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The following text aims to offer and illustrate a new concept for grasping the phenomenon of conspiracy theories. Based on field research in the form of semi-structured interviews and previous research, it provides a triadic schema for navigating the conspiracy landscape and understanding the transformations and functions that conspiracy theories provide to their adherents. After introducing the topic, the first part of the text briefly summarises previous research relevant to the article and describes the theoretical position on which it is based. Subsequently, it uses H. S. Versnel’s schema to introduce the three levels of meaning of conspiracy narratives: substantivist, functionalist, and cosmological. It then concludes by reflecting on the possible applications of this framework and its relevance for future research.
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When reaching the limits of rationality regarding explanation, Plato told myths. Instead, Hegel, when he wanted to make himself easier to understand, resorted to metaphorical expressions. The vast and grandiose spectacle of universal History can be more properly expressed by a metaphor than by abstract concepts or uncomprehending, arbitrary and chaotic erudition. Here we briefly present some metaphors related to the object: Heraclitus' River, the metaphor of the death and rebirth of vegetation in ancient myths, the metaphor of the Sea in Hegel or the metaphors of Henri Bergson and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
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The great socio-economic, scientific-technical and cultural transformations have attracted after them, in the field of social sciences and philosophy, numerous discussions and disputes. A provilegiated area of conflicting debates and discussions is "free time". Counter-narrative opinions on the significance of this notion are constantly encountered throughout history, from antiquity to the present day.
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The present study aims at capturing the hermeneutic values that the concept of genius has acquired in the modern period exclusively by referring to the meanings this term had in ancient culture and civilization. The study is structured into three main sections except for the introduction and conclusions. The first will present the meanings that this concept had in the ancient period, evoking also the etymology of the word. The second is devoted to the evaluation of Immanuel Kant’s hermeneutical views of genius while the third provides an evaluation of Arthur Schopenhauer’s views on the topic. In this way, it will be possible to pinpoint the elements of influence and the cultural heritage represented by genius in relation to modern philosophy.
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Iwona Alechnowicz-Skrzypek’s aim in this paper is to compare the two nonspecific Neo Kantians, admittedly both representing critical realism. Nicolai Hartmann, a follower of the Marburg School, was an idealist before becoming a critical realist, while Richard Hönigswald, a student of Alois Riehl, held on to the position of critical realism from the beginning of his philosophical career. There are many similarities between Hartmann and Hӧnigswald in terms of their understanding of the concept of realism. There are also several differences, which mostly relate to how they addressed the question of the thingin-itself. The most important difference concerns their solution of the problem of empirical data as a basis for the mental representation of objects. A comparison of Hartmann’s and Hönigswald’s approaches to this problem helps us to understand why both are considered non-specific neo-Kantians.
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Two hundred kindergarten and first grade students participated in a program to develop early literacy skills through horse interaction. The program uses a series of three-horse interaction experiences to increase motivation to read. During the introduction to the horse, students are provided with a copy of the book they will read over the next six weeks. The students participate in horse-focused activities over the next six weeks during regular classroom instruction along with practice time reading the book. At the end of the program, students attend a field trip to a farm where they are invited to read aloud and engage in further interaction with horses as a reward for their work. Early literacy skills and literacy success indicators were measured through a pre-/post-test as well as qualitative data collected from teachers and parents. Results show statistically significant increases in literacy indicators. Students also demonstrated an increase in horse knowledge.
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The article analyses painter, graphic artist and stage designer Ilmārs Blumbergs’ (1943–2016) artworks in which he thematises the body as his intimate space subject to finality and death. Besides existential and intellectual issues, Blumbergs has always been interested in human physical existence in art. Searches for the meaning of the body and bodily states are an important theme in Blumbergs’ art. The author interprets Blumbergs’ self-portraits as imprints of his individual experience. They embody the transformations of the portrait genre in Latvian art since the 1980s; thus in his case, the traditional boundaries of the genre are significantly expanded. Affect theory as a critical discourse in the social sciences and humanities surged in the mid-1990s. This article deals with affect theory and the possibilities of using it in the interpretation of artworks. The author provides a brief insight into the history of studying affect, the meaning of the terms affectus and affectio in the shaping of two paradigms in this theory: affect as an elementary state and affect as an intensive power. The article emphasises those facets of the theory which relate to the body, bodily reactions as well as aspects of the artwork’s creation and perception. Several theoretical approaches of how to view an artwork through the prism of affect theory have been examined in the article. Focusing on the aspect of the affect’s working and influence, the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze (1925–1995), in collaboration with the philosopher and psychoanalyst Felix Guattari (1939–1992), developed the theoretical trend of affect as an intensive force, and this perspective seems to be the most appropriate for the research of art. According to Deleuze’s and Guattari’s philosophical stance, affect is a result of the clash between organic or inorganic bodies; it is also present in the artwork as a peculiar aesthetics of materials and forms where colouring, surface texture, mass and volume are significant. Considering the mutual connection between affect and body, the article outlines several conceptions of the body identifiable in Blumbergs’ art, including body as a space where the battle for survival takes place, and the performative body as a constituent part of the artwork. The author takes up the interpretation of works titled “Me Myself in Strontium Radiation” (2010–2012) and “My Head in Strontium Radiation”, concluding that Blumbergs’ body in “Strontium” works is real, corporeal and affected by external conditions, while at the same time being abstract too. Material and abstract features are united in the context of affect studies. In other words, the body depicted in the artwork and related to the affect can be viewed as an indivisible unity embracing both spiritual and material substances. From the perspective of Deleuze’s affect theory defining affect as an intensive force, the idea of active matter comes to the fore. Strontium radiation depicted in Blumbergs’ paintings is a representation of “expressive” matter. The author invites viewers to spot connotations of affect and bodily reactions in several of Blumbergs’ works. In the performance “The Drawings are in the Box” (2003), the artist has used his body as a part of the artwork. Equipped with sheets of paper, charcoal sticks and loose charcoal, the artist drew lines and scratches with his naked body, leaving traces on the plane of the paper. Creating a soundtrack was important for this performance. Alongside other associations, emotions and reflection possibly caused by this artwork, the viewer (listener) could have quite an affective reaction of goosebumps caused by such a sound. In the series of photographic portraits “House-Keeping” (2002) Blumbergs has captured himself and his closest associates, emphasising the process of aging. In these photographic works he stresses the biological nature of the human body, its inescapable finality that is the main bodily limitation experienced by everyone. Body and ash as a metaphor or tangible matter is revealed in ten large-sized photographs, portraying a man’s body and skin that was part of the multi-media exposition in the exhibition “A Prayer for Seeing” in the Riga Gallery in 2004. The motif of ashes has a special place in Blumbergs’ art as a connection with his friend Imants Tilbergs (1939–2023) who was Blumbergs’ model or alter ego in most photographs as well as in the short films “Man” (2004), “Room” (2007) and “Ashes” (2010). In the film “Man”, Blumbergs created a peculiar human portrait in the interior. Blumbergs himself and Tilbergs are doing performative actions but the shabby room with dusty furniture and a rundown sofa serve as a static background for naked male figures, briefly entering the shot in a disorderly and unexpected manner. The film lasts no more than a few minutes but its viewing demands concentration from the spectator who is confronted with a rapid change of shots and a sudden noise able to cause anxiety by the means of image and sound. Therefore, besides the thematisation of the body, one can speak about yet another point of intersection between affect and art in the context of this video – the artwork’s ability to cause not only certain emotional states but also to affect the viewer directly. The author concludes the article with at least three conceptions of the body emerging in Blumbergs’ art. Firstly, this is the body as an inner, closed space where the ongoing processes are captured. Secondly, representation of the body as it interacts and connects with other bodies, with space and the outer world. Thirdly, the body as a constituent part of the artwork, meaning its direct involvement in the artwork as a performative act. Discussion about affect in the context of Blumbergs’ art is significant because spiritual and bodily dimensions, the latter unfortunately and inevitably encountering illness, are equally manifested in his art.
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The article is about the analysis of the results of the empirical research in which effect of images on mind’s condition of the recipients is in the focus. All of them are the participants of the prolonged study course of arts-therapeutical and transpersonal methods in the field of adjustment of stress conditions. In the article the indicators of encephalograms, which are fixed in the trans condition, and the content of the projective pictures are considered in respect to idiographiс issue. The interpretation of their meanings makes it possible to speak about integration of consciousness and body. The target of the research is that psychological and physical issues present the holistic field of a person that cannot be limited with the frame of assessment of psycho-somatic characteristics. In conclusion, to define relationship of consciousness to body in a right way is necessary to examine both objective and metaphysical forms of individual’s manifestations.
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Philosophical beliefs or principles can help healthcare providers establish effective approaches to mental health analysis. This article aims to demonstrate how modern philosophical tenets could improve mental health analysis from diagnosis to treatment. It describes the role and importance of philosophical approaches, including the Gadamer philosophical hermeneutics, in providing alternative approaches to mental illness treatments as an interdisciplinary field combining practical views and methods of the philosophies of mind, neuroscience, psychology, and moral philosophy. This is achieved by exploring the evolution of mental illnesses, the philosophical views on the manifestation of psychiatric disorders, scientific and philosophical viewpoints, and insights on applying Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics to mental illnesses. Gadamer’s viewpoints present essential philosophical foundations that could solve the crucial problems associated with the antecedent theories of mental illnesses. Overall, the philosophical viewpoint requires patient diagnosis and treatment approaches that holistically consider the use of language in all interpretive practices, cultural phenomena, patients' histories, and environmental factors that are critical sources of hermeneutic experiences.
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"The HeartMath Tree Rhythm project is a citizen science interconnectivity initiative. Interconnectivity refers to the hypothesis that all life forms are interconnected via intersecting magnetic energy fields. HeartMath tree rhythm research complements the HeartMath Global Coherence Initiative (GCI) and Global Consciousness Project (GCI). Related websites are as follows: https://treerhythms.net/ https://www.heartmath.org/gci/gcms/live-data/ and https://gcp2.netThe present contribution employs a narrative methodology to introduce the iBhubesi Tree Rhythm project at Umhlanga Rocks South Africa. The isiZulu term “iBhubesi” denotes an African lion. Ubuntu connotes humanity. Its deeper meaning is that we only become human through others (umuntu umuntu ngabantu), especially, ancestors, family and friends. African dialogue is epitomized by respectful greeting and openness in human relationships. Umhlanga Rocks iBhubhesi Mango has a unique ecological ancestry and eco-spiritual story. Mango trees are originally indigenous to India, its people and continent. They are also connected to everything else - nature, people, continents, planets and cosmos. The following contribution intends to unpack some universal, differential and unique aspects of this interconnectedness. "
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Bloch’s philosophy of music is one of the most interesting of the twentieth century, particularly in the context of Marxist aesthetics. This article focuses on the various peculiarities of this thought, which seldom are highlighted. Firstly, through a new analysis of the musical sections of Spirit of Utopia and The Principle of Hope, the relation between utopia and music will be discussed in Sections 2 and 3 in order to show the originality of Bloch’s refusal of the Marxist base-superstructure model in the field of aesthetics. In contrast to the other philosophies of music, the study of music inspires theoretical speculation in Bloch’s thought and not vice versa. In order to demonstrate this connection, in Sections 4 and 5, the idea of the sound in Spirit of Utopia will be examined and compared to the conception of the matter as it is presented in The Principle of Hope, The Materialism Problem, its History and Substance, and other works. These paragraphs aim to highlight how the early conception of sound was the model for the later conception of matter.
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The paper discusses Kant’s distinction between appearances and things in themselves, phenomena and noumena, and the problem of affection. The difference between appearances and things in themselves is understood as a methodological difference between two manners in which an object can be viewed: either as an appearance, or as a thing in itself. The author claims that this double-aspect view is a consequence of Kant’s conception of space and time as a priori forms of sensibility. The difference between phenomena and noumena, on the other hand, cannot be explained only by the double-aspect view; Kant understands it also as an ontological difference between two different kinds of objects. The paper concludes with a discussion of the problem of affection. The author claims that this problem is a pseudo-problem if we understand the difference between appearances and things in themselves as double-aspect view. Kant had maintained only an empirical affection. Passages in which Kant seems to advocate a transcendental affection can be brought in line with Kant’s critical philosophy.
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The subject of considerations is the role of artistic imagination and the causative power of aesthetic creation of the title character from the story by Goar Markosjan-Kasper. In the work, maintained in a postmodern style, the writer combines the problem of imagination with the category of memory/oblivion. He also uses the concept of an artists to show the duality of the imperfect material (real) world and the ideal world created by the causative power of the mind. Improving the world that takes place — pars pro toto — through changing the face of Tallinn has both a geographical and human dimension — communing with beauty triggers altruism and love in people.
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Artificial intelligence is increasingly entering all spheres of our lives, including the sphere of education. These technologies offer numerous advantages and opportunities to perform various activities and tasks throughout the educational process. This article discusses some aspects of the application of AI technologies to improve personalization, accessibility, and interactivity in school education, and especially in learning STEAM subjects. The authors aim to propose approaches to successfully integrate AI into the work of teachers and facilitators during the preplanning phase of lessons, the preparation of personalized tasks for students, the process of testing and assessing knowledge, as well as in group and project-based learning. The article shares the experience of teaching a compulsory computer science course as well as working in an interest club related to artificial intelligence and robotics with 6th grade students in secondary school, highlighting the potential of certain chatbots to support and enrich the process of programming.
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