The article explores the relationship between the dialogical way of existence of religion and social stability. The author argues that dialogue is becoming a way of existence of religion in societies with a high level of religious freedom. The author emphasizes constructive types of communication between religions, one of which is traditionally interreligious (interfaith) dialogue. The definition of religious dialogue as a broad communication phenomenon is considered, which, in particular, involves the interaction of not only religions with each other (interreligious, (...) interfaith dialogue), but also communication between religion and society (religious and social dialogue) on important issues of the present, and reactions to them. It is substantiated that the reluctance of a certain religious institution to engage in dialogue may be based on the theological position of the church caused by the phenomenon of «ambivalence of the sacred». Some ways to restore the dialogue of religions and overcome the conflict conditions of their interaction are proposed. In conclusion, it is noted that the «war of civilizations» launched by the Russian Federation in Ukraine brings the dialogue of religions to a new level, namely: requires a revision of certain theological theories, the formation of new theological visions; significantly actualizes the issues of justice, heroism, good and evil, the impossibility of violence, ethical problems and their reflection in theological thought; requires religions to take a civic stance, where it is no longer possible to speak of secularization in the sense of separation of religion from politics; sharpens and problematizes the attitude of religions to the national question as a result of the Russian Federation’s provoked terrorist methods of warfare, and thus the threat to humanity of genocide on a national basis; raises the issue of universal values, the humanistic paradigm and personal responsibility, which brings all religious systems too close together; meta-anthropologizes religion, absolutizes humanism as a value when a believer «goes beyond» mere existence to approach eternal truths, where the concept of «salvation» loses its narrowly individualistic characteristic. (shrink)

Hanna Kulagina-Stadnichenko in her article “Category of Love as a axiological marker by individual religiosity of the Orthodox believer” is examines the love category in the theological context of the present, to determine its axiological and praxeological potential value to the implementation of individual religious Orthodox believer, identify certain impacts related to the practical implementation of the concept of "love" in Orthodoxy.

In academic science, the study of religiosity has a long history. It was given considerable attention by Soviet-era religious scientists. The study of religiosity was especially relevant during the independence of Ukraine. However, it should be noted that in the scientific literature there is still a one-sided, even arbitrary, interpretation of the concept of "religiosity", which is considered in terms of individual studies, and general philosophical achievements are sometimes ignored.

In modern humanities, the notion of "new religiosity", as well as language constructs related to it - "unconventional religiosity", "new religions", "new religious consciousness", "new religious movements", etc., has become widespread. The phenomenon of unconventional religiosity is a characteristic feature of the spiritual life of society, which is understood to mean the spread of doctrines that are not related to traditional religions. In cultural studies, such doctrines have different names, namely: "extra-religious religiosity", "secular humanism", "esoteric culture", that is, intended for (...) the consecrated, "rebellious spiritual quest". However, not always these terms accurately reflect the essence of the phenomenon. (shrink)

The author has attempted to draw attention to major issues, methodological paradigm change, and the need for reconsideration of the facts obtained in the study of individual religious orthodox believer.

An absurd feature of modernity is the value-meaning vacuum that characterizes not only post-totalitarian countries but also developed countries of the world. That is why the search for spiritual dominance becomes an important feature of the postmodern era. This is especially necessary because social forms of life external to man often give the human existence a marginal, deviant orientation. In this context, the problem of spirituality arises not only as a problem of the survival of society, of civilization as a (...) whole, but also becomes personally relevant. (shrink)

In the article by Anna Kulagina-Stadnychenko "The forms of manifestation of individual religiosity and their typology in the context of Orthodoxy" an attempt is made to determine the constructive type of individual religiosity of an Orthodox believer through the synthesis of research works in the field of psychology of religion and religious philosophy.

Recently, there has been increasing concern about the spiritual state of Ukrainian society. This problem has become much more relevant in view of Ukraine's European integration processes. The main factor underlying the quality of the latter are not the economic or even socio-political successes of the state. The question of extraordinary weight is the level of spirituality of the people of Ukraine, which must meet high international standards. In particular, this was discussed at the November 2005 Presidential Hearing.

The current stage of development of Ukraine is increasingly reminiscent of the crisis in the cultural and ideological sphere, the unformed, blurred ideals of social morality, which certainly actualizes the problem of spiritual search for man. The spiritual vacuum, created as a result of the destruction of the previous ideological system and the formation of a new one, is trying to fill in various religious trends, movements, directions. They offer the person a conceptually established model of answers to meaningful questions (...) of life, form a sense of involvement in a community of like-minded people, providing a kind of psychological help in difficult life situations, perform a therapeutic function, provide a person with a sense of the importance of his personality, the need for reality. (shrink)

The problem of religious syncretism and household syncretised religiosity are two aspects of the analysis of religion. The main object and subject of our study is the second aspect - the functioning of Orthodoxy at the household level.Objectively, there was no form of religion that would act "in its pure form", that is, at its orthodox-canonical level. Thus, even world religions are the heirs of relic beliefs, the product of their further transformation in specific socio-economic and historical conditions.

Christianity - a phenomenon historically and territorially limited. This is an ideology inherent in a certain time and a separate territory. At the same time, for its time and territory, it became the norm and sign system: any thought was translated into the images of the Christian myth, in the traditional phraseology of the Holy Scripture and the works of the Fathers of the Church. Like other religions, Christianity tended to shift the terrestrial problems to unearthly spheres, but its specificity (...) does not manifest itself in what it did, but in how it did it. In other words, it is not enough to say that Christianity is a religion with all the peculiarities of thinking, it is important to find out what exactly Christianity is distinguished among other religions. To clarify this we will proceed from the ratio of Christianity with the main ideological movements of late antiquity, the era of formation of the basic principles of Christian doctrine. (shrink)

In this article "The antinomy "man-woman" in the personal perspective of the formation of the individual religiosity of the Orthodox believer" by Anna Kulagina-Stadnychenko explores the antinomy of the phenomenon of "manwoman" from the point of view of theology and secular science, examines the peculiarities of its functioning at the level of individual religiosity of the Orthodox believer and in the Ukrainian context. Attention is drawn to several challenges that have always been the cornerstone of the collision of alternative thoughts (...) in solving the antinomy "man-woman." The significance of the latter for the Orthodox believer in view of finding the meaning of life, which is due to awareness of the individual finale of the person. It is shown that the category of reciprocity remains universal for the phenomenological understanding of the meaning of gender. However, unlike secular approaches, apologists of Christianity prefer to talk about the formation of gender identity, and not to look for differences between sexes. Instead, a scientific approach clearly distinguishes the gender identities. It was investigated that the distribution of gender roles is significantly influenced by cultural and religious traditions. Regarding the influence of Orthodoxy on the solution of antinomy "man - woman" in the formation of the individual religious faith of a believer in Ukraine, here the author defines certain features. Finally, it is argued that religious pluralism, the temporary integration of certain parts of Ukraine into other Western European states, led to the inclusion of different ideological models into the individual religiosity of an Orthodox believer, practically made it impossible for a strict patriarchal dependence, and thus, reduced the relationship between "man-woman" through more partnerships. (shrink)

The expediency of teaching ethics of faith in secondary schools is now a subject for discussion by the broader sections of Ukrainian society. It is about what the outlook of the citizen of our country will be, how his / her self-consciousness will be formed and within which cultural paradigm self-identification will be achieved.

Over the past few decades religious studies have achieved some success in the development of categorical apparatus, which reflects the relationship between the believer and society. Theologians actively perceive such concepts as "personality", "activity", "needs", "value orientations", "communication". At the same time, the scientists specify the terminology concerning the conditions of the existence of the religious complex, in particular: "institutionalization", "modernization", "sense", etc. Need to further study the individual, sociopolitical, economic, religious factors that encourage the believer to activity in accordance (...) with the objective, objective properties of the environment in which they are implemented. The processes of origin, maintenance, changes in religious norms, values, patterns of activity and their accumulation by the laity, due to which the latter organize their own livelihoods in a dynamic, heterogeneous socio-cultural space, are attracted by the historical realities. This range of issues is defined by the notion of "lifestyle". (shrink)

Department of Philosophy of Religion The Department of Religious Studies of IF NASU during 2006-2008 carried out the specified planned theme. Below we present its sections in the summary. The full study material will be published in the monograph under the same title, which will be published by the end of 2009. The book can be used as a textbook on religious studies.

An observation of Hume’s has received a lot of attention over the last decade and a half: Although we can standardly imagine the most implausible scenarios, we encounter resistance when imagining propositions at odds with established moral (or perhaps more generally evaluative) convictions. The literature is ripe with ‘solutions’ to this so-called ‘Puzzle of Imaginative Resistance’. Few, however, question the plausibility of the empirical assumption at the heart of the puzzle. In this paper, we explore empirically whether the difficulty we (...) witness in imagining certain propositions is indeed due to claim type (evaluative v. non-evaluative) or whether it is much rather driven by mundane features of content. Our findings suggest that claim type plays but a marginal role, and that there might hence not be much of a ‘puzzle’ to be solved. (shrink)

Consciousness is what makes the mind-body problem really intractable. My reading of the situation is that our inability to come up with an intelligible conception of the relation between mind and body is a sign of the inadequacy of our present concepts, and that some development is needed. Mind itself is a spatiotemporal pattern that molds the metastable dynamic patterns of the brain.

I argue that legal punishment is morally wrong because it’s too morally risky. I first briefly explain how my argument differs from similar ones in the philosophical literature on legal punishment. Then I explain why legal punishment is morally risky, argue that it’s too morally risky, and discuss objections. In a nutshell, my argument goes as follows. Legal punishment is wrong because we can never sufficiently reduce the risk of doing wrong when we legally punish people. We can never sufficiently (...) reduce this risk because wrongful punishment is much worse than wrongful non-punishment and because punishment’s permissibility depends on the answers to a variety of difficult philosophical questions about which we’re fallible. (shrink)

The modern world space, which is affected by the post-pandemic consequences, is noted by the globalization of society, the increasing role of citizenship in making important state and international decisions has become possible in the context of the information revolution and has its own characteristics of communication in information and communication networks. The importance and need for a thorough study of the chosen topic is that the widespread use of various forms and methods of civil communication, free access of citizens (...) to information at all stages of decision-making and the functioning of central and local governments, the participation of civil society institutions in the work of expert, consultative, and advisory public councils on the expression and protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens, public control, direct electronic receipt of public services, etc. are important factors in the democratization of government in post-pandemic modern times. After all, we are talking about a deliberate orientation to new values - the person and the collective, their direct participation in the democratic organization of life of the state and society. The main thing in this context is that the rational consensus of civil society and the state is a factor in universal social discourse and a strategic resource for democratic development in the context of post-pandemic modernity. The aim of the article is to consider the epistemological and sociocultural aspects of the functioning of the communication capabilities of civil society institutions in the context of revealing the possibility and significance of their involvement in the processes of implementing state security policy. (shrink)

I argue that addiction is not a chronic, relapsing, neurobiological disease characterized by compulsive use of drugs or alcohol. Large-scale national survey data demonstrate that rates of substance dependence peak in adolescence and early adulthood and then decline steeply; addicts tend to “mature out” in their late twenties or early thirties. The exceptions are addicts who suffer from additional psychiatric disorders. I hypothesize that this difference in patterns of use and relapse between the general and psychiatric populations can be explained (...) by the purpose served by drugs and alcohol for patients. Drugs and alcohol alleviate the severe psychological distress typically experienced by patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders and associated problems. On this hypothesis, consumption is a chosen means to ends that are rational to desire: Use is not compulsive. The upshot of this explanation is that the orthodox view of addiction as a chronic, relapsing neurobiological disease is misguided. I delineate five folk psychological factors that together explain addiction as purposive action: strong and habitual desire; willpower; motivation; functional role; and decision and resolve. I conclude by drawing lessons for research and effective treatment. (shrink)

This edition contains quaestiones 1-5 of book III of the commentary on the Sentences, by Marsilius of Inghen (†1396), the founding rector and first doctor of theology of the University of Heidelberg. These questions are devoted to the Christology, Mariology, and Trinitology, and deal with the issue of the Incarnation of Christ, with quaestiones 1-3 considering it in relation to the individual Persons of the Trinity, and quaestiones 4-5 in relation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In all questions, Marsilius advocates (...) the _via media_ of sound faith, even above any school traditions. (shrink)

Contents - Introduction; The Problem of Thomas Hobbes; Formalistic Views of Representation; 'Standing For' - Descriptive Representation; 'Standing For' - Symbolic Representation; Representing as 'Acting For' - The Analogies; The Mandate ...

Hanna Pitkin argues that Wittgenstein's later philosophy offers a revolutionary new conception of language, and hence a new and deeper understanding of ourselves and the world of human institutions and action.

The financial sector has seen a transformation towards ‘sustainable’ finance particularly in Europe, driven also by unprecedented regulatory reforms. At the same time, many are sceptical about the real impact of these reforms, fearing that they are triggering a paradoxical financialisation of sustainability. Building on recent research on institutional logics and institutional fields formation, we examine changes in the EU regulatory dynamics as characterised by shifts in framing the relationship between sustainability and finance. Deploying a longitudinal approach, consisting of archival (...) data and semi-structured interviews, we explore the development of EU sustainable finance regulation as an extended, interactive and contested process. Specifically, we suggest that regulatory dynamics depend on the hybrid configuration of the social constituencies supporting sustainable finance reforms and on shifts in the overall prevalence of the financial logic in society. Our paper sheds light on the inherent contradictions and limitations of sustainable finance as a means for transformative sustainability reforms. (shrink)

This article seeks to clarify the potential that Herbert Marcuse's and Theodor W. Adorno's psychoanalytic accounts may have with respect to the philosophy of education today. Marcuse and Adorno both share the view that psychoanalytic theory enables a deeper understanding of the social and biological dynamics of consciousness. For both thinkers, psychoanalytic theory provides conceptual tools for thinking through contradictions between the needs of an individual and those of the governing entity. In fleshing this out, I first explore Marcuse's radical (...) account of sublimation which seeks to demonstrate how the revision of instinctual energy makes it possible to establish a subjectivity which utilises the human potentiality to its fullest. I then turn to Adorno who emphasises the importance of understanding that exterior conditions transform our instinctual energies. After recapitulating Adorno's conception of natural, instinctual impulses and his use of psychoanalytic theory, I will explore the possibility of a critical rationality through a critique of rationality's current mode. From the perspective of Adorno's and Marcuse's theories, both rationality and sensuous desire play their respective roles in enabling critical rationality. In conclusion, the article reflects the different advantage points of Marcuse's and Adorno's accounts from the perspective of philosophy of education. Thus, education should provide individuals with the ability to recognise the subtle and invisible ways through which the calculating mode of rationality operates in late-capitalist society. Regarding education, Adorno's conception of non-identity could be developed in the direction of promoting ways of experiencing non-conformity within such a society. (shrink)

Addiction is standardly characterized as a neurobiological disease of compulsion. Against this characterization, I argue that many cases of addiction cannot be explained without recognizing the value of drugs to those who are addicted; and I explore in detail an insufficiently recognized source of value, namely, a sense of self and social identity as an addict. For people who lack a genuine alternative sense of self and social identity, recovery represents an existential threat. Given that an addict identification carries expectations (...) of continued consumption despite negative consequences, there is therefore a parsimonious explanation of why people who identify as addicts continue to use drugs despite these consequences: they self‐identify as addicts and that is what addicts are supposed to do. I conclude by considering how it is nonetheless possible to overcome addiction despite this identity, in part by imagining and enacting a new one. Importantly, this possibility requires the availability of social support and material resources that are all too frequently absent in the lives of those who struggle with addiction. (shrink)

One of the most brilliant political theorists of our time, Hannah Arendt intended her work to liberate, to convince us that the power to improve our flawed arrangements is in our hands. At the same time, Arendt developed a metaphor of "the social" as an alien, appearing as if from outer space to gobble up human freedom; she blamed it—not us—for our public paralysis. In _The Attack of the Blob_, Hanna Pitkin seeks to resolve this seeming paradox by tracing (...) Arendt's notion of "the social" throughout her writings. Doing this, Pitkin developes a resolution that considers everything from language to the nature of political theory itself. (shrink)

Robert Hanna works out a unified contemporary Kantian theory of rational human cognition and knowledge. Along the way, he provides accounts of intentionality and its contents, sense perception and perceptual knowledge, the analytic-synthetic distinction, the nature of logic, and a priori truth and knowledge in mathematics, logic, and philosophy. This book is specifically intended to reach out to two very different audiences: contemporary analytic philosophers of mind and knowledge, and contemporary Kantian philosophers or Kant-scholars. At the same time, it (...) rides the crest of a wave of exciting and revolutionary emerging new trends and new work in the philosophy of mind and epistemology, with a special concentration on the philosophy of perception. What is revolutionary in this new wave are its strong emphases on action, on cognitive phenomenology, on disjunctivist direct realism, on embodiment, and on sense perception as a primitive and proto-rational capacity for cognizing the world. Hanna makes a fundamental contribution to this philosophical revolution by giving it a specifically contemporary Kantian twist, and by pushing these new lines of investigation radically further. (shrink)

Drug use and drug addiction are severely stigmatised around the world. Marc Lewis does not frame his learning model of addiction as a choice model out of concern that to do so further encourages stigma and blame. Yet the evidence in support of a choice model is increasingly strong as well as consonant with core elements of his learning model. I offer a responsibility without blame framework that derives from reflection on forms of clinical practice that support change and recovery (...) in patients who cause harm to themselves and others. This framework can be used to interrogate our own attitudes and responses, so that we can better see how to acknowledge the truth about choice and agency in addiction, while avoiding stigma and blame, and instead maintaining care and compassion alongside a commitment to working for social justice and good. (shrink)

ABSTRACTDespite advances in the conceptualisation of facial mimicry, its role in the processing of social information is a matter of debate. In the present study, we investigated the relationship b...

The problem of other minds is a collection of problems centering upon the extent to which our belief in other minds or other's minds can be justified. Swedish psychologist, Gunnar Borg has developed a principle called "the range principle" which helps fill out our "knowledge" of other minds. Borg developed this principle partly in response to the skeptical challenge of Harvard psychophysicist S S Stevens. Stevens claimed that the intersubjective comparison of experience was scientifically impossible. Borg postulates that the range (...) of individual experience is roughly identical for all individuals. We can test Borg's principle or theory is we include the similarity of physical range for individuals. We have an interesting case of experimental work casting light on a traditional philosophical problem. (shrink)

This book is thus a battle of wits. . . . [A] vivid sketch of the conflict between two basic outlooks."—Library Journal "[O]ne leaves this book feeling enriched and challenged.

Can consideration of the emotions help to solve the problem of other minds? Intuitively, it should. We often think of emotions as public: as observable in the body, face, and voice of others. Perhaps you can simply see another's disgust or anger, say, in her demeanour and expression; or hear the sadness clearly in his voice. Publicity of..

I clarify some ambiguities in blame-talk and argue that blame's potential for irrationality and propensity to sting vitiates accounts of blame that identify it with consciously accessible, personal-level judgements or beliefs. Drawing on the cognitive psychology of emotion and appraisal theory, I develop an account of blame that accommodates these features. I suggest that blame consists in a range of hostile, negative first-order emotions, towards which the blamer has a specific, accompanying second-order attitude, namely, a feeling of entitlement—a feeling that (...) these hostile, negative first-order emotions are what the blamed object deserves. (shrink)

It is traditionally held that our knowledge of necessity is a priori; but the familiar theories of a priori knowledge – platonism and conventionalism – have now been discredited, and replaced by either modal skepticism or a posteriori essentialism. The main thesis of this paper is that Kant's theory of a priori knowledge, when detached from his transcendental idealism, offers a genuine alternative to these unpalatable options. According to Kant's doctrine, all epistemic necessity (which he calls “conviction” (Ueberzeugung) is grounded (...) directly or indirectly on our capacity for clear and distinct rational intuition (which he calls “insight” (Einsicht). Insight, in turn, depends upon functions of the imagination for creating “mental models” of necessary truths. This doctrine is well exemplified by Kant's account of our knowledge of simple analytic truths. (shrink)