No 11 (2024)
Articles
The Epistemological Frontier in the Culture of Science Communication after Paul Feyerabend
Abstract
The subject of the study is the heuristic potential of the theoretical construct of the “epistemological frontier”, which describes the state of scientific knowledge in the context of methodological pluralism. The post-non-classical stage in the development of science is characterized by the coexistence of concepts about the object, formulated in various paradigms and based on different theoretical approaches. The culture of scientific communication, as an area of creation, preservation and development of scientific knowledge, which is the object of our attention, is significantly expanding, including different epistemological traditions. Therefore, there is a methodological need to include in the orbit of theoretical attention the area of scientific knowledge formed between two or more concepts that are not reducible to a common dialectical basis. The purpose of the article is to reveal the descriptive and heuristic potential of the “epistemological frontier” construct for studying the event horizon between the extreme values of the cosmological foundations of scientific creativity designated by P. Feyerabend (Aristotelian and modern, post-Copernian). To achieve this within the framework of philosophical and analytical methodology, the author solves two scientific and cognitive problems: formalizes the construct of “epistemological frontier” and examines its applicability for understanding Feyerabend's philosophy. The theoretical construct of “epistemological frontier” proposed by the author certainly requires further theoretical criticism, including clarification of the limits of its application. Its heuristic potential lies primarily in the fact that it can be used to record the simultaneous validity and truth of contradictory provisions formulated on the basis of various theoretical positions: the multidimensionality of truth, even if it is paradoxical, is thus no longer a sign of the falsity of one of the judgments. The coexistence of contradictory truths is becoming the norm, especially in the field of social and humanitarian sciences.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):1-11
1-11
The problem of the unconscious in German post-Hegelian theism, French Spiritualism, Russian religious philosophy in the context of the anthropological turn
Abstract
The subject of the research is the psychologization of the unconscious as a consequence of the anthropological turn. Psychologization is considered on the example of German post-Hegelian theism, French spiritualism, Russian religious philosophy, which are an integral part of the religious philosophy of the XIX – first half of the XX century. The anthropological turn is interpreted in the spirit of Heidegger's philosophy – as a transition of metaphysics into anthropology, of the ontological I into the psychological. The method of historical and philosophical reconstruction allowed conceptually refining the definition of the unconscious, and retrospectively substantiating three models of the unconscious. Using retrospective and comparative methods, the problem of the unconscious is studied and its solutions in the religious philosophy of the XIX – first half of the XX century are compared. The problem of psychologization of the unconscious in the historical and philosophical context as a consequence of the anthropological turn is considered by the author using the example of religious philosophy of the XIX – first half of the XX century; the models of the unconscious are retrospectively substantiated. In addition, the reflection of the teaching on the unconscious of European theists and spiritualists in Russian religious philosophy is studied. It is shown that in the historical and philosophical perspective, there are three models of the unconscious. The views of European theists and spiritualists on the problem of the unconscious influenced representatives of Russian religious-philosophical thought. Psychologization of the unconscious is connected with the anthropological turn, it became possible as a result of giving the I an individual-substantial character.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):12-32
12-32
The problem of space and time in gravitation from the point of view of the absence of absolutes
Abstract
The subject of the research is the philosophical problem of space and time in the physics (nature) of gravitation, the change in the theories of gravitation of the specifics of the concepts of space and motion-time with the development of our knowledge of physics in the field of theoretical physics and modern results of experimental physics. Among other things, unexplained phenomena directly related to space and time are investigated, such as nonlocality and confusion, which manifest themselves both in the microcosm – photons, electrons, individual atoms are entangled, and in the macrocosm – particle confusion is detected at kilometer and more distances, the close connection of these new phenomena of modern physics with space-time at macroscopic and quantum levels and the difficulties arising from excessive mathematization in attempts to quantize gravitation, space, and time. The methodological basis of the research is the application of the statement about the absence of absolutes to the problem of space and time in gravity and modern attempts to construct quantum gravity. For the first time, the statement about the absence of absolutes has been applied to the philosophy of gravitation theories, taking into account the latest experimental data concerning the fundamentals of the philosophy of gravitation physics, their correspondence to this statement is discussed. It is shown that the concepts of space and time are global: they manifest themselves both as coordinates in GR and SRT, and as receptacles of hypothetical strings (multidimensional microobjects generating elementary particles). Gravitational objects cannot directly affect space-time, but only create a connection between objects – another object – gravity, assumed by the third form of matter, but not being directly curved, but space-time. This thesis is not a support for Einstein's locality, since it is "local": it refers only to gravity, without touching on the issue of entanglement in quantum mechanics.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):33-51
33-51
Virtualization of Reality as a Cultural Universal
Abstract
The subject of the research in the presented article is the cultural practice of virtualization of reality in the mechanism of socio-cultural reflection, stimulating certain vectors of development of society. The appeal to the cultural understanding of this topic is due to the need to focus on the heuristic limitations of reducing the virtualization of socio-cultural processes in society exclusively to the influence of digital technologies, displacing to the periphery of theoretical reflection the problems of the causality of culture and the ability of society to design, as well as to implement a positive image of the future. The object of consideration, accordingly, is the mechanism of socio-cultural reflection – an objective process of society's reaction to changes in the environment and its own development, including understanding of reality in historical and cultural categories available for their time. The ultimate expansion of the concept of virtualization, allowing us to classify this phenomenon as a cultural universal, makes us ask the questions: is culture possible in principle without the virtualization of reality and where is the line between the virtual and the real in socio-cultural processes? The scientific novelty of the study consists in clarifying the conceptual and terminological apparatus for studying the virtualization of reality, in examining it from a new perspective using examples studied in cultural anthropology, and in establishing individual patterns and typical features of the phenomenon under consideration. The authors conclude that understanding virtualization as a specific way of orientation of a person and society in the surrounding reality excludes the possibility of reproducing culture without virtual realities common to people.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):52-64
52-64
Social Utopia in Victorian Literature (based on the novel by W.G. Hudson "The Crystal Age")
Abstract
The subject of the study is to determine the main features and vectors of development of the Victorian utopia based on the analysis of W.G. Hudson's novel "The Crystal Age". For a long time in the era of antiquity and the Renaissance, one of the main aspects of the development of utopia was the correlation of an ideal society with socio-political, economic transformations and technological discoveries. The New European utopia was in many ways a continuation of this trend, increasingly bringing together the social and technological vectors of utopianism, when social well-being was directly correlated by thinkers with scientific and technological progress, urbanization and mechanization of labor. The Victorian utopia belongs to the period of the second half of the 19th century and combines the features of New European progressivism with the cult of nature, characteristic of sentimentalism and romanticism, and also anticipates some utopian ideas of the coming post-industrial era. W.G. Hudson's novel "The Crystal Age" is a combination of various genres of utopian literature (pastoral utopia, apocalliptic utopia, escapist utopia), and therefore is of particular interest for analysis. The article uses a comprehensive methodological approach combining a descriptive method with a semiotic analysis of the text of the novel, and analyzes the research literature on Victorian utopian literature. The scientific novelty of the research is determined by the little-studied nature of W.G. Hudson's novel "The Crystal Age" in modern cultural and philosophical discourse, despite the fact that the novel contains certain ideas unique to that era, for example, the ideas of conscious consumption, excluding satiation and waste of resources. This thesis fully corresponds to the ecosophical strategy of the post-industrial era, but it is completely out of character for 19th-century industrialism. At the same time, the novel lacks a technotopian view of scientific discoveries and technical inventions as a guarantee of social well-being. In the "Crystal Age", technologies that are ahead of the time of writing are not depicted at all. The basis of the utopia of the "Crystal Age" is the anthroposocial transformation of society, the change of human nature along with the social structure. The socio-philosophical and socio-cultural significance of Hudson's novel is very high, since this work reflects the transformation of social relations, the way of life and the value system of the Victorian era: the changing role of women in society and the family, the desire to harmonize man with the natural environment in conditions of rapid industrialization.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):65-75
65-75
The development of the concept of personality: from individuality to autonomy
Abstract
The article analyzes the process of development of the concept of personality in the history of philosophy. Attention is paid to a brief examination of the ideas about the essence of man peculiar to ancient philosophers (using the example of the iconic thinkers of the classical period – Plato and Aristotle). It is argued that during the dogmatic design of the Christian worldview, a concept of personality close to the modern one was developed, which was reflected in the philosophical works of medieval authors. The philosophers of the Renaissance and Modern times brought their novelty to the understanding of personality, focusing primarily on its autonomous character. The relevance of the analysis is determined by the fact that the evolution of the concept of personality traced in it is not complete, in modern philosophy there are many different approaches to understanding this concept, however, according to the author, such a direction of philosophical thought as personalism inherits the historical and philosophical tradition, continuing to develop our ideas about personality, enriching them with new aspects arising as a result of the strengthening of the technological component of social life. The philosophical and methodological basis of the research is a comparative analysis of the ideas of specific philosophers about the essence of man, which contributed to the formation of the modern concept of personality. The results of the comparative analysis carried out by the author have elements of scientific novelty, confirming the development of the concept of personality in the history of philosophy, corresponding to the worldview evolution from cosmocentrism through theocentrism to anthropocentrism. It is noted that in cosmocentric representations of the human essence, the search for mechanisms for the formation of individuality, included in the world order and experiencing constant influence from both their inner motives and other people, society, prevailed. Medieval theocentric concepts of personality focused on Divine providence, at the same time elevating man as the image and likeness of God above the created world around him. Subsequently, philosophical thought, while preserving mainly the previously developed ideas about personality, added to them an essentially new understanding of the human personality as an autonomous principle.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):76-90
76-90
Technosophy: methodological resources
Abstract
The article, addressing the processes of technical and technological renewal and transformation of modern culture, comprehensively analyzes the phenomenon of the emergence of a new branch of socio-cultural and scientific-philosophical knowledge – technosophy. Special attention is paid to the research and purposeful study of the changes taking place in private and general scientific and philosophical methodology after the emergence of technosophy and its consolidation as an independent field of knowledge about the world of technology surrounding man. The subject of the research is technosophy as a new branch of modern scientific and philosophical knowledge. Given the relevance and degree of elaboration of the research topic, we point out that the main problem of the study lies in the lack of a holistic understanding of this industry, as well as the heuristic significance of the methodological resources used by it in understanding the existence of man, society and culture. The methodological and theoretical basis of the research was a scientific and theoretical analysis of the history of philosophical thought, dialectical principles of development, objectivity and a concrete historical approach, which are of the most important methodological importance in the study of technosophy. The study uses general scientific principles of cognition in their concretization in relation to the study of society, as well as a comparative method for the study of technosophy. Technosophy is considered as a set of ways and approaches to reveal the essence of the processes of interaction between the person himself and the objects of technology created by him. It is noted that the modern cultural and historical era, in terms of acquiring new features, is marked by a radical change in the overall role and purpose of technical devices in human life and society. The authors consider the processes of updating and transforming the traditional scientific and philosophical methodology of studying and analyzing the world of technology from the point of view of forming a new cultural axiology, searching for solutions to problems related to this process. The authors conclude that Modern man and humanity, tightly surrounded by the technosphere they created from all sides, are entering an era of radical revision and changes in all the basic parameters of optimizing their own existence. In this regard, technosophy can act as a new branch of scientific and philosophical knowledge, describing not only these changes, but also the thinking of modern man.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):91-101
91-101
Russian language in the space of the Russian World: from status determination to the postulation of care
Abstract
The focus of this article is on the problem of determining the status and role of the Russian language in the space of the Russian world. The author attempts to revise the fundamental approaches: ideological, cultural and linguistic-semiotic, which have been identified in domestic research on this issue over the past decades, and assess the relevance of the approaches today. The solution of this task requires, first of all, an analysis of the content of the concept of the "Russian World" in terms of its basic principles in order to fix the fundamental factors determining the identity of the cultural and civilizational community called the Russian World. Such an analysis in itself constitutes a problem area, since science has not developed a unified and clear approach to interpreting the content of the concept. This entails a whole range of problems. The research methodology is based on theoretical analysis and synthesis, as well as generalization of analytical sources. The theoretical framework of the work is based on the thesis that Russia is the core of a special civilizational community. Russian language is a leading factor of identification in the process of development of the Russian world, from the moment of the origin of the phenomenon to the present, the author argues that the importance of the Russian language as a leading factor of identification in the process of development of the Russian world is gradually decreasing. The reasons for this kind of change should be sought not only in the fields of politics and economics, but also in the field of culture, both in the external circuit and in the internal one. The author believes that the process of transformation of the functional of the Russian language and the decrease in the importance of its role in identification processes has not only objective and legitimate reasons. Negative factors adversely affect the Russian language and create certain threats. In support of this position, theoretical arguments based on historical sources, the work of modern authors and the results of empirical research are presented.
Philosophical thought. 2024;(11):102-116
102-116