Philosophical Writings Research Articles

Günther Anders’ philosophischer Okkasionalismus: Methoden, Voraussetzungen, Ziele

Abstract The philosopher, writer and technology critic Günther Anders, né Stern (1902–1992), occasionally referred to his own thinking as “occasional philosophy”. In order to reconstruct this mode of thought, which is also an essential key to understanding Anders, I will refer to a previously unpublished typescript of the same name from his literary estate. This reconstruction will be based on three theses: From the outset, Anders’ work is characterised by a preoccupation with questions of method. Secondly, the tools of occasional philosophy can be found not only in his philosophical writings, but above all in his reflections on art, literature and photomontage. Thirdly, the prima vista eclectic and anti-systematic method is a logical reaction to the fundamentally changed conditions of philosophising in a (post-)modern, technologised society.

Some Remarks on Recent Approaches to Torsionful Non-relativistic Gravity

Over the past decade, the physics literature on torsionful non-relativistic gravity has burgeoned; more recently, philosophers have also begun to explore this topic. As of yet, however, the connections between the writings of physicists and philosophers on torsionful non-relativistic gravity remain unclear. In this article, we seek to bridge the gap, in particular by situating within the context of the existing physics literature a recent theory of non-relativistic torsionful gravity developed by philosophers Meskhidze and Weatherall (Philos Sci, https://doi.org/10.1017/psa.2023.136, 2023) we also discuss the philosophical significance of that theory.

Душа, дух и тело в антропологии Авраама Позова в контексте святоотеческого учения

Modern Orthodox theology is undergoing a process of systematization and critical examination of the religious and philosophical experience of the last century. Researchers are increasingly paying attention to the works of the Orthodox philosopher Abraham Samuilovich Pozov. His anthropological concept, representing one of the first attempts to combine theological and scientific knowledge of humanity, is of particular interest. This article focuses on a critical examination of Pozov’s anthropological views in relation to their consistency with the rhetoric of the Church Fathers concerning humanity – its soul, spirit, and body. The soul, spirit, and body in the writings of the XX century Russian foreign philosopher are elements of the human trimeria, which also allows him to attribute the doctrine to trinitarian concepts about the human dispensation. He frequently cites the thoughts of the Church Fathers, attempting in part to generalize them and present them as a kind of universal formula. To a large extent, such a theoretical and methodological system deviates from classical Orthodox theology. Therefore, this study examines the nature of the interpretation of Patristic ideas in Abraham Pozov’s works, evaluating both the strengths and weaknesses of his concept. It must be noted, however, that despite the significant use of Patristic narratives, including the works of St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Isaac the Syrian, St. John Damascene, and St. Gregory of Nyssa, Pozov’s concept does not demonstrate a deep understanding of the teachings of the Holy Fathers.

“All knowledge is either conception or assent”. On the history and significance of a fundamental distinction in Islamic philosophy

ABSTRACT Following Aristotle, classical Islamic philosophers distinguished between two types of knowledge: conception and assent. This paper argues that the discussions elicited by this distinction are an essential feature of postclassical Islamic philosophy (ca. 1200–1800). The early postclassical philosophers made the distinction central to logic and thereby to epistemology and scientific inquiry at large. As the distinction came to be perceived as problematic, it sparked philosophical arguments about a range of issues in logic and epistemology. One particularly pertinent problem was the nature of the distinction itself: it was understood as an exclusive disjunction, but it seemed impossible to define one notion without recourse to the other. In the fourteenth century this led to the emergence of a new genre of philosophical writings exclusively dedicated to discussing the precise nature of the distinction. This paper discusses some of the central arguments of these writings, showing how philosophers grappling with that problem devised new theories of judgement and new forms of the proposition as they were continuously developing their theory of knowledge.

Existential Buddhism: embracing life's uncertainties and finding meaning within

This study explores the profound questions surrounding the pursuit of Nirvana in Buddhism, examining whether it arises from the cycle of rebirth, present suffering, or future pain as depicted in early Buddhist scriptures. It also investigates the potential convergence of Buddhism with existentialism, a philosophy emphasizing individual experience, freedom, responsibility, and life’s inherent uncertainties. The primary inquiry examines whether Buddhism can harmonize with existentialist perspectives, which emphasize individuality amidst life’s enigmas. This research comprehensively investigates the reasons driving individuals in mainstream Buddhism to seek Nirvana, delving into their quest for liberation, and emphasizes the existential essence of Buddhism. Finally, It explores the plausibility of an alternative form of Buddhism that incorporates existential philosophy. Using a literature analysis approach with a thematic focus, this study critically examines the writings of prominent Buddhist scholars, existential philosophers, and researchers on the intersection of Buddhism and existentialism. The analysis reveals that Buddhists aspire for Nirvana to escape the cycle of suffering and find solace and serenity. Moreover, the juxtaposition of Buddhism and existentialism offers a fresh perspective, highlighting individual autonomy and choice in confronting life’s complexities, and providing an early Buddhist account of existential nature. By deepening the understanding of how mindfulness and meditation connect to core Buddhist principles, this research fosters more authentic engagement with Buddhist practices, enriching personal well-being. This research has vital implications for understanding the pursuit of meaning and liberation from suffering amidst life’s chaos, challenging conventional perceptions of Buddhism, and elucidating potential alignments with existential thought, inviting further research.

Hebrew Panegyric of the Late Middle Ages: Shemaryah, Son of Elijah, and His Praise Poems

Abstract Late medieval Byzantine Hebrew poetry unfortunately belongs to a rather neglected field of Hebrew poetry. Only a few authors have been studied in-depth. This article will examine the poetic work of the fourteenth century exegete and philosopher Shemaryah son of Elijah who produced panegyrics and liturgical poetry alongside exegetical and philosophical writings. Shemaryah’s panegyric pieces were dedicated to the leader of the Jews in Egypt and the grandson of Maimonides, David ha-Nagid. Although spending most of his life in Negroponte or Chalkis on the island of Euboea, Shemaryah was in contact with leading figures of Egyptian Jewry around 1300 as well as with the Angevin King Robert of Anjou in Naples in the 1330s. These contacts to the east and to the west reflect Byzantium’s role as a cultural hub between Europe and the Middle East.

Agency Without Agents: Affective Forces, Communicative Events, and Organizational Becomings

How does agency emerge eventfully in processes of organizational becoming? This article aims to address this question by developing a process theory of agency based on Gilbert Simondon’s philosophical writings on individuation as a communicative phenomenon and Brian Massumi’s writings on affect. This theory views agency as an affective force, expressed as a communicative event, that governs the transition from one process of individuation to another, producing an enhanced ability to act and potentially leading to a collective process of transindividuation that is essential to organizational becoming. In turn, this article not only offers novel theoretical as well as methodological insights for organizational research, but also highlights researchers’ ethical responsibilities toward those whose individuation is precarious and who may not be able to partake in certain processes of organizational becoming.

Rethinking plasticity: Analysing the concept of "destructive plasticity" in the light of neuroscience definitions.

As a multilevel and multidisciplinary field, neuroscience is designed to interact with various branches of natural and applied sciences as well as with humanities and philosophy. The continental tradition in philosophy, particularly over the past 20 years, tended to establish strong connections with biology and neuroscience findings. This cross fertilization can however be impeded by conceptual intricacies, such as those surrounding the concept of plasticity. The use of this concept has broadened as scientists applied it to explore an ever-growing range of biological phenomena. Here, we examine the consequences of this ambiguity in an interdisciplinary context through the analysis of the concept of "destructive plasticity" in the philosophical writings of Catherine Malabou. The term "destructive plasticity" was coined by Malabou in 2009 to refer to all processes leading to psycho-cognitive and emotional alterations following traumatic or nontraumatic brain injuries or resulting from neurodevelopmental disorders. By comparing it with the neuroscientific definitions of plasticity, we discuss the epistemological obstacles and possibilities related to the integration of this concept into neuroscience. Improving interdisciplinary exchanges requires an advanced and sophisticated manipulation of neurobiological concepts. These concepts are not only intended to guide research programmes within neuroscience but also to organize and frame the dialogue between different theoretical backgrounds.

De primera a segunda navegación: metáfora y decir de José Ortega y Gasset, filósofo periodista

In this research note, two contributions regarding the activities of Ortega y Gasset are confronted and found to complement each other. In Nací en una rotativa. Las empresas culturales de José Ortega y Gasset, Professor Blanco narrates the trajectory of an entrepreneur during the stage he himself termed “first navigation”. In Los límites del decir. Razón histórica y lenguaje en el último Ortega, Esmeralda Balaguer deals with the “second navigation”. The philosopher abandons journalism to dedicate himself to concretizing his thought in philosophical publications. From the comparison of both works, there doesn’t emerge a contradiction between a journalist writer and a philosophical writer, but rather a complementarity that explains how in the writer both incentives merge, separated by a change of course forced by a new circumstance opposed to the previous one. They converge to offer a unified vision of his personality and his work. In his first navigation, the writer resorts to the journalistic profession to enhance a program of activities to modernize Spanish society. In the second, when the press and cultural initiatives cease to be an effective channel to influence a collective life project that has foundered, he fully commits to his philosophical task.

Love's realism: Iris Murdoch and the importance of being human

AbstractDefenders of two Rationality Views of love—the Qualities View and the Personhood View—have drawn on Iris Murdoch's philosophical writings to highlight a connection between love and a “realistic” perspective on the beloved. Murdoch does not inform the basic structure of these views—she is rather introduced as a supplement who shows that in love, we pay accurate, nuanced, unguarded, and unflinching attention to the other. In this paper, I contend that these authors have failed to see that Murdoch offers a distinct view of love and is inappropriate to enlist as an ally. This is in large part because they have missed the full sense of what Murdoch means by connecting love and realism. I contend that for Murdoch, to love someone means seeing them in light of a realistic vision of what it means to be human; this includes an appreciation of the limits of freedom, the formative influence of personal history, and the nature and extent of our differences from one another. This helps us to see why Murdoch variously describes loving attention as realistic, compassionate, tolerant, and extremely difficult. It also sheds light on some important and familiar ways that we criticize one another's grounds for love.

"The Language of the Eye Is Not the Language of the Ear": English, Translationality, and (Dis)Similarities between Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's Devil on the Cross

ABSTRACT: Against the backdrop of the 60th anniversary of the African Writers Conference and the perennial question of English as an "African language," this article investigates the ways in which English has been used within the literary writings of Chinua Achebe and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. An overview of the (seemingly) divergent views on English articulated by Achebe and Ngũgĩ is presented, and two of their novels, namely Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Ngũgĩ's Devil on the Cross , are then situated within the frame of translationality. Extracts from the two novels are comparatively analyzed and discussed with reference to translation theory, specifically "thick translation," " omdigting ," and "foreignization," in relation to their lexical and ideological treatment of English. The article concludes that despite the differences in attitude toward English expressed in their polemical and philosophical writings, their literary treatment of English points to a number of similarities.

Death and Transcendence: Starting from Caspar David Friedrich’s Images of Oak Trees

With the purpose of investigating Caspar David Friedrich’s view of art and nature, as well as exploring his reconciliation with the shadow of death, this essay will take Friedrich’s images of oak trees as the center of discussion. Methods of iconography and literature study will be employed to synthesize and analyse his personal letters and texts, the writings of contemporaneous philosophers, and existing studies. Influenced by his family’s Lutheran beliefs and contemporaries’ Romantic view of nature, Friedrich utilized landscapes with images of oaks as mediums for realizing reconciliation with finite life by placing his hope in religion and incorporating his personal life into the eternal cycle of nature. Meanwhile, affected by the theory of “Spiel” of Schiller, Friedrich’s art aimed at “das Göttliche” and realizing the harmony between inner and outer life in order to achieve freedom. This study will not only establish the connection between Friedrich’s artistic conception and the philosophical thinking of his era, but also enrich the academic study on his motif of oak trees.

Gods and people in literature and philosophy. God by the picture of human or human by the picture of god? Homeric vision of reality versus Heraclitus’ vision of reality

The article deals with the theological issues of Homer and Heraclitus. The analysis of the works of Homer and the philosophical thought of Heraclitus serves to compare and contrast them extracting significant differences regarding the image of god and man. The author develops both literary and philosophical understanding of gods. She compares the man-god relationship in early Greek literature and philosophy. There is an interesting intrinsic tension in the literary tropes that can only be understood if the religious function of this literature is taken into account. The author tries to describe the vision of the world and the place of human beings in it in both sources: literature and philosophy. In philosophical writings, there can be seen a movement in the vision of the world structure: the gods become more inaccessible to humans, but humans gain the opportunity to become godlier if they follow a proper set of thoughts and actions proposed by philosophy. Religious poets were speaking of the past when the gods were approachable to people. Their fantasies were often mixed with old beliefs so that the divine-human world has as much wonder and eccentricity as dread. Philosophy conquers not only minds but also hearts, to convey them towards the ideal, bearing in mind the unattainable model of a virtuous man. While religion describes gods similar to humans, philosophy forges a new god-resemblant human figure.

THE IMAGE OF THE PHILOSOPHER IN THE LETTERS OF A. P. CHEKHOV

A. Chekhov is known as a classic of Russian literature, but modern research turns to the study of Chekhov’s philosophy. The main focus of such studies is focused on the analysis of the philosophical content of the literary work of the great writer. The present study shifts attention to the author’s letters: it is important to understand what he thought about philosophy and how he saw the image of the philosopher. This will make it possible to clarify the existing approaches to the study of A. Chekhov as a thinker. The article analyzes the texts of Chekhov’s letters. The context of the use of the concept “philosopher” is revealed and the main features of the philosopher in the representation of A. Chekhov are described. The results obtained are correlated with existing concepts based on the analysis of the works of the writer and playwright. Laziness, poverty, eccentricity, calmness in the face of adversity are features that form a collective image of a philosopher similar to the ancient Cynic or Stoic. These features arouse in A. Chekhov a predominantly ironic attitude, which is reflected in the intonation of the letters and generally coincides with the ideas of his works. The writer does not identify himself with the philosopher, although he is keenly interested in contemporary philosophical ideas and reflects on them through literary creativity. The author believes that A. Chekhov does not position himself as a philosopher, he is a “philosophical writer” , a follower of the great tradition of Russian literature laid down by his predecessors — A. Herzen, V. Belinsky, F. Dostoevsky, L. Tolstoy.

Guiding student transduction in elementary school astronomy

AbstractScience educators now broadly recognize the multimodal nature of learning in science, where learners make meanings within modes (linguistic, mathematical, visual, and actional) by using the conventions of different sign systems or grammars in these modes. However, how teachers guide students to link and infer new meanings across modes, called “transduction” (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2006. Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge, p. 39), is less clear. This mapping of meanings across modes through realizing, generating, aligning, and coordinating meanings in representations is crucial to learning and communicating scientific concepts, inquiry processes, and reasoning. In this paper we propose a pragmatist account of how young students can be guided to achieve cohesion in this process. Drawing mainly on Peirce's (1998, The essential Peirce: Selected philosophical writings. Indiana University Press) theory of sign functions and affordances, we describe how, in practice, transduction entails a sequence of meaning‐making steps across and within sign systems. For Peirce, sign systems in science enable inferential meaning‐making within modes, but signs within these grammars can also prompt, support, and confirm meanings across modes. We analyze student learning in an elementary school astronomy class to identify how transduction is enacted and supported. We draw on micro‐ethnographic analysis of the teacher's interactions with students and their artifacts to identify key transduction enablers. We found that young students can engage successfully in trans‐modal reasoning if multiple conditions are met, with implications for science inquiry design in general and the teacher's key role in transduction guidance.

The Aesthetics of Rhetoric in On the Sublime of Longinus

This article localizes the treatise On the Sublime in the Hellenistic culture of the 3rd century. It is by some scholars attributed to Cassius Longinus, while others reject this attribution and cultural context completely. We argue that On the Sublime is by Longinus written and a document that is both a piece of evidence for the cultural change of a decline in the practice of rhetoric and also exemplifies the transformation and subordination of rhetoric to newly emerging concepts in the Hellenistic culture of Late Antiquity. We interpret the changing rhetorical culture its author observes as a state of rhetoric at the end of the movement of the Second Sophistic. The historical frame and the name of the author of the treatise, Longinus, is documented by the Suda and other sources. On the Sublime itself puts rhetorical devices into a new framework exceeding the limits of traditional treatises called rhetorike techne. ‘The sublime’ is present in nature, in god, in humans, and in artifices like writings of rhetoricians, philosophers, poets, and historians. With this contextualization as a universal principle, the sublime, previously used as a criterion of style and thinking, is by Longinus established as a universal concept.

Nalepin, A. (2022). The axioms of folklore experience in writings of Russian philosophers in the 1900s–1930s (V. V. Rozanov, P. A. Florensky, E. N. Trubetskoy, B. P. Vysheslavtsev, I. A. Ilyin, and A. A. Vanovsky). Moscow: IMLI RAN. (In Russ.)

The review is devoted to A. Nalepin’s monograph on the reception of folklore in Russian society in the first three decades of the 20th c. With urbanization on the rise, the contrast between traditional folklore and its new urban counterpart became more prominent. A key issue discussed by the author concerns the methodology for the study of the reception of folklore in works of Russian philosophers in a period when folklore was perceived as history rather than tradition, its erstwhile functions being replaced in popular consciousness by its aesthetic and ideological functions. Of special interest is the discussion of the influence that folklore consciousness can exercise over an individual artist’s works. The author also examines the complex cultural phenomenon of latent folklorism.

Introduction: Writing in Philosophy: Pedagogy and Practice

Introduction: Writing in Philosophy: Pedagogy and Practice

Sree Narayana Guru’s Perspectives and Advaita Philosophy: A Review of Guru’s Selected Works

After Adi Shankara, Sree Narayana Guru was the greatest spiritual philosopher Kerala has ever produced. He offered a way of life that was both materialistic and spiritually balanced. Through his philosophical writings, he imparts knowledge on how to uphold a dialectical union of the conceptual and the practical manner of living. The predominant and best-known school of Indian philosophy, Advaita Vedanta, espouses the unchanging non-dualism between the Universal Soul and the Individual Soul. Narayana Guru dedicated his entire life to demonstrating to the world that Advaita may be put into practice and acknowledges Advaita as the philosophical foundation for man’s practical concerns in the world. The key distinction between the Advaita systems of Sankara and Narayana Guru is how they are used in the real world. Advaita Vedanta was synthesized by Narayana Guru. Narayana Guru combined the theistic Vedic practice of love and service with the Advaita Vedanta notion of Brahman’s oneness (ekatma vada). Through his works, Narayana Guru spread the holy message to all people and encouraged them to embrace timeless truths and aspirations. This essay attempts to examine a few of Narayana Guru’s writings in order to examine how the Advaita philosophy affected him and how he saw Advaita. This study uses the historical research method, and its conclusions show that Advaita philosophy directly influences both the religious teachings he imparts and the motivations for his socio-religious conduct.

Perspectiva filosófica sobre o desenvolvimento artístico e o pensamento histórico da animação

Abstract: In the context of the “era of image reading”, animation is also a modern product, and Chinese animation has always been “transmitting images through images”. Chinese animation has become accustomed to borrowing cartoons from countries, such as Japan or European ones, and their creativity in animation thinking has been greatly suppressed, which is a devastating blow. By tracing the origin of animation thinking from a philosophical perspective, the evolution of human thinking and expression can be further understood. This helps researchers understand the evolution and evolving innovations of human culture, and thus better understand the relationship among culture, art and philosophy. Object thinking emphasizes breaking down complex problems into smaller components, namely objects. In animation, this can be interpreted as breaking down complex scenes and actions into separate objects, characters and elements. This object abstraction and correlation help animators better understand and design the interactions among characters, the movement of objects and the dynamics of the overall animation. Although the study of “Xiang thinking” has developed in the history of philosophy, it has not been directly related to the tracing of animation thinking and artistic reconstruction. In fact, it has a significant impact on animation thinking. Through the philosophical text analysis of animation works, researchers can dig out the philosophical themes, symbols and meanings in animation. This may include the interpretation of a particular animated work and how certain philosophical thoughts are expressed through the narrative, characters, visual elements, etc. Therefore, the study of object thinking has important practical significance for explaining the uniqueness of animation thinking. One of the goals of research may be to discover the intertextuality between animation and philosophy, which includes exploring how philosophical writings and thoughts are represented in animation, and accordingly, how animation affects philosophical thinking.