Theory and Practice: Alfarabi's Plato Revisited

1992 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 966-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Colmo
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Leo Strauss ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
The Status ◽  
Life Itself

According to Leo Strauss, knowledge of the best way of life is crucial to political philosophy. In “Farabi's Plato,” Strauss asks, assuming that the theoretical life can be known to be the best way of life, what is the status of this knowledge? Is the knowledge of the best way of life itself theoretical knowledge or practical knowledge? Without a coherent answer to this question, we cannot be certain that we know what we mean when we claim to know that philosophy is the best way of life. Strauss answers clearly the question about the status of the knowledge of the best way of life by affirming that it is practical, not theoretical, knowledge. For a variety of reasons, this answer is not persuasive in the form in which Strauss gives it.

scholarly journals Qualifications and Certificates v Practical Knowledge and Experience: Is There a Winner?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Eddie Fisher ◽  
Yorkys Santana González
Keyword(s):  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Face To Face

There appears to be a continuing and inconclusive debate amongst scholars whether theoretical knowledge or practical experience is more important in related and associated areas such as education, recruitment and employability. This research, limited to a literature review and face to face interviews, conducted a systematic investigation to obtain and analyze valid and reliable research data to establish whether theoretical knowledge or practical experience are of paramount importance. The outcome of this research suggests that a hybrid approach should be adopted, with the major focus being on practical experience supported by relevant theoretical knowledge and not the converse. A number of additional recommendations are presented how to balance and close the gap between theory and practice including a redesign of ordinary and advanced level educational teaching. Far greater emphasis needs to be placed on young people gaining early practical experience inside and outside the classroom. This can be achieved by developing practical workshops (pilot studies) for use in safe laboratory-type environments and by extending work placements within organizations during term times.   

scholarly journals The Theory-Practice Relationship in ESL and the "Art of the Eclectic'.

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
David Piper
Keyword(s):  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Curriculum Deliberation

The theory-practice relationship in ESL, as in other curriculum areas, is a matter of continual concern. This paper reviews some of the central issues and problems relating to the interpretation of theory and research for ESL practice. The discussion focuses on four main areas: I) the relationship between theoretical and practical knowledge, 2) the temporary nature of theories, 3) the status of theoretical constructs, and 4)the multiple interpretability of theory and research. Following insistence upon the "art of the eclectic" in curriculum deliberation by Schwab (1970,1971,1973,1983), an attempt is made to distinguish between principled and unprincipled interpretations of eclecticism. The main conclusion of the paper is that the relationship between theory and practice must be an indirect one, one which therefore depends upon the skills of teachers as classroom researchers and deliberators about curriculum.

scholarly journals Supremacy of theoretical thought over practical thought in Plato's political philosophy

2021 ◽  
pp. 13-36
Author(s):  
Ilya Erokhov
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Political ◽  
Complex Method ◽  
History Of ◽  
Practical Politics ◽  
Two Level Systems ◽  
Plato's Political Philosophy ◽  
True Knowledge

Based on the example of Plato’s political philosophy, this article explores the phenomenon of supremacy of theoretical thought over practical thought, which is a universal trait of the classical Ancient Greek philosophical systems. The first part of the articled indicates the conceptual similarity of the two-level systems of knowledge of Plato and Aristotle in the role that theory plays in relation to practical thought. The second part of the article reconstructs the concept of Plato's philosophy of politics, outlines the key political strategies he dealt with, and provides analytical reconstruction of the democratic theory of politics, oligarchic and civil-political, where the latter is the reflection of Plato’s original political views. The final part is dedicated to the method of Plato's political philosophy. Analysis of the context of using the term “theory” by Plato allows reconstructing the key methodological characteristic of Plato's model of theoretical philosophy. The article also provides the typology of practical knowledge, and substantiates the reasons according to which the political philosophy, as one of the types of practical knowledge, had to adhere to the theoretical prescriptions that fully determined the content of political reflection. The paper reveals the central practical task of philosophical theory, which by Plato's plan was intended to cease the political strife in Athens using true knowledge. The thesis is substantiated that using theory, Plato sought to complete the history of practical politics and subsequently shift towards building the “ideal state” based on the laws that are mandatory for all citizens of the polis. The article also discloses the principles of complex interrelation of the three Socratic methods: irony, dialectics and maieutics, which in Plato's political philosophy manifested as a single complex method. It is demonstrated that the method fulfills a bonding function between theory and practice, which allows transferring the theoretical truth to the sphere of practical problems of politics.

scholarly journals Philosophy, revelation and politics: The recovery of medieval Islamic political philosophy

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Funda Günsoy
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Modern Philosophy ◽  
Leo Strauss ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Philosophical Thought ◽  
Radical Enlightenment ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Order ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ancient Political Philosophy

In contemporary philosophical thought, Leo Strauss is associated with the rediscovery of ancient political philosophy against modern political philosophy. The rediscovery of ancient political philosophy is the rediscovery of classical rationalism or “moderate Enlightenment” against modern rationalism or “radical Enlightenment” and can be understood as recapturing the “the question of man’s right life” and “the question of the right order of society”. This article would like to show that it was his study of medieval Islamic and Jewish texts that enabled Strauss to rediscover the classical rationalism. Also, in this article we would like to argue that although the opposition between Athens and Jerusalem, Reason and Revelation embodies two irreconcilable alternatives or a way of life in his thought, this opposition should be only examined with references to claims about radical rationalism of modern philosophy. In this case, we would like to argue that there can be seen a commonality between these “opponents”, i.e., Athens and Jerusalem, Reason and Revelation in terms of both their attitudes towards morality and their approaches to the relationship between philosophy and society.

scholarly journals Islamic Pharmacy in the Mamlūk and Mongol Realms: Theory and Practice

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Chipman
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
The State ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Islamic World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Mongol Empire ◽  
The Silk Road

This article will discuss aspects of pharmacy in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries CE, when the central Islamic lands–which also form a central part of the Silk Road between China and Europe-were dominated by the Mamlūk Empire in Egypt and Syria, and the Mongol Īl–khāns in Iran. Exchanges of practical and theoretical knowledge occurred across the hostile frontier, but it remains ro be seen to what extent this affected the practice of community pharmacists in the Islamic world, let alone the theory used by docrors learned in the Arabic pharmacological tradition. As I have only very recently begun to study the Mongol side of things in greater depth, this article will be weighted towards the Mamluks, and I will point out areas that require further research before any definite conclusion can be reached. I will begin by discussing the state of pharmacy in Mamluk Egypt, continue to say a few words about the developments in pharmacology caused by the establishment of the Mongol Empire, and finally, discuss the status of pharmacists in hospitals under the Mongols and Mamlūks.

Practical Knowledge: Facts, Norms and Phronèsis

2019 ◽  
pp. 95-116
Author(s):  
Jeanne Gaakeer
Keyword(s):  
Practical Wisdom ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Philosophical Hermeneutics ◽  
Practical Activity ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
Application Of Law ◽  
Extended Analysis

The chapters of Part II of this book turn to continental-European philosophical hermeneutics, especially as developed by Paul Ricoeur, because his work is rich on the topics of narrative and metaphor, as well as the equitable and the just. They do so to show what the humanities can contribute to the realm of praxis by bringing to the fore the resources that can contribute to the judge’s development of her professional quality of phronèsis, i.e. prudence or practical wisdom, with judicial ethos and habitus included. Chapter 6 deals with the interrelation of facts and (legal) norms in the “application” of law in a specific case, and on the bond of theory and practice. The chapter offers an extended analysis of (Aristotelian) phronèsis (practical wisdom) and épistème (theoretical knowledge) in relation to Ricoeur’s proposal for hermeneutics in law. It argues that iuris prudentia always necessarily combines theoretical knowledge with practical activity.

UN-BLURRING THE MYTHS AND REALITIES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-120
Author(s):  
T N Sithole ◽  
Kgothatso B Shai
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Children's Rights ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Children’S Rights ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Great Awareness ◽  
Policy Theory ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
The Status ◽  
Customary Practices

Awareness of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW 1979) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC 1989) is relatively high within academic and political circles in South Africa and elsewhere around the world. In South Africa, this can be ascribed mainly to the powerful women’s lobby movements represented in government and academic sectors. Women and children’s issues have been especially highlighted in South Africa over the last few years. In this process, the aforementioned two international human rights instruments have proved very useful. There is a gender desk in each national department. The Office on the Status of Women and the Office on Child Rights have been established within the Office of the President, indicating the importance attached to these institutions. These offices are responsible for co-ordinating governmental efforts towards the promotion and protection of women and children’s rights respectively, including the two relevant treaties. Furthermore, there is also a great awareness amongst non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in respect of CEDAW and CRC. This can be ascribed mainly to the fact that there is a very strong women’s NGO lobby and NGOs are actively committed to the promotion of children’s rights. Women are increasingly vocal and active within the politics of South Africa, but the weight of customary practices remains heavy. The foregoing is evident of the widening gap between policy theory and practice in the fraternity of vulnerable groups – children and women in particular.

Some Imperatives of the Russian Economic Leadership: The Development of Science

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
O. S. Sukharev
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Work ◽  
Compensation System ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Science Field ◽  
Labor Compensation ◽  
The Status ◽  
Practical Standpoint

The paper outlines system capabilities of Russia to join the scientific and technological leaders through changes in the staff policy in the science field, which was the purpose of the research.The subject of the research is institutional changes occurring in science and, particularly, staff training. The status of the Russian science is assessed in terms of changes in the basic rules and their adjustment with an emphasis on material and non-material incentives, staff rotation and training of young scientists. The paper proves that the frequency and content of institutional changes affect the quality of the scientific development and the training of scientific staff; moreover, copying the rules already in use reduces the competitive potential of science. From the scientific and practical standpoint, the research is novel in that it formulates proposals for establishing a labor compensation system and introduction of basic institutions (rules) to ensure the functioning of the scientific sphere and the efficiency of functions immanent to the latter. The paper proposes a “scientific product” doctrine that can be used for assessment of a scientist’s labor, according to which the scientist creates a product that is assessed not by the citation frequency or the number of published articles and books but by the importance of discoveries in theory and practice, the significance of new formulas and methods developed. It is suggested that the scientist’s labor compensation system be presented by two levels: the current salary and the estimated value of the total scientific product created. The problem of scientific work incentives can be solved by introducing a special tariffqualification grid tied to the system of the scientist’s promotion.

Rule of Law in India

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harish Narasappa
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Dispute Resolution ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Application Of Law ◽  
Primary Element ◽  
The Status ◽  
Dispute Resolution Mechanism

Rule of law is the foundation of modern democracies. It envisages, inter alia, participatory lawmaking, just and certain laws, a bouquet of human rights, certainty and equality in the application of law, accountability to law, an impartial and non-arbitrary government, and an accessible and fair dispute resolution mechanism. This work’s primary goal is to understand and explain the obvious dichotomy that exists between theory and practice in India’s rule of law structure. The book discusses the contours of the rule of law in India, the values and aspirations in its evolution, and its meaning as understood by the various institutions, identifying reason as the primary element in the rule of law mechanism. It later examines the institutional, political, and social challenges to the concepts of equality and certainty, through which it evaluates the status of the rule of law in India.

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