Hermeneutics of Aristotle and Hermeneutics of Sophists in Terms of Dialogue Philosophy. Part II. From Sophists to Modernity

The article considers the logical and philosophical doctrine of sophists, which, according to some modern researchers, was more philosophical than their ancient critics recognized. A comparison of the provisions of Aristotle's hermeneutics with preserved fragments of Protagoras and Gorgias shows that the doctrine of sophists was a kind of holistic philosophy, which anticipated the philosophy of dialogue of the XX century. Despite the fact that the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle tried to overcome the relativism and anti-ontologism of the doctrine of sophists, some elements of its dialogism were preserved in subsequent philosophy in dialectics and rhetoric. The first thing you should pay attention to is the difference between the dialogical form of the presentation of philosophy in Plato and dialogue as the fundamental basis of thinking that we find among sophists. The dialogism preserved in the dialectic of Plato and the rhetoric of Aristotle is more a technical method of convincing the interlocutor than a hermeneutical basis, which it is in the philosophy of dialogue and in the method of Socratic discussion. The linguistic turn that occurred in the philosophy of the 20th century includes not only an increased interest in language and accuracy of expression. No less important is the new formulation of the question of the nature of the language. Is language a tool for the formulation of thought as Aristotle believed and followed by representatives of modern analytical philosophy, or does it have its own fundamental status, as representatives of the philosophy of dialogue believe? In this context, it is very important for the philosophy of dialogue to find in the thinking of the pre-Socratics those predecessors who already charted the paths for modern thought two and a half thousand years ago. The second part of the article discusses the forms of the dialogic thinking that have survived in philosophy after the sophists and the role of the sophists' hermeneutics in the formation of modern philosophy of dialogue.

Leven na de dood: het Nieuwe Testament als toetssteen voor enkele contemporaine opvattingen

This article considers the question of the difference between NT documents and their contemporary religious and philosophical thought world on ‘life after death’. Consideration of only a few themes discloses that the NT differs widely from Hellenistic views, and that it is closely connected to some views in early Judaism as far as these stand in continuity with the OT. The NT view on ‘life after death’ stands far more on its own than the History of Religions School suggests. Modern thought on the ‘afterlife’ reveals that the NT is still relevant; theological methods should not blur its original message, nor biblical authority (OT and NT) be minimized.

Virtue, habit and neuroscience

Neuroscience has much to offer to our understanding of human action, including its ethical dimensions. However, while neuroscience has been applied to questions of personal identity, emotion and moral decision-making, its implications for the classical notion of virtue have hardly been considered. This likely has much to do with the way in which the classical notion of virtue, together with closely related concepts of nature and habit, has been forgotten or distorted within the context of modern thought. As a consequence, the standard neuroscientific concept of habit as automatic and routine behavior is fundamentally opposed to teleological activity and thus cannot be reconciled with the classical concept of habit that is essential to virtue. The recovery of the classical notion of virtue in contemporary philosophy invites us to rethink the neuroscientific concept of habit in light of a different view of human behavior for which plasticity is not just indeterminacy but rather openness to freedom and growth.

Thing in museum space: change of status and other transformations

The article deals with the “thing”, i.e. the “museum item” and its diverse nature. This phenomenon is analyzed based on modern thought, which recognizes the subjectivity and agency for things. Previously, these categories were used exclusively as applied to human beings. The items, which reflect the universe of traditional cultures of diverse peoples, when preserved in ethnographic museums have to be traditionally included in the general worldview system along with language, myths, rituals and social institutions. Apart from their utilitarian purpose, things also serve as cultural symbols and possess certain semiotic language. This language was convenient for expressing such ideas and concepts, which are difficult or impossible to express by other cultural codes. An item, which enters a museum collection is effectively removed from its usual cultural context. As a result, it changes its status and undergoes a significant transformation in its “biography”. In the first instance, it becomes a source of diverse information concerning the culture within which it was initially created and used. Due to the great information potential, museum items can serve as a valuable source study resource for various studies in the field of humanities.

Death of Philosophy: On the Edge of Thought (polemical essay)

The article is devoted to the problem of the marginalization of philosophy in the modern world. The starting point of the study is the position of Oswald Spengler about the loss of understanding of the meaning and significance of philosophy in the situation of the death of European civilization. The article highlights the main signs of the degeneration of philosophical thought in modern society, among which the author refers to the atomization of philosophical discourse, the blurring of the boundaries between philosophical thought and scientific research, the loss of transcendental dimensions by philosophy, the marginalization of philosophical discourse and the phenomenon of "turn". The study pays special attention to the anthropological and linguistic turn. In particular, the author substantiates the thesis that modern philosophy does not just address the problem of language, but replaces being, as the main category of philosophy, with a sign and its structural components. The article criticizes positivism and poststructuralism as crisis and borderline phenomena of modern philosophical thought. The thesis is substantiated that the transformation of philosophical discourse in the post-metaphysical directions of modern thought leads to the distortion and loss of the original meaning of philosophy. The author made an attempt to reconstruct the original meaning of philosophy. The study uses the methodological principles and attitudes of historical and philosophical reconstruction, discourse analysis and semiotics.

The Trouble with the Old-Time Religion

The first decades of the twentieth century saw considerable controversy over the role of more traditional Christianity at major universities. Some popular critics warned the public that universities were becoming hostile to old-time religion. Catholic universities, which were outside the mainstream, remained conservative and strengthened defenses against modern thought with neo-Thomist philosophy. The new Methodist universities had some of the most prominent controversies. Vanderbilt University was moving toward more progressive Christian views, but these were opposed by some archconservative Methodists. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching put pressure on schools to be nonsectarian and to sever denominational ties if they were to participate in the attractive faculty retirement program. Syracuse University, a Methodist school under Chancellor James R. Day, is the most revealing case of resistance to this pressure.

Feminist Exegesis in Hamka’s Tafsir Al-Azhar

This research aims to understand the typology of contemporary interpretation in Indonesia, especially concerning the issue of women based on the interpretation narrative in Hamka's Tafsir Al-Azhar. This interpretation arose in modern thought and was born from Indonesian society that the Dutch were colonizing. Therefore, this interpretation represents an idea with a modern background and colonial issues. One of the interesting issues in Al-Azhar's notion is the interpretation of verses related to women. This study uses a qualitative approach by collecting interpretations related to women in Tafsir Al-Azhar. This research used Hans-George Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutic method. The study results prove that the context of the colonial era made Hamka choose to reinterpret the verses of the Qur'an related to women's creation. The purpose of the interpretation is to harmonize between religious values and social conditions. According to Hamka, he interpreted the female verse that said women created from Adam’s ribs. Also, he explained controversially that the interpretation of women's creation from Adam’s ribs is merely a metaphor. He explained that both men and women could build a fair social system. As well as the issue of women's education rights, Hamka tries to explain that men and women have the opportunity to obtain information and education in an equal position. The latter issue is women's social activities in public areas. In this context, it is not only men who can rule women; on the contrary, women can regulate men's domestic affairs. Therefore, it is the inevitability of the existing potential.