Gorky’s ‘old men’: Trial, faith and life across time

2019 ◽  
pp. 135-158
Author(s):  
M. S. Kiselyova
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Meaning Of Life ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
First Year ◽  
Russian History ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Personal Choice ◽  
Old Men ◽  
The Revolution

In its examination of M. Gorky’s play The Old Man [Starik] (1917) the article deals with the question of whether a person’s discretion to judge another human being conforms to Christian ethics. The article approaches the problem, first of all, in the sense of one’s understanding of the meaning of life in the context of one’s past and present, and, secondly, in relation to the events of Russian history between the revolutions of 1905 and 1917, the first year of the Bolsheviks’ dictatorship. In addition, the author draws parallels with other types of ‘old men’ in Gorky’s books. The main node of the plot is presented as a merger of three topics: the passing and purpose of a human life, the (im)possibility for a man to judge another man, and manifestation of faith. The author highlights the differences in the writer’s treatment of the Old Man from the eponymous 1909 vignette, where he is shown in the modus of personal choice, and the Old Man from the play, using the epic modus of time and fate. The author argues that the play returns the same verdict to the society as in Gorky’s Untimely Thoughts [Nesvoevremennye mysli] (1917–1918), in which he analyzes the chaos of the revolution and peoples’ abuse of discretion.

The meaning of life between the self and the normative process of self-realisation

Human Affairs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-496
Author(s):  
Giovanna Caruso
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Meaning Of Life ◽  
The Self ◽  
Philosophical Investigation ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Fundamental Feature ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Self Reference

Abstract Self-research becomes a starting point for the question about the human being in contemporary anthropological approaches. Accordingly, human life is not viewed anymore as the theoretical object of philosophical investigation, but as the concrete performative execution of the individual’s life. Following this existential paradigm, this paper shows, on the basis of Heidegger’s ‘analytic of Dasein’ and Angehrn’s ‘hermeneutic of the self,’ that the meaning of life can be identified with the process of self-realization much more than with any possible meaningful achievements, engagements or qualities. In fact, understanding human being as a self-interpreting being, Heidegger grasps human life based on the analysis of the ‘understanding,’ the ‘mineness’ and the ‘potentiality-to-Being’ as one’s own reflexive process of self-reference. Angehrn discloses this process as an endless self-understanding process, during which the self forms itself, and defines it as the process that characterizes human being. In this sense, the human being is ‘condemned to meaning.’ By grasping man as such a process, one fundamental feature is expressed: his constitutive unfathomability. For the task of becoming, the self comes from the self that has to become. This means that the self is constantly in the process of becoming self-existent and exists only as this process and remains unfathomable to man in his completeness. In this infinite process of self-realization, in this task of becoming oneself consists the meaning of life. And here, its normative-reflexive character arises. For the ‘must’ to become self has its origin in the self that has to become.

PENGEMBANGAN KEILMUAN INTEGRATIF DI UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI

1970 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-402
Author(s):  
Zainal Arifin
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Advanced Science ◽  
Epistemological Basis ◽  
Integrative Science

This paper attempts to analyze the development of integrative science at two Islamic universities, namely UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and UIN Malang. The changes are not just ordinary administrative changes, but based on the epistemological basis of integrated scientific development between science and Islam. The changing of IAIN Sunan Kalijaga and STAIN Malang also showed a new relationship between science (general sciences) and Islam, which requiresmutual relations, mutual dialogue, mutual reinforcement to solve the problems of postmodern human life. The purpose of this relation is to create the graduates who are capable of competing in the postmodern world that increasingly sophisticated and advanced science and technology, in addition, the value of religionbased morality is not abandoned, so they become the holistic human being. Tulisan ini mencoba menganalisis pengembangan keilmuan integratif pada dua universitas Islam negeri, yaitu UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta dan UIN Malang. Perubahan keduanya bukanlah hanya perubahan administrasi biasa, tapi didasari oleh basis epistemologi pengembangan keilmuan terintegrasi antara sains dan Islam. Perubahan IAIN Sunan Kalijaga dan STAIN Malang juga menunjukkan adanya relasi baru antara sains (ilmu-ilmu umum) dan Islam, yaitu relasi saling membutuhkan, saling berdialog, saling menguatkan untuk menyelesaikan problema kehidupan manusia postmodern ini. Tujuan relasi ini untuk mewujudkan lulusan yang mampu bersaing di dunia postmodern yang semakin canggih dan maju ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologinya, selain itu nilai moralitas yang berbasis agama tidak ditinggalkan, sehingga menjadi manusia yang utuh.

The Status of Mind and Intellect in Digital Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-143
Author(s):  
Elena I. Yaroslavtseva
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Natural Material ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Connection To Nature ◽  
Digital World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Natural Foundation ◽  
The Impact

The article examines the impact of digitalization on human life and intellectual experience. The development of computer technology demands an understanding of new aspects of human development and requires a capability to overcome not only external conditions but also ourselves. Entering a new level of development cannot imply a complete rejection of previous dispositions, but should be accompanied by reflection on personal experience and by the quest for new forms of interaction in society and with nature. Communicative and cognitive activity of a person has an ontological basis and relies on processes that actually evolve in nature. Therefore, the creation of new objects is always associated with the properties of natural material and gives rise to new points of support in the development of man. The more audacious his projects, the more important it is to preserve this connection to nature. It is always the human being who turns out to be the initiator who knows how to solve problems. The conformity of complex technical systems to nature is not only a goal but also a value of meaningful construction of development perspectives. The key to the nature orientation of the modern digital world is the human being himself, who keeps all the secrets of the culture of his natural development. Therefore, the proposed by the Russian philosopher V.S. Stepin post-non-classical approach, based on the principle of “human-sizedness,” is an important contribution to contemporary research because it draws attention to the “human – machine” communication, to the relationship between a person and technological systems he created. The article concludes that during digital transformation, a cultural conflict arises: in an effort to solve the problems of the future, a person equips his life with devices that are designed to support him, to expand his functionality, but at the same time, the boundaries of humanity become dissolved and the forms of human activity undergo simplification. Transhumanism engages society in the fight against fears of vulnerability and memory loss and ignores the flexibility and sustainability of natural foundation.

PHILOSOPHY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

Think ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (60) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
William Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Meaning Of Life ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Eternal Life ◽  
Evolution Of The Universe ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
The Universe

The author sets out to respond to the student complaint that ‘Philosophy did not answer “the big questions”’, in particular the question ‘What is the meaning of life?’ The response first outlines and evaluates the most common religious answer, that human life is given a meaning by God who created us and informs us that this life is just the pilgrim way to the next eternal life in heaven. He then discusses the response that, from the point of view of post-Darwinian science and the evolution of the universe and all that is in it, human life on Earth must be afforded no more meaning than the meaning we would give to a microscopic planaria or to some creature on another planet in a distant universe. All things including human creatures on Planet Earth just exist for a time and that is that. There is no plan or purpose. In the last sections the author outlines the view that it is we humans ourselves who give meaning to our lives by our choices of values or things that are worth pursuing and through our resulting sense of achievement or the opposite. Nevertheless the question ‘What is the meaning of life?’ can mean quite different things in different contexts, and so merit different if related answers. From one point of view one answer may lie in terms of the love of one human for another.

scholarly journals Crueldade consentida – Crítica à razão antropocêntrica

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laerte Fernando LEVAI
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Environmental Resources ◽  
Animal Life ◽  
Law System ◽  
Scientific Experiments ◽  
The Law ◽  
Animal Violence ◽  
Living Being

Despite the fact that the Brazilian Constitution is against animal violence, protecting<br />the fauna integrity, actually it does not work. However, our law system allows cruel acts and<br />accepts the violence done by those who consider themselves rational and superior. Just watch<br />the evil reality at the streets, public shows (circus) and farms, where the animals suffer and<br />are exploited to their limits. Also watch the pain of the animals that are part of an industrial<br />production, the horror at the slaughter houses and the scientific experiments laboratories. It<br />means that we have a contradiction.<br />Blind and cold, we live in a world that lacks justice. The cycle of the human life is limited<br />to personal ambitions, selfish actions and superfluous pleasures. There’s no space to<br />compassion. Under this anthropocentric view, the nature of the animals is no more important<br />and becomes economic or environmental resources. Our system, by rejecting the essence of<br />each living being, defends the fauna only for the purpose the human interests. The animals<br />are treated like merchandise, resources or consumption goods and the law denies them the<br />right to be sensitive. It must be changed, there can be no more silent before so much oppression.<br />For many centuries the human being has been dominating, torturing, killing and exterminating<br />other species, because of economic, commercial, cultural and gastronomic interests or just<br />sadism. The history shows that our relationship with the animals is marked by fanatism,<br />supersticions, ignorance and indifference. It’s a Ministério Público function, as a social<br />transforming agent, to fight against this situation. We must admit the animals presence in<br />the sphere of the human moralities, allowing them to have rights. The question is not only of<br />the law, but philosophic. It’s primordial that we review our teaching methods, searching for<br />a formula to respect the essence of animal life no matter what it is. Without a doubt, this<br />way is far from the anthropocentrism.

scholarly journals MODERNIDAD INVIABLE

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Pedro Trigo
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Human Life ◽  
El Paso ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Church

RESUMEN: Ponemos el núcleo de la modernidad en el descubrimiento de la individualidad, entendido como un proceso emancipatorio respecto de las co­lectividades que pautaban su vida. Sus dos modos básicos, en pugna constante, serían desarrollar su individualidad autárquicamente o entenderse como un ser humano, autónomo y único, pero referido a la única humanidad. Parecería que se ha impuesto el individualista, objetivando su dominio en los sistemas económico y político, pretendidamente autoconstruidos y autorregulados. Siempre hubo cristianos modernos, pero debieron soportar la contradicción de la institución eclesiástica. El Vaticano II discernió que el ser humano es histórico y que al hacer la historia se hace a sí mismo; reconoció que los bienes civilizatorios propician la vida humana, pero no equivalen al desarrollo propiamente humano. Sólo éste es escatológico. La responsabilidad ante los hermanos y la historia, que se ejerce en la encarnación solidaria, es el nuevo humanismo. La superación de la modernidad se da en el paso del individuo solo o en relación, al ser humano constitutivamente relacional, que se hace persona al actuar como hijo y hermano desde su insobor­nable individualidad.ABSTRACT: We put the core of Modernity in the emerging phenomena of indi­viduality, understood as a process of emancipation from the ruling groups. Its two ways, always in tension, would be to develop an individuality autocratically or to understand the individual as a unique and autonomous human being, but only in reference to humankind. It looks like that the individualist model has imposed itself dominating the economical and political systems, supposedly self-made and self-regulated. Modern christians have always existed, but they had always to deal with the contradiction of the Church as institution. The Vatican II discerned that the human being is historical and while making history we form themselves; rec­ognized that the civilizing benefits propitiate human life, but they do not equate to true human development. This is only eschatological. The responsibility towards brothers and history, that we perform in our caring incarnation, is the new hu­manism. We go beyond modernity when we pass from the individual alone or in relation to humankind intrinsically relational, that becomes a person by acting as a son and brother while anchored in indelible individuality. 

scholarly journals Pytanie o sens życia

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-133
Author(s):  
Karol Bujnowski
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Of Life ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Human Existence ◽  
Worth Living ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Inner Life ◽  
The World ◽  
The One

Nowadays more often people are asking about the meaning of life. It is a fundamental question that every human being faces. Man is asking whether life is worth living, what to do to make our life meaningful?A human being, among many needs, has the need for discovering the sense of life, the need comes from the very core of human existence as placed in time and connected with the phenomenon of passing away. Discovering the sense of life leads to the experience of happiness, joy, and to inner life lived much more to the full. Showing the meaning of life and helping to find that meaning are very important functions of religion. Due to it, a man is able to live one’s life, ambitions, goals, joyful moments as well as his or her suffering in the light of deeper understanding. Religion is the one that can often bring the richest and deepest answers to the question of the two meanings: the meaning of life and the world.

scholarly journals Problematika Pendidikan Dalam Menyongsong Masa Depan Yang Gemilang

ADALAH ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisaul Fatona
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Bright Future ◽  
The Future

Abstract: Education is an effort to improve the quality of human life. Every human being needs education, whenever and wherever. Education is a way to educate the nation’s children and welcome a bright future. One of the goals of education is that a person who can compete in the future and be able to develop one’s potential and talent is formed. There are children and the young stopped from school, did not continue their education to the higher grade, therefore their future is dangerous.Keywords: Education, the future, the resounding                                      Abstrak: Pendidikan merupakan suatu upaya untuk meningkatkan kualitas kehidupan manusia. Setiap manusia membutuhkan pendidikan sampai kapanpun dan dimanapun. Pendidikan merupakan jalan untuk mencerdaskan anak bangsa serta menyongsong masa depan gemilang. Salah satu tujuan pendidikan ialah membentuk sosok yang mampu bersaing di masa depan serta mampu mengembangkan potensi dan bakat seseorang. Pada kenyataannya banyak generasi muda yang putus sekolah dan tidak melanjutkan pendidikannya ke jenjang yang lebih tinggi, sehingga masa depan mereka terancam suram.Kalimat kunci: pendidikan, masa depan, gemilang

scholarly journals Experience teaching Christian ethics in a secular school

2005 ◽  
pp. 305-312
Author(s):  
T. Sannikova
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Spiritual Education ◽  
Experience Teaching ◽  
Moral Crisis ◽  
Good And Evil ◽  
The Ideal

The spiritual and moral crisis in society, which is a sign of the loss of clear ideas about good and evil, when the ideal of a person becomes "successful in human life" and no matter how successful it becomes, when moral laws and human life are worthless, needs urgent return to spiritual sources. As one of the means of spiritual education of adolescents, a Christian ethics elective was introduced at the secondary school №26 in Odessa.

scholarly journals ROMANIAN HUMANISM IN THE PHILOSOPHICAL VISION OF CONSTANTIN MICU STAVILA

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 889-895
Author(s):  
Frăguța Zaharia
Keyword(s):  
World Wide ◽  
Meaning Of Life ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Philosophical Thinking ◽  
European Context ◽  
Philosophy And Religion ◽  
The World ◽  
Romanian Folklore ◽  
Human Destiny

The present European context challenges us to approach the issues of Romanian dignity, humanity and humanism. The purpose of this essay is to emphasize the interpretative and explanatory dimensions of Constantin Micu Stavila’s philosophical thinking focused on the meaning of life and the human destiny, no less on the significance of the Christian personalism that the Romanian-French philosopher has cultivated it. Some questions arise: What is the role of philosophy and religion in understanding the meaning of life? How do we have to consider the human being and by especially the characteristics defining the Human within the Romanian culture? Trying to provide an honest, coherent and enlightening response, the paper is organized into two parts: 1. The mission of Romanian philosophy – attempting to demonstrate that the Romanian culture is integrating itself in the world-wide one seeing that there is an intimate complementarity of philosophy and religion; and 2. Romanian cultural messianism – developing an interpretation of the Romanian folklore according to the topic of the paper.

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