Le destin du philosophe aux temps médiocres. Désaccords autour de l’œuvre et de la biographie de Constantin Noica

Author(s): Kazimierz Jurczak / Language(s): French Issue: 3/2015

In the last 25 years, polemics about Constantin Noica multiplied. For a significant part of the Romanian intellectual élite, he is an exceptional philosopher, maybe the most representative of the Romanian culture in the 20th century. For a little one, his work and his activity represent the “embodiment” of all the critical problems of Romanian culture in the last century. A few scholars criticize philosopher’s ideological options, toward authoritarianism and totalitarianism. In my paper, I present an intellectual profile of the philosopher by revisiting his ontology. I strongly agree with Ion Ianoşi, who stressed that the philosophy of Noica is mainly based on the traditionalism. From this perspective of interpretation, Noica remains a controversial author, but reveals himself as one of the most consistent Romanian philosopher from the last century, who preserved his views till the end of his life.

Na okraj jedného historicko-filozofického návratu

Author(s): Andrej Kopčok / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 3/1996

Historicko filozofický záujem, ale zrejme aj aktuálne potreby našej súčasnej filozofickej aktivity prinajmenej pri pokusoch o objasnenie jej vlastnej identity v nových podmienkach v poslednom období upútava pozornosť gnozeologická diskusia na Slovensku v štyridsiatych rokoch.

Promišljanja o mudroslovlju i filozofiji u Hrvatskoj

Author(s): Bernard Špoljarić / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 02/150/2018

This research, made of reflections upon relevant notions, aims to structure the relations of specific definitions of philosophy, approaching the subject from a wider conceptual scope to a narrower. In other words, reflections are approaching its subject, the Croatian philosophy, by revealing the conditions of possibility for understanding it. Philosophy in its absolute notion does not succumb to fragmentation, therefore the research is directed towards the recognition of legitimate specific mode of thought dependent of that which is understood as Croatian. Since the reflections do not lose sight of thought as its main factor, the important segment is the manifestation of this thought, especially in a form that is characteristic for human cognition, which is language. If there is a substantial argument for Croatian philosophy, then this authenticity will be explicated through language.

In memoriam

Author(s): Predrag Finci / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 02/150/2018

In memoriam: Vladimir Premec (Gola, 1939. – Sarajevo, 2018.)

FILOSOFIA SPAŢIULUI PLAN SAU BĂRĂGANUL REINVENTAT LA VASILE BĂNCILĂ

Author(s): Marius Dobre / Language(s): Romanian,Moldavian Issue: 4/2017

The article presents an original philosophical interpretation of the Bărăgan’s Space, as a reply to Blaga’s Mioritic Space. Vasile Băncilă tries to show that the mioritical space, the field, the hill-valley type of space is not totally specific to romanians, it is not the only landform meant to influence the personality of romanians. The plain sometimes creates different kind of people. Thus, hill romanians have a certain way of being, the ones from the plain an other way of being. The importance of studying this problem consists especially of emphasizing certain properties of the plain, usually hidden to the naked eye.

Vývinové štádiá v dejinách algebry

Author(s): Roman Hric / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 2/1995

The paper deals with one of the possible approaches to the development of science proposed by J. Piaget and R. Garcia in [5]. The preliminary part of the paper gives a brief characterization of essential ideas of this theory. This is then illustrated in the next two parts concerned with problems of the beginning of algebra and the development of the theory of solvability of algebraic equations. In the final part a short discussion on some problems arising in this theory is given.

SISTEMUL PERSONALISMULUI ENERGETIC AL LUI C. RĂDULESCU-MOTRU

Author(s): Dragoș Popescu / Language(s): Romanian,Moldavian Issue: 6/2018

This articlepresents, in a condensed manner, the System of Energetic Personalism, a philosophicalsystem authored by Constantin Rădulescu-Motru, an important scholar of 20th centuryin Romania. The Personalism is, according Rădulescu-Motru’s view, the objective scienceof personality. The science of personality studies the conditioning of life in a largercontext of universal energy development. This science is essentially different from the„anarchic personalism”, that is based on the „mystical soul”, a traditional form ofknowledge and action that new science intends to eliminate. The System of EnergeticPersonalism is a characteristic form of philosophical systems at the end 19th century andthe beginning of 20th century

Copernican principle as a philosophical dogma defining modern astronomy

Author(s): Spyridon I. Kakos / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2018

For centuries the case of Galileo Galilei has been the cornerstone of every majorargument against the church and its supposedly unscientific dogmatism. Thechurch seems to have condemned Galileo for his heresies, just because it couldn’tand wouldn’t handle the truth. Galileo was a hero of science wrongfully accusedand now – at last – everyone knows that. But is that true? This paper tries toexamine the case from the point of modern physics and the conclusions drawn arestartling. It seems that contemporary church was too haste into condemning itself.The evidence provided by Galileo to support the heliocentric system do not evenpass simple scrutiny, while modern physics has ruled for a long time now againstboth heliocentric and geocentric models as depictions of the “truth”. As Einsteineloquently said, the debate about which system is chosen is void of any meaningfrom a physics’ point of view. At the end, the selection of the center is more amatter of choice rather than a matter of ‘truth’ of any kind. And this choice isdriven by specific philosophical axioms penetrating astronomy for hundreds ofyears now. From Galileo to Hubble, the Copernican principle has been slowlytransformed to a dogma followed by all mainstream astronomers. It is time tochallenge our dogmatic adherence to the anti-humanism idea that we areinsignificant in the cosmos and start making true honest science again, asCopernicus once postulated.

Umjesto In memoriama akademiku Vladimiru Premecu (1939-2018)

Author(s): Željko Škuljević / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 2/2018

U prekrasnoj baladi Die Bürgschaft (Jamstvo) njemačkog pjesnika Friedricha Schillera nalazi se kao motiv jedna pradavna priča koja na nesvakidašnji način govori o prijateljstvu i održavanju zadate riječi na primjeru Damona i Fintije, dva starogrčka filozofa pitagorovca u službi kod sirakuškog vladara Dionisija Mlađeg. Naime, zbog nekog učinjenog djela tiranin Fintiju osudi na smrt, a ovaj zatraži odgodu da bi kod kuće posvršavao neke poslove. Vladar pristade s tim da Damon, njegov prijatelj, mora svojim životom jamčiti da će se on vratiti. Zadržavši se na putu duže nego što je očekivao Fintija se vrati u posljednji čas i tako izbavi prijatelja – jamca od sigurne smrti vješanjem. Dirnut ovakvim primjerom vjernosti Dionisije Mlađi oprosti kaznu osuđeniku te zamoli oba prijatelja da ga, kao trećeg, prime u svoje društvo.

D. D. ROŞCA – UN POLEMIST OCAZIONAL

Author(s): Ion Dur / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 2/2018

The text seeks to portray the polemic hypostasis of the philosopher D.D. Roşca. First of all, it is about the position the thinker had towards the criticism made by the sociologist Virgil Bărbat to his book L’influence de Hegel sur Taine, théoricien de la connaissance et de l’art, the main thesis presented by D.D. Roşca at Sorbone to get his state doctor degree in letters. It follows the analysis of a polemic “dialogue” between the publications Luceafărul and Revista Cercului Literar, both newspapers from Sibiu, the aim being the "clarification" of the ideological attitude of some young people who joined the Literary Circle from Sibiu. It was particularly about the critic Ion Negoiţescu. Finally, the text includes also the critical opinions, mostly unfavorable, of Rosca about the book The Temptation to Exist of Emil Cioran.

Utopia and Uchronia: From Thomas More to H. G. Wells

Author(s): Lucian-Vasile Szabo / Language(s): English Issue: 04/2018

The purpose of this study is to identify some general characteristics of utopia (or dystopia) as compared to uchronia. While Thomas More succeeded in giving firm contours to the spatial utopia, H. G. Wells was the author who reconfigured the geography of possible worlds in a temporal succession. Both authors would make use of the theme of travel, thus giving the readers the opportunity to understand their works as both a literary adventure and as an adventure of knowledge. The relationship between utopia (dystopia) and uchronia is a complex one, but one characteristic is evident: utopia can be constructed as a distinct topos, as a functional society, by making use of spatial elements. The uchronic topos is completely dependent on the spatial dimensions, as is the utopic one, but in order for it to take shape the utopic (dystopian) perimeter needs to have already been established, and then placed on a temporal axis. The contextual analysis of the ideas developed in Utopia and The Time Machine reveals elements that indicate interferences between two genres: utopia and science fiction. Thus the capacity of utopia (and also dystopia and uchronia) to function as a space of debate and reflection on the problems of today (the curent present) becomes evident. Yet the imaginary worlds (some of them can also be ideal), parallel or chronological, are coherent as convergent or divergent narratives.

TEORIA CARTEZIANĂ A IDEILOR – RUPTURI FAŢĂ DE TEORIA TOMISTĂ A CUNOAŞTERII

Author(s): Cosmin-Petru Vraciu / Language(s): Romanian,Moldavian Issue: 6/2016

The seventeenth century theory of ideas, asrepresented by Descartes, Arnauld and Malebranche marks a radical transformation inrelation to the scholastic tradition, especially the thomist doctrine of knowledge. Thistransformation has, as features, the constitution of a representational knowledge, themodification of the role of intellect, from an ontological to an epistemological entity,and the definition of knowledge within the boundaries set up by consciousness. This transformationis expressed in Descartes’ distinction between objective and formal reality.

DESCARTES ŞI CERCUL LUI HARTLIB: UN EPISOD DE COMUNICARE A CUNOAŞTERII ÎN PERIOADA MODERNITĂŢII TIMPURII

Author(s): Mihnea Dobre / Language(s): Romanian,Moldavian Issue: 6/2016

This paper discusses the various strategies taken bySamuel Hartlib in order to approach Descartes. I argue that Hartlib tried, at least twice,to put Descartes in contact with his own philosophical agenda. However, none of theseattempts were done directly, but through the use of intermediaries. I detail the case ofthe 1638–1640 approach, then the 1648 letter exchanges, with a greater focus on thesecond episode (involving Henry More), which also reflects several additional philosophicalpoints. The aim of the paper is to go beyond Webster’s classical study of the correspondencebetween More and William Petty and to argue that Hartlib’s secondapproach carried the mark of another agenda, which was not that much directed towardDescartes, but with imposing Hartlib’s views at the University of Cambridge.

(Une Rencontre) entre Misch et Heidegger

Author(s): Antoinette Koleva / Language(s): French Issue: 05/1997

Hylomorphic Teleology in Aristotle’s Physics II

Author(s): Catherine Peters / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

This study draws attention to the ordering of matter and form argued for in Aristotle’s Physics II, 8 (199a30–32). This argument for hylomorphic teleology relies on the presentation of nature earlier in Physics II, 1. In this way, it highlights the connections between chapter one’s account of nature as matter and form and chapter eight’s defense of final causality. Grounding final causality in the principles of nature reveals its central importance for Aristotle’s view of nature. To clarify the meaning of hylomorphic teleology I contrast my interpretation of Aristotle with that of Wolfgang Wieland regarding the scope and foundation of the final cause, countering his claim that chance and universal final causality are mutually exclusive. I contend that the presentation of teleology in chapter eight supports a diverse interpretation of the final cause, one that admits chance events while not sacrificing the intrinsic ordering of matter to form.

LEIBNIZ – COMUNICARE, LIMBAJ ŞI CUNOAŞTERE

Author(s): Ion Vezeanu / Language(s): Romanian,Moldavian Issue: 4/2016

The article overviews some of philosophical contributions Leibniz’s to metaphysics and the philosophy of language: the communication of the monads, the total knowledge, and the issue of harmonia praestabilita in the context of language.

QUASI-MONISMUL LEIBNIZIAN

Author(s): Adrian Niță / Language(s): Romanian,Moldavian Issue: 4/2016

My goal in this paper is to show that Leibniz has atheory on the relationship between soul and body that can be called “quasi-monism”, ornearly monism, or, from another perspective, a Monism of a special kind. The “quasimonistic” thesis is as follows: man is a Monad, that is, a simple substance endowedwith perception, appetition, memory and reason; a closer look shows that man is souland body; at a deeper level, we find form and matter; even deeper, we have a substantialform united to a primary matter; deeper more, one finds active force and primitivepassive force and so on to infinity. This theory stated during the monadologic periodcould be called “disclosed metaphysics”: Leibniz strongly supports the theory ofmonads in the frame of the theory of pre-established harmony. At the same time, he doesnot provide details about the profound metaphysics, based on the quasi-monistic thesis –I will call it “hidden metaphysics”. This is the reason and context that constitute thebasis on which I intend in the present paper to do a reverse chronological reading, fromthe writings of 1716 to the writings of 1695, in order to see the exciting game of thesetwo kinds of metaphysics.

Berkeley and McDowell on Perceptual Experience

Author(s): Anna Tomaszewska / Language(s): English Issue: 63/2018

Th e aim of this article is to show that Berkeley’s account of perception canbe read as sharing important features with a contemporary account developed by John H.McDowell, in particular with conceptualism and disjunctivism – two key components of McDowell’s theory of perceptual experience. Conceptualism is a view that perception isstructured by concepts (possessed by the subject of experience). Disjunctivism states that theacts of perception are directed at objects without any mediation of an idea or representation,the so-called “highest common factor”, in both veridical and non-veridical perceptions. Thus, all perceptual acts are either veridical, or come down to illusions or hallucinations. I take these two components of McDowell’s position to confront them with Berkeley’s doctrines of abstraction and perceptual illusion. Since it can be shown that the Berkeleyan general ideas (notions) are ways of structuring the content of experience, or “contributions” by “our interpreting minds”, and since perceptual errors can be attributed to the interpreting activity of the mind, rather than to the misleading contents of experience itself (ideas), there is more in common between Berkeley and the philosophical tradition that tries to defythe “Myth of the Given” than one may think prima facie to be the case.

Dwa rozumy Szestowa

Author(s): Michał Węcławski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 63/2018

The text is an attempt to examine the notion of reason in Lev Shestov’s philosophy and to show that it is not as clear as it usually seems. It is therefore about what is visible and what is hidden, yet not meaningless. On the one hand his critique of reason uncompromisingly dispels any doubts about the harmful nature of all rationalism; on the other hand, however, it indicates that the notion of reason conceals only a specific attitude towards the world and a certain way of philosophising. Although Shestov himself would not speak of the two reasons, careful reconstruction of his views justifies such an idea. To better grasp the meaning of the issue, the article looks at the ideological background, reminding that in the history of philosophy reason had also been understood in different ways, and that the ‘two reasons’ have their historical equivalents. The qualities that Shestov attributes to reason are enumerated. It is also emphasized that the negation of knowledge and reason should not be regarded as a nihilistic manifesto; Shestov does not discourage all knowledge, but under the outer layer of negation he announces a positive message about the shape of reason and its proper role in authentic philosophy. Hence Shestov’s thought is not a mere critique of reason in general, but only of its certain historical form, and it is also an appeal to replace it with a different one.

Absolutny fakt „Ja jestem” jako konsekwencja pierwszeństwa istnienia przed istotą

Author(s): Piotr Łaciak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 63/2018

The main thesis of this paper is that absolute fact of “I am” in the Husserl’s phenomenology can be understood as a result of the priority of existence over essence. Author points out that transcendental ego is not consciousness in general, but my consciousness as a realm of my “I am” which is the quintessence of facticity. The world-constituting consciousness as an actually experiencing consciousness has ultimate ground in the original fact of “I am” which is constant companion of all constitutive achievements of my subjectivity. This absolute fact precedes its own objectification and it enunciates itself in pure existence. Absolute fact of “I am” appears to be an irrational fact because its existence must precede essence and it does not find its ground in the eidetic. From this point of view, the aim of phenomenological investigations is to show that all eidetic possibilities are rooted in this fact which constitutes unique case in regard to the relation between fact and essence. The irrational existence of my absolute ego is apodictic fact, without which no knowledge would be possible and this egotic fact does not require justification, but on the contrary, all justifications must be based on it.