The iconic performativity of Chinese mantic diagrams

The article traces and discusses the philosophically significant consequences of the rootedness of the ancient Chinese thought in the original iconicity of Chinese hieroglyphic writing. The phenomenon of performativity is investigated on the Chinese material. In the course of the study, a fundamental methodological difference between performative statements and performative declarations is introduced. In light of the proposed difference, a pronounced performative declarativeness of the famous Confucian concept of zhengming (“correcting of names”) is revealed. This rarely studied aspect of the “correcting of names” should not be confused with the currently well-known performative naming implied by the setting to zhengming. The main result of the proposed methodological distinctions and exegetical analysis is the identification of the non-verbal prototype of the concept of zhengming (the hexagram “Family”). The paradigmatic nature of the prototype of the hexagram graphics in relation to the verbal formulation, which endows the performative status of the original visual image with the verbal explication of this image, allows the author to generalize this particular observation to the fundamental final hypothesis according to which the performative effectiveness of the word is secondary in comparison with the initial performativity of the mantic diagrammatism.

Articles from the“Encyclopedia of Artistic Sciences” (ed. by E.A. Takho-Godi)

The publication covers an obscure episode from the scientific biography of the great Russian philosopher Alexei Losev related to his work in the 1920s at the State Academy of Artistic Sciences (GAKhN). For the first time, Losev’s thirteen articles from Research Department of manuscripts of the Russian State Library [f. 81 (State Academy of art studies), inv. 26, item 1] are put into scientific circulation: “Antiquity”, “Apollinism”, “Harmony”, “Dionysism”, “Callistics”, “Calocagathia”, “Catharsis”, “Cosmic feeling”, “Cosmos”, “Logos”, “Mania”, “Mathematics and art”, “Melos”. This articles were written in the second half of the 1920s and were intended for a publishing project of the State Academy of Artistic Sciences – the first volume of the multi-volume “Encyclopedia of Artistic Sciences”, conceived in 1922 as a “Dictionary of Artistic Terminology”. The project was never realized. The topics of the articles reflect the range of the scientific problems that interested Losev in the 1920s as well as his special attention to the study of terminology, which found its full implementation in the 1970 – 1980s during the work on “The History of Classical Aesthetics”.

“A turn to ontology” in neo-kantianism (P. Natorp and E. Lask)

In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the intellectual situation within neo-Kantianism began to change: there were philosophical projects attempting to overcome the total domination of epistemology in Neo-Kantian doctrines and making place for ontology. Ontological tendencies are typical mainly for P. Natorps’s projects of general logic and E. Lask’s logic of philosophy. I analyze the continuity of Natorp’s early epistemological ideas, developed in the spirit of the Marburg interpretation of Kant’s transcendentalism, and his later ideas, focused on speculative ontological constructions. In particular, I investigate the methodo­logical relationship between the characteristics of knowledge in his early and late philo­sophy: dynamism, creativity, categoriality, unity of the starting point and the goal. The ba­sic structure of Natorps’s project of general logic is reconstructed. Lask’s main texts re­veal the provisions that open the way to an ontological turn. These factors include a cri­tique of the identification of the realm of value and that of the extrasensory in the meta­physics of the past, the postulation of a prereflexive stage of knowledge, interpreting the doctrine of judgment as a doctrine of immanent sense, and treating truth as a con­stitutive-aleteological phenomenon. Both Neo-Kantian philosophers build their systems on an on­tological foundation, making subjectivity dependent on objectivity in cognition, which can be interpreted as a kind of retreat from Kantian criticism. The ontological basis is ex­pressed in the postulation of a universal character of the logical expressed in Natorp’s idea of “poiesis” and Lask’s idea of “panarchy of the Logos”. The analysis of Natorp’s and Lask’s onto-epistemological projects allows us to clarify and reveal the role of Neo-Kantianism in the formation of the new ontologies of the 20th century a.k.a. the “ontologi­cal turn”.

The photogeny of revolution

Drawing on the works of three authors, namely, Jean Epstein, Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam and P.A. Kropotkin, the article attempts to lay the grounds for what might be called a semiotics of forces. Jean Epstein, a filmmaker and theorist of the new art form, is the au­thor of an original concept of photogénie where cinema is presented as an instru­ment re­vealing the transformations of matter itself. Erupting Etna stands for the trans­formations in question. Villiers de l’Isle-Adam is a symbolist writer, who also mentions Etna, associat­ing its explosive power with the chemical formulas of explosives. These formulas, inte­grated into his “least literary” novella, become special signs of social transformation: The writer, challenging the entire class of bourgeoisie that he deeply detests, makes use of the fear incited by the anarchists amongst it. Finally, P.A. Kropotkin, one of the leading theo­rists of anarchism but also an outstanding scientist and geographer, insists on the priority of transformative action over theory and every other speculation. In fact, he proposes his own version of the performative – of words changing the existing state of things – already at the end of the 19th century. In one way or another, all these writers are united by their understanding of the inherent connection between natural and social disasters (Kropotkin’s position is explicit). Described by Epstein and only once mentioned by Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, Etna becomes an element of a correlation, i.e., of a connection that is unapparent and necessary at the same time. What is implied is the relation between volcano and cin­ema as well as that between volcano and explosives. In both cases this relation becomes the designation of matter itself or, to be more exact, of matter in a state of flux and trans­formation. But this is also true of transformative action in the proper sense of the word (re­sulting in revolution, according to Kropotkin), whose verbal expressions always carry within themselves the energy of multidirectional forces. Etna is not merely a volcano and not just an element of a correlation; from the perspective of physics, it is synonymous with heat (scorching lava), which stands for changes in the properties of a substance, i.e., its transformation in purely physical terms. It is clear that transformation in cinema, literature as well as in social life cannot be represented directly; it is revealed only through a set of relations, namely, a semiotics of forces.

I. Kant’s conservative liberalism from the standpoint of E. Burke’s liberal conservatism

I. Kant and E. Burke both presented and developed their political views in 1790s in the common context of the French Revolution. We compare their views in two aspects. First, we consider the question whether Kant in his writings has implicitly referred to Burke’s pamphlet “Reflections on the Revolution in France”. In our view, it remains unproven and doubtful that Kant had read this book (in German translation). Second, we consider Kant’s political views as liberal and Burke’s ones as conservative. We rely on those scholars who distinguish liberalism and conservatism building on the anthropological foundations of political philosophy. Some scholars define Kant’s moderate liberalism as a variation of conservatism, although Kant explicitly criticizes a number of ultra-conser­vative views. Burke is widely known as the founder of modern conservatism but also has substantial liberal points in his views. Both philosophers sought to find balance between stability and improvement of a political order, but they propose completely different cri­teria for a reform policy. For Kant, all reforms should aim to realize the abstract ideal of universal law. Alongside, Kant recommends only moderate and prudent reforms in or­der to preserve the freedom and safety of states as political organisms. Burke views re­forms as a means of reconciling traditions and customs with changing circumstances. Our conclusion is that Burke cannot be named among the prototypes of those ultra-con­servatives whom Kant describes as the most implacable opponents of his views. We sup­port the assessment of Kant’s position as conservative liberalism and Burke's position as liberal conservatism. This perspective reveals a certain similarity of their views despite their fundamental differences.

A. F. Losev and GAKhN’s “Encyclopedia of Artistic Sciences”: to the history of an unrealized publishing project

The publication covers an obscure episode from the scientific biography of the great Russian philosopher Alexei Losev related to his work in the 1920s at the State Academy of Artistic Sciences (GAKhN). For the first time, Losev’s thirteen articles from Research Department of manuscripts of the Russian State Library [f. 81 (State Academy of art studies), inv. 26, item 1] are put into scientific circulation: “Antiquity”, “Apollinism”, “Harmony”, “Dionysism”, “Callistics”, “Calocagathia”, “Catharsis”, “Cosmic feeling”, “Cosmos”, “Logos”, “Mania”, “Mathematics and art”, “Melos”. This articles were written in the second half of the 1920s and were intended for a publishing project of the State Academy of Artistic Sciences – the first volume of the multi-volume “Encyclopedia of Artistic Sciences”, conceived in 1922 as a “Dictionary of Artistic Terminology”. The project was never realized. The topics of the articles reflect the range of the scientific problems that interested Losev in the 1920s as well as his special attention to the study of terminology, which found its full implementation in the 1970 – 1980s during the work on “The History of Classical Aesthetics”.

Argumentation schemes as a way of arguments studies

The paper investigates argument (argumentation) schemes that are used in the theory of argumentation for analyzing everyday reasoning. Such schemes should be understood as structures representing the most general types of argument. Today they are studied not only from theoretical perspectives but also in relation to their application in education and information technologies. Argumentation schemes allow us to identify, produce and evaluate real arguments, as well as critically assess discussions. Despite their popularity, argumentation schemes face some problems. The current presentation introduces the concept of schemes, describes their possible classifications, analyzes strengths and limitations in various approaches. However, the main focus of the paper is on the direction in which the conception of an argument scheme is being developed. I argue that the new stage of its development can be correlated with the birth of a dynamic style of argument in­vestigation that is opposed to a static version. A similar dichotomy can be observed in logic that stands for two types of formality: as pertaining to forms and as pertaining to rules.

Ways of transforming the metaphysical thinkingin the “conceptless language” of the late M. Heidegger

The article provides an analysis of the concept of “conceptless language” in the works of the late Martin Heidegger. The formation of a “conceptless language” is one of the most mysterious phenomena in the philosophy of the thinker. The specific structure of this lan­guage is one of the main criticisms of the later works of the philosopher and the opposition of Heidegger as the author of “Sein und Zeit” to Heidegger of the period “Beiträge zur Philosophie. Vom Ereignis”. The article explains the specific structure of the “concept-free language”, the reasons for its creation and its role in the late Heidegger philosophy. An at­tempt is made to reveal the hidden logic of a “conceptless language” and the principles by which it is guided. The search for the logic of a “conceptless language” is carried out through consideration of some of its aspects: a way of expressing thoughts, features of the style of argumentation, and a method of forming terms. An analysis of these aspects shows how Heidegger seeks to overcome the problem of the so-called “refusal” (Versagen) of the language that arose after writing “Sein und Zeit”. In search of a language correspond­ing to the transition to a different beginning, the principles of the late Heidegger hermeneutic methodology are formed: the “principle of intentional incomprehensibility” of terms, “default logic”, clarification of terms through their “internal form”, method of “thoughtful use of language” (besinnliche Sprachgebrauch). The analysis leads to the con­clusion that the profound change in thinking, which the late Heidegger sought on the way to another beginning, is impossible without the transformation of the language. Due to the fact that the existing “metaphysical” thinking is directly related to the conceptual lan­guage, a “non-conceptual language” opens the way for alternative thinking.

Event: philosophy sub specie eventi

The article argues that the philosophy of the twentieth century is characterized by a tran­sition from a view according to which the mind tends to contemplate things sub specie aeterni (Descartes, Spinoza, Hegel) to an understanding that things and the world should be taken sub specie eventi (Bakhtin, Heidegger, Deleuze). Event in its various manifesta­tions becomes the subject of philosophical comprehension. The authors point at two onto­logical characteristics of the phenomenon of an event – an event always happens, i.e. an event cannot be thought outside of time, and an event always appears as the unity of heterogeneous. Distinguishing the concepts of incident and that of event, the authors analyze the problem of the beginning of an event. Based on the ideas of synergetics, the authors argue that an event has no cause, but there are prerequisites – a state of uncertainty and an attractor that organizes the constitution of the event/incident. The authors focus their attention on the problem of the connection between meaning and event that characterizes the events of the world of human existence. It is shown that in the world of human existence a situation of uncertainty is a problematic situation. The solution to a problem situation is an event that is associated with this situation not by causal, but by casual relations, when the singularities of a given situation set the initial conditions for an action and provide real opportunities for its accomplishment. It is important here that the logic of action and the course of thought are governed not by general ideas, but by the premises given here and now. This is how a new version of the identity of “thought and being” declares itself: meaning as an intention and a productive force of the initial condition for constituting an event are identical to the event itself. Being/event is objecti­fied as res gestae, which acts as an organizing force and by this force the being acquires the ability to declare and affirm itself as integrity and organization. The authors sug­gest that the philosophical understanding of an event provides a new way to corelate the two main traditions in contemporary Western philosophy – the “continental” and the “analytic”.

S.L. Frank: Lectures on F.M. Dostoyevsky’s anthropology (To the 200th anniversary of the writer)

In this paper, we reconstruct the historical and philosophical context of two German lec­tures by Semyon Ludvigovich Frank dedicated to F.M. Dostoevsky’s anthropology that were delivered by him in 1935 and 1938 in Switzerland. We also designate the general place that the philosophical understanding of Dostoyevsky’s work occupied in Frank’s thought during his émigré period of the 1930s. Building on archive materials the authors es­tablish that the first lecture on Dostoyevsky’s anthropology delivered by Frank in Switzer­land took place in Kreuzlingin on the 13th of July, 1935 and was organized by the Swiss psychiatrist L. Binswanger. The lecture on a similar topic was delivered by the Russian philosopher in Basel on the 25th of January 25, 1938 and was organized by the philologist E.E. Mahler, a friend of Frank from the pre-émigré period, who was a professor of Slavic studies at the University of Basel. In the Annex we publish, with an introduction and com­ments, two German abstracts of Frank’s lectures known as “Dostojewskys Anthropologie”. These abstracts are stored at the Bakhmeteff Archive (Columbia University, New York).