Robert A. Johnson’s concept of romantic love

The topic of love has been discussed in philosophy since the ancient times, and, as in other areas of philosophical deliberations, a common perspective on the matter has not yet been reached. Observing Western society, American Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson reached a conclusion that ideas about love, which function in this society, are full of inner contradictions. The aim of this article is to present Johnson’s concept of romantic love, which fills in certain gaps in existing theories and offers a broadening of perspective on the problem of love. The article presents the analyst’s opinion regarding the genesis of the Western idea of romantic love, which goes back further than Romanticism. The causes of the mixed attitudes towards love in the West are also discussed. Finally, the article presents Johnson’s suggestion on solving this issue, based on Jungian analytical psychology.

INTRODUCTION by Co-editors and Contributors of the Special Section Elena Chebankova and Piotr Dutkiewicz

The collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the twentieth century ended the pre-existing bipolar Cold War system and resulted in a unipolar moment in which the United States enjoyed a position of almost unchallenged global and civilizational leadership [Krauthammer 1991; Waltz 1993; Wohlforth 1999]. However, despite the initial elation of some Western politicians and analysts [Fukuyama 1992; Brooks, Wohlforth 2008; Kagan 2008], who hoped to see the triumph of the Western idea universally, this situation was relatively short-lived. Global dialogue soon moved beyond this moment of unipolarity toward its more conventional form, in which states struggle for power and influence and search for areas of mutually beneficial co-operation. At the beginning of the third decade of the twenty-first century, we see a qualitatively different world. There have been profound political changes since the post-Cold War unipolarity. In this world, the idea of civilization has become a virtual currency of international relations and global dialogue. Many analysts [Coker 2019; Acharya 2020; Stuenkel 2016; Higgott 2019] discuss the rise of civilizations in world affairs as the new sociopolitical reality. Countries such as Russia, China, India, Turkey, and Brazil are often considered civilizational states – challengers to the West. Historically, philosophers have oscillated between the idea of multiple civilizations, with the West being one civilization of many (Spengler, Huntington, Danilevsky), and a single and universal Western civilization (Hayek, Kant). The former approach became a cardinal frame of reference of the global discourse during the past decade.

Reconstruction of Religious Pluralism or Muhibah Value? A Comparative Study in Malaysia

A scholar affirms that “the pluralistic arrangement” has proven to be a source of socio-political tension rather than a solution. A number of prominent social scientists in the West have yet to suggest that the idea of religious pluralism, is the best way of dealing with diversity, together with its essential values. However, the situation in Malaysia has shown a different scenario. This paper will look into those elements proposed by the Western scholars to be the overriding values of religious pluralism in maintaining a harmonious living among people of different religions. In doing so, this paper will present the ideas of the Malaysian scholars of what they understood as the essence of “majmuk” or living in a plural society as a response to the Western idea of religious pluralism. This will highlight one of the objectives of this paper which is to present selected writings and opinions of Muslims and Christians social scientists in Malaysia on the discourse of religious pluralism. The study has undergone a series of interview to Muslim and Christian scholars. Based on the findings, it is noted that some scholars proved that religious pluralism discourse in Malaysia is contestable. This is due to its link to the Western modern philosophy and secularism. Finally, it also consults meaningful recommendations given by the scholars in facing the challenges of living together as one family in “Muhibah”.

Conclusion: The Provinces in the Twentieth Century

This concluding chapter looks ahead at the trope's afterlives in the twentieth century, considering briefly how Silver Age and Soviet writers made use of the geographic imaginary that they inherited. In post-Soviet times, the provinces continue to accrue meanings both positive and negative. This is seen in books, films, and television series that veer back and forth between versions of the Silver Age myth (provintsiia as repository of purity and cultural authenticity) and much darker views that once again depict provintsiia as locus of degradation and moral decay. Finally, the chapter concludes by reflecting on the relationship between Russian provinciality and the problematic (Western) idea of “World Literature.” This in and of itself is a category from which Russian texts, no matter how “worldly” or how widely circulated, have been almost wholly excluded.

Born in Translation

Around the turn of the twentieth century, late Qing (1644–1911) thinkers settled on an ancient term, Zhongguo, as an appropriate name for the nation-form to supplant the empire that had run its course. The renaming was directly inspired by the “Western” idea of “China,” which had no equivalent in native geopolitical conceptions of the area so designated and “mis-recognized” its historical political configurations. The renaming called for radical re-signification of the idea of Zhongguo, the political and cultural space it presupposed, and the identification it demanded of its constituencies. Crucial to its realization was the reimagination of the past and the present’s relationship to it. This essay explores the reasons late Qing intellectuals felt it necessary to rename the country, the inspiration they drew upon, and the spatial and temporal presuppositions of the new idea of China/Zhongguo. Their reasoning reveals the modern origins of historical claims that nationalist and Orientalist historiography has endowed with timeless longevity.

Madukaku as the Basis of Being Human in (Igbo) African Worldview; A Critical Reflection

Critical understanding of Western idea of human personality reveals a lot of weaknesses. It reveals individualistic and anthropocentric tendency which is the reason for unpleasant relationship between man and fellow man and man and the environment. This kind of thinking has led Western environmental ethicist to now propound theories towards communitarian stand, for instance; deep ecology, land ethic, eco-feminism to mention a few. Enyimba, Maduka holds a radical point of view from many African communal philosophers. Maduka holds that a person is human because he/she is worth more in quality and essence than other beings and things. Such thinking has been the underlying rationale behind man’s overexploitation of nature. The thrust of the essay is to look at the basic tenets of Madukakism as the philosophy of being human in Africa. This paper agrees with the idea of Madukaku that humanity is at the centre of the universe, but differs from its individualist assumptions. In African ontology, the hierarchy of beings, God, lesser deities and ancestors are above human, If this is the case then man is not supreme and cannot be ‘the measure of all things’. Hence this paper rejects Maduka’s postulation of human being as supreme, because even within African environment there are some trees, rivers, mountains etc that are considered sacred and its therefore considered a taboo to toy with them. To this, no matter how highly placed man is, he is not allowed to touch nor exploit them, without dare consequence, which clearly shows that man is not the measure of all things but is in a complimentary state with other beings in African belief system.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ СХІДНОЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОЇ КОНЦЕПТУАЛІЗАЦІЇ ГРОМАДЯНСЬКОГО СУСПІЛЬСТВА

This article reviews how civil society was reemerged in Eastern Europe during «velvet revolutions» as the central concept of the democratic opposition due to the efforts of its representatives and what role it has played in defeating communism and shaping the nature of post-communist societies. What is emphasized as a first paradox is that civil society as a western idea had revived in the East and after a long «silent period» when it went out of use in the middle of the nineteen century. The article focuses on the particular features and ambiguities of civil society conceptualization first by addressing its slogan use which fits revolutionary period of emotions and deeds priorities. Nevertheless, theoretical innovations of this civil society model are also visible due to a contribution of such Easter Europe intellectuals as A Michnik, M. Vaida, B. Geremek, V.Havel, A. Smolar, Y. Kiss etc. Their focus on a state-civil society distinction has its theoretical roots not only in a western liberal tradition but could be explained by local assumptions as well. In particular, these links lead to a theory of totalitarianism and strategies of self-limitation, self-organization and finally anti-politics approach employed by these Easter Europe intellectuals. Finally, the article exposes weak sides of these strategies that were revealed by post-communist realities. Week analyses of the state and power issues, wrong efforts to restrain from politics made Easter Europe civil society model not only revolutionary but also minimal in its impact and temporary in its scale. As result, a second paradox of the Easter Europe type of civil society is its quick transition from a discourse of civil society revival in 1970-1980 years into an opposite discourse of civil society decay in the late 1990 years.

FOUNDATIONAL SOURCES AND PURPOSES OF AUTHORITY IN AUSTRALIAN LAW

The starting point in understanding Australia’s socio-legal place in an international context is to be familiar with its Western legal tradition. Some of the characteristics of the Western idea of law include the separation of law from other normative systems (such as religion), the centrality or primacy of law as a method of regulating society, and the inherent authority of law. Other major socio-legal features of contemporary Australia include a multicultural population and government by representative democracy. Australian law has sprung out of the English branch of the Western legal tradition, therefore the English heritage of Australian law will first be considered.