On Understanding of Tawhid in Isma‘ilism

The article raises the question of understanding the principle of tawhid in the Isma‘ili philosophical discourse. Isma‘ili philosophers defended the absolute transcendence of God and His indescribability. The article describes the understanding of the one and only God in Isma‘ilism, analyzes the problem of the relationship between the One and the multiple within the paradigmatic pairs of Arab-Muslim philosophy ‒ “explicit‒hidden” and “basic‒branch”. It is impossible to call God the Original, otherwise it will be necessary to recognize that He is dependent and conditioned by His consequence, and this detracts from Him. God, according to the ideas of Ismailism, has only one “true” attribute — huwiyya, which forms the required nominal multiplicity and “transition” from the transcendent God to the cognizable plural world. It is the huwiyya of God that gives the impetus for the appearance of the First Cause — the command of God “Be!”, which is also its own consequence. Combining cause and eff ect, the command of God has absolute completeness. The reader is also off ered for the fi rst time in Russian a commented translation of an excerpt from the treatise of the Ismaili philosopher of the 11th century Nasir Khusraw “Six chapters” (Shish fasl) — Chapter “On the knowledge of tawhid”.

Rational Reasons, Counterfactual Statements and “Impossible Worlds” in the Philosophical Justifications of Thought Experiments

In his theory of natural laws David Lewis rejects the authenticity of impossible worlds on the grounds that the contradiction contained within his modifier "in (the world) w" is tantamount to a contradiction in the whole theory, which seems unacceptable. At the same time, in philosophical discourse very often researchers use counterfactual situations and thought experiments with impossible events and objects. There is a need to apply the theory of worlds to genuine, concrete, but impossible worlds. One way to do this is to reject Lewis's classical negation on the grounds that it leads to problems of completeness and inconsistency inside the worlds. The proposed extension for impossibility is compatible with Lewis's extensional metaphysics, although it leads to some loss for description completeness in semantics.

PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE OF MODERN UKRAINE: OWN EXPERIENCE AND POLISH INFLUENCES

Polish influences on the development of Ukrainian philosophy are indisputable, but they need a structural analysis: what was the motivation for these influences, how they were carried out, who was the leader of these influences, what was the greatest influence in Ukrainian philosophy. The study provided the following answers to these questions: the motivation for Polish influence was, among other things, the desire to support an independent Ukrainian state, culture and philosophy; these influences were exercised both consciously by Polish philosophers themselves and by the interest of Ukrainian philosophers in Polish achievements in philosophy, in particular in philosophical terminology; the main leaders of Polish philosophical influences were Polish and Ukrainian philosophers, as well as authors of translations of philosophical works from Polish into Ukrainian; the spheres of the history of philosophy, logic, philosophy of education, political philosophy and some others were most influenced in Ukrainian philosophy, that can be judged, in particular, by the works of Polish philosophers translated from Polish into Ukrainian. Polish philosophy simplifies the path of Ukrainian philosophy to philosophical classics, which is an advantage, and at the same time using Polish philosophy can limit the desire of Ukrainian philosophers to seek their own solutions and in particular their own philosophical terminology, which can already be a significant drawback. The prospect of interaction between Ukrainian and Polish philosophies should be their mutual influence and full inclusion of Polish and Ukrainian philosophical communities in the world philosophical discourse. Key words: philosophical discourse, philosophical translation, Ukrainophilia, Polish influences, national philosophical dictionary, philosophical community.

Realms Without Totality

This essay posits tensions in art, education, and politics by using philosophical discourse to suggest that the way to create transformative events for social change is to understand Lyotard's diagnosis of the current age and Rancière's call to critical art practice. By proposing new strategies and tactics such as 'post-art' and 'strange tools', the author tries to demonstrate in the text the indirect approaches advocated by Lyotard and Rancière in tackling the current post-political world.

Philosophical Discourse for the Development and Improvement of the Intellectualization of Human Nature

The principal goal of the study is to characterize the philosophical discourse of the development and improvement of human nature in the context of its intellectualization. The article uses a set of methods that make it possible to reveal a philosophical analysis of the development and improvement of human nature in the context of its intellectualization, in particular: general scientific methods; logical methods of theoret- ical analysis; technical analysis, clarification. Because of the study, the philosophical aspects of the devel- opment and improvement of human nature in the context of its intellectualization were characterized. The needs of the modern economic, political, spiritual development of society require further, deeper research of the actual problems of the doctrine of man. Therefore, interest in man and humanity is becoming espe- cially acute, prompting to justify social and cultural transformations.

Rorty and Peirce

This chapter presents a fuller, more accurate picture of Rorty’s early appreciation for and indebtedness to Peirce by establishing that Rorty was, by his own lights, at least for a time, a Peircean realist. This distinctive “Peircean” version of realism illuminates Rorty’s mature positions later expressed via a Davidsonian vocabulary. It also recounts how Rorty’s reading of Peirce’s end of inquiry and normative theory of self-controlled conduct enables him to grasp the dependence of epistemology on ethics and to see philosophical discourse as a rule-governed realm that necessitates choice of vocabulary and hence responsibility. Rorty turns out to be more of a realist, as traditionally understood, and Peirce less of one than we might expect. The “ethically-centered epistemology” aimed at the growth of knowledge Rorty sees in Peirce contrasts sharply with the view dominant among contemporary Peirceans, like Misak and Talisse, preoccupied above all with justification.

Daily reality as a relevant form of life

The article focuses on the phenomenon of daily reality as an element of public life. The author analyses the principles this notion is based on. Daily reality is a mode that states the authenticity of a man’s being. The premises which have led to the necessity of the notion’s study are defined, the latter being a fundamental rethinking of rationality’s role as a method to figure out where a man’s place in the world is. The author analyses methodology of the problem within the philosophical discourse, and gives a socio-cultural justification of daily reality structures and levels. To formulate the social and philosophical nature of daily reality clearly actual historical and public life context is considered. Potentially this approach helps investigate the practical side of being, which earlier has been considered by philosophers unessential from the standpoint of motives of a man’s life. The author argues that the rationalization of all the spheres of life is not the only way to regulate social being. Processes which go beyond rationality play a very significant role in human activity organization. Daily reality is not a form of passive, irresponsible living, it is viewed as the human mode of authentic being and one of the phases of active, creative, responsible existence constructing.

The Polyphony of the Silent: The Specifics of Dostoevsky’s Philosophical Discourse

The article describes the phenomenon of silence in Dostoevskys later prose. Philosophical, plot-forming and psychological aspects of silence are looked at. A confessional type of monologue is defined as a discursive genre, with specific roles of the speaker and his silent listeners, whose predominance in Dostoevskys prose lets the author of the article adjust the notion of polyphony and dialogue within the context of Dostoevskys poetics. The conventionality of the other in the confessional type of monologue is proved by the absence of the completing functions in listeners. In most cases Dostoevskys later works retain some rudimental forms of frantic dialogue while the role of specific monologue discourse, caused and conditioned by silence, is increasing. By semantics and function types of silence in Dostoevsky fall into three groups: 1) the underground silence as expression of human disunity in the epoch of universal solitude; 2) role silence of listeners in the discursive genre of confessional monologue; 3) sacred silence of Christ indicating transition to a new higher level of communication

“Semantic Primitives”, fifty years later

Are there any concepts that all human beings share? Three hundred years ago Leibniz was convinced that there are indeed such concepts and that they can be identified by trial and error. He called this hypothetical set the alphabet of human thoughts. Gradually, however, the idea faded from philosophical discourse and eventually it was largely forgotten. It was revived in the early 1960s by the Polish linguist Andrzej Bogusławski. A few years later it was taken up in my own work and in 1972 in my book Semantic Primitives a first hypothetical set of universal semantic primitives was actually proposed. It included 14 elements. Following my emigration to Australia more and more linguists joined the testing of the proposed set against an increasing range of languages and domains. As a result, from mid 1980s the set steadily grew. The expansion stopped in 2014, when the number stabilised at 65, and when Cliff Goddard and I reached the conclusion that this is the full set. This paper reviews the developments which have taken place over the last 50 years. It reaffirms our belief that we have identified, in full, the shared alphabet of human thoughts. It also examines the recurring claim that one of these primes, HAVE PARTS, is not universal. Further, the paper argues that there is not only a shared alphabet of human thoughts but a shared mental language, Basic Human, with a specifiable vocabulary and grammar. It points out that the stakes are high, because what is at issue is not only the psychic unity of humankind (Boas 1911) but also the possibility of a universal human community of communication (Apel 1972). The paper contends that Basic Human can provide a secure basis for a non-Anglocentric global discourse about questions that concern us all, such as global ethics, the earth and its future, and the health and well-being of all people on earth.

Art on Both Sides of Reality. (Article I)

In a broad cultural and philosophical discourse, the comparison and differentiation of two layers of artistic reality in the 20th century, defining “the position of postmodern” (J.-F. Lyotard), are considered. It should be noted that in the 20th century art, without completely excluding the narrative-type artistic reality, was increasingly mastering the post-narrative artistic reality, but most often combined both artistic realities — modern and postmodern. The comprehension of art on both sides of reality presupposes the combination of narrative and post-narrative artistic realities as two layers of meaning covering the “vital reality” displayed and simultaneously overcome by them from both sides. The combination of “one’s own” text as the author’s narrative of life reality and the interweaving of “others” texts, ironically or creatively reflected in the form of a post-narrative texture, are put together as a two-layer text that contrasts “the life reality” in two ways. These provisions are confirmed by a number of literary examples.