why education is one of the most important elements of propaganda in modern autocratic countries. In the end, the article consistently proves that some political regimes do not make propaganda an element of education, but education an element of propaganda, subordinating the entire individual human life to artificial and controlled thinking principles. The article relies on classic philosophical works that are tangential to the topic of propaganda and extensively analyzes the mass media in order to compare facts and images to build a complete picture of a living intellectual organism, which we call propaganda.

Simone Weil and Ludwig Wittgenstein: ‘Philosophy as work on oneself’

AbstractFor many years Simone Weil and Ludwig Wittgenstein have been placed side by side. Little of that work has tried to explicitly compare the two. Direct comparisons can, however, be made between Weil and Wittgenstein, which can show that the ways they approached philosophy shared numerous traits and ideas. Both thinkers rejected philosophical systems, both admitted that serious philosophical work did not try to reject all contradictions internal to it, and, in fact, both sought to make facing contradictions and seeming contradictions central to their method. Both wrote of the world with a sense of mystery that surrounds human life, a sense of transcendent good. Both engaged the problems with talking about such a good that cannot be neatly fit into language. Both also saw the task of philosophy as one concerned with meaning. Both also saw philosophy as a matter of “work on oneself.” This essay will examine what it means to say that philosophy is a matter of work on oneself. To do so, I want to examine primarily two essays, one from each philosopher, essays which bear remarkable similarity to each other in the sort of problem they deal with.They are section xi of Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Psychology – A Fragment, and Weil's “Essay on the Concept of Reading.”

The Function of Memes in Political Discourse

AbstractThe use of memes has become increasingly widespread in political discourse. However, there is a dearth of philosophical discussion on memes and their impact on political discourse. This paper addresses this gap in the literature and bridges the divide between the empirical and philosophical work on memes by offering a functionalist account which allows for a more in-depth analysis of the role memes play in political discourse. We offer a taxonomy of the eight key characteristics of memes: 1. humor; 2. fostering in-group identity; 3. caricatures; 4. replicability; 5. context collapse; 6. hermeneutical resources; 7. low reputational cost; 8. signaling. On the positive side, the propensity memes have to foster in-group identity and to function as a hermeneutical tool for people to make sense of their own experiences are a boon especially to marginalized communities. On the flipside, the creation of an in-group/out-group dynamic can also be exploited by sinister political actors, especially since the low reputational cost of circulating memes allows for plausible deniability. We use the analysis in this paper to jumpstart a discussion of how we should understand memes and debate which norms should govern the novel speech act of posting a meme given its impact on political discourse. Based on our findings, we end with a call to adopt stricter norms for the act of posting a meme.

EDUCATION AS A MAJOR CAPITAL AND THE MAIN BASIS FOR THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF THE COUNTRY

Based on the works of philosophers of the ancient world and scientists of our time, the article analyzes the need for the existence of two components of its development in any country, namely human capital and financial and political opportunities. Attention is paid to the fact that intellectual potential is a set of resources that include human intelligence and creative ability, with its characteristic educational and qualification indicators. It is proved that higher education graduates are the intellectual core that forms the market of qualified specialists capable of becoming the economic potential of the country. It is shown that the rational use of this potential, in combination with other scientific achievements of society, contributes to the achievement of a new quality of economic development, raising living standards and preserving the environment for future generations. That is, the level of awareness and education of each individual is the molecule that lays the foundation for consolidating the country's competitive influence in the international market. To implement the above, the need for more active use of public administration in the educational process at all levels is determined, the expediency of applying legislative regulation of the process of interaction between higher education institutions and business structures is investigated, both for the establishment of joint projects and processes of commercialization and reform of education in different countries, including in modern Ukraine, and for achieving positive changes in strategic planning and economic development.

The (In)efficiency and (Un)certainty of Non-propositional Structures of Reality … or, Adventures in Philosophy of Understanding

This article critically discusses understanding, certainty and efficiency in relation to juridical and jurisprudential contexts. Understanding is an undertheorized topic in law and jurisprudence, despite philosophy and epistemology addressing it at some length in recent years. The focus, therefore, is on understanding-in-law (or understanding as a cognitive function of the law) rather than understanding-of-law, which is an exceedingly well-trodden path in doctrinal, critical and philosophical legal work. The article acknowledges that this branch of epistemology is perhaps new ground for legal academics, and thanks to Luca Siliquini-Cinelli’s landmark book, Scientia Iuris, the article is a response to his thesis that law’s regulatory function has grown in recent decades to embrace and embody knowledge while voiding experience. And while this leads Siliquini-Cinelli to the conclusion that law is a matter only of knowledge, not of experience, the article raises questions about what dwells cognitively between poles of knowledge and experience, and how we can take from or define a place for understanding between poles of knowledge and experience. It also explores the role of certainty and efficiency in shaping understanding in law and beyond, with understanding ultimately defined as a grasping of the structures of the objects of law, different from and in contrast to legal knowledge. Keywords: understanding; certainty; knowledge; efficiency; law.

Nietzsche on values

AbstractValues, and a critique of values, are at the center of Nietzsche's philosophical work. He famously proposes to launch a “revaluation” of values. But this raises a number of philosophical questions about the nature of values for Nietzsche, and how he proposes to critique them. I will begin by tracing Nietzsche's descriptive psychology of valuing. Then I will look to Nietzsche's sociology of values: what is it for a framework of values to be ascendant at a given time and place? We will next turn to the mode of value critique that Nietzsche employs. Then we take up the question of whether there is an overarching value for Nietzsche (such as power or life, for example). Finally, I will turn to the question of whether such values might have genuine normative authority. In other words, is Nietzsche's evaluative schema simply his preferred outlook? Or does it have a more secure claim on the attention of others?

Ivan the Terrible as a problem of Russian Philosophy of History

The purpose of the article is to consider the historiosophical ideas about the personality of Ivan IV the Terrible and his role in the history of the Russian state. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been solved: 1) the assessments of the largest historians and philosophers, whose works formed historiosophical ideas about the figure of Ivan the Terrible and, thereby, influenced the historical consciousness and memory of Russian society, are studied; 2) the images of Ivan the Terrible in fiction are considered; 3) the contribution of artists and sculptors to the historiosophical assessment of Ivan the Terrible is considered. Historians, philosophers and public opinion mutually influenced each other, dialectically shaping the image of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in an effort to create the most objective representation of him. The role of literature and fine arts is significant, but writers and artists draw images of the past and give them a historiosophical assessment based on the works of historians and philosophers. The methodological basis of this research is historical-philosophical and comparative-historical analysis, as well as a cultural approach. The figure of Ivan the Terrible is considered through the prism of public consciousness and some works of Russian literature and art. Due to the vastness of the topic, the author used the most characteristic and significant examples illustrating the evolution of historiosophical ideas on the figure of Ivan the Terrible. Even during the life of Ivan the Terrible, there were three main assessments of his personality and deeds that continue to live to this day: 1) impartial and accusatory, 2) uncritical and glorifying, and 3) neutral and objective. Through the personality of Ivan the Terrible, historians and philosophers considered such important historiosophical problems as the relationship between the people and state power, politics and morality, the role of personality in the historical process. The assessment of Ivan the Terrible largely depends on the historiosophical approach to the problem of the role of personality in history, which is followed by historians, philosophers, writers or artists.

The features of the theoretical training of the ancient Roman military

The purpose of the article. To investigate the specifics of the training of senior officers of the Roman army in the Late Republican period and the Early Principate. To outline the peculiarities of the study of military theory by the senior command staff of the legion, as well as to prove the probability of the existence of specialized libraries among the Roman elite, which consisted of the works of Greek and Roman authors of the genre of military literature. Research methodology. The research methodology: comparative, analysis, synthesis and analytical analysis. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the problem of military education in Ancient Rome was comprehensively investigated for the first time. In particular, the peculiarities of the study of the theory of military affairs not only by representatives of the highest military command — those from the nobility, but also by "new people" (homines novi) — representatives of the riding class (equites) are analyzed. Conclusions. It has been proven that the senior officers were not illiterate in military affairs and quite successfully coped with the assigned tasks — both in the administrative field and on the battlefield. It is also determined that the responsibilities of the senior officers of the Roman army, in particular military commanders, in addition to knowledge and skills in the field of military art, also included understanding the psychology of ordinary soldiers and the art of eloquence (rhetoric). The latter was acquired not so much from experience as from studying the works of Greek orators and philosophers.

Lightning and thunder explanations in encyclopedias – from ancient Greece to Wikipedia

Abstract. After a brief introduction to encyclopedias, the explanation of lightning and thunder in well-known encyclopedias, from the works of Greek philosophers to encyclopedias of modern physics, is examined. Starting with Aristotle (who is not regarded as an encyclopedist but is very important for our topic), 10 out of more than 200 known encyclopedias are treated in some detail. This selection is certainly somewhat arbitrary, but it an attempt was made to choose encyclopedias which are highlights and which were widely circulated at their time. In antiquity and during the Middle Ages, the explanations of thunderstorms were generally quite different from the modern view, explaining, for instance, lightning as a consequence of thunder. Besides this, strange effects of lightning were often reported. Many authors of those times used the explanations of former encyclopedias, sometimes referring to earlier authors, often just plagiarizing. These ideas, unorthodox by our present understanding, persisted for almost 2 millennia in encyclopedias. From the middle of the 18th century onward, physical explanations began to emerge; these are still valid today. More and more correct details regarding lightning and thunder and the results of experiments have been reported in encyclopedias. It is also attempted in this paper to name the insights of other scientists which the authors of contemporary encyclopedias do not mention but which should have been available at the time. Finally, it is stated that, even today, several details regarding thunderstorms are not well understood.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM AND ITS LIMITS: UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE OF DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this research is a philosophical reflection on the category of freedom in the context of Ukraine’s democratic development, with a focus on its limits in light of current political and social challenges, particularly war and crises. The study analyzes the historical stages of the concept of freedom in Ukraine, the legal and ethical constraints placed on it, and the existential dimension of responsibility tied to individual choice. The research methods include critical analysis of philosophical and political works, synthesis of approaches from different philosophical schools (particularly liberalism and existentialism), comparative analysis of freedom and responsibility concepts, and systematic analysis of the legal and ethical challenges facing modern Ukrainian society. The results of the study reveal that the concept of freedom in Ukraine has specific historical features, related to the ongoing struggle for national independence, and dynamically changes under the influence of external threats and internal political processes. It is determined that the limits of freedom are shaped not only by legal norms but also by ethical and societal factors that actively shape Ukrainian public discourse. Special attention is given to the existential dimension of freedom as responsibility, which manifests in complex moral choices in the context of war. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the combination of historical, legal, and existentialist approaches to understanding freedom in the context of Ukrainian democratic development, providing deeper insights into the relationship between freedom and responsibility during periods of social crises. The theoretical significance of the work lies in expanding the philosophical understanding of the category of freedom within the Ukrainian context, its interaction with legal and ethical norms, which is essential for further research in political philosophy and law.

An Introduction to Acting “Together with Others” and Participation as the Basis for Community in the Thought of Karol Wojtyla

Karol Wojtyła’s conception of community is an often overlooked part of his vast body of writing. While much energy is dedicated to his ethics and theology, little attention is given to how he defined the way in which human persons interact with one another and build the communities and societies wherein they find themselves. Central to this definition of community are the concepts of “acting ‘together with others’” and “participation.” For Wojtyła, these two intimately personal and subjective aspects of the human person serve as both the basis and mode from which authentic human communities emerge. This work presents an introduction to Wojtyła’s basis for community through analyzing “acting ‘together with others’” and “participation,” thus placing the primary impetus for inter-personal action strictly within the tradition of metaphysical anthropology and personalism which Wojtyła himself embraced. In doing so, an overview of Wojtyła’s thought is presented that is based on his most influential philosophical works concerning community, particularly Person and Act and The Person: Subject and Community, with this serving as a realistic philosophical background for subsequent analysis of both the human person and communities generally.

Debunking Choice and Control in Active Support: A Qualitative Analysis of Encounters in Training Videos between Staff and People with Intellectual Disability

The online learning resource ‘Every Moment has Potential’ (2015) aimed to teach direct support professionals about the values underlying active support, especially choice and control. This is unsurprising: these values anchor disability rights activism and policies. However, accompanying videos meant to illustrate choice and control offer a more nuanced story. My qualitative analysis brings in Lori Marso’s concept of freedom in the encounter to theorize four kinds of encounters in active support relationships: encounters that treat people as people; encounters that encourage surprise and spontaneity; encounters of mutual and safe touch; and challenging encounters. I aim to question critically the explicit values alongside the practices of active support. Plus, by using online YouTube videos as analysis, I hope to encourage more creative ways to include people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities in academic work, especially theoretical and philosophical work about intellectual disability.