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The course of training in philosophy has been opened in 1992–93 year. Now it has full term accreditation for 6 years and it is on the 2th place in the national ranking of specialties. 14 young doctors in Philosophy graduated in Veliko Turnovo. Our Faculty has been accepted as national and international center of philosophical researches and education.
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Piero della Francesca is best known as a painter but he was also a mathematician. His treatise De prospectiva pingendi is a superb example of a union between the fine arts and mathematical sciences of arithmetic and geometry. In this paper, I explain some reasons why his painting is considered as a part of perspective and, therefore, can be identified with a branch of geometry.
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Generally, the historical moment of separating the moral of politics is placed upon the appearance of Machiavelli's writings. There is, however, in the same century, a less famous French thinker, Jean Bodin (1530-1569), who performs the same operation as Machiavelli, a writer analyzed by André Glucksmann. After Bodin, the idea of sovereignty is what allows us to explain why the state is preserved as existence. The state is good because it exists, because it survives, and it does not exist because it would be good. So political philosophy frees itself from all servitude to Ethics. On the other hand, under the conditions of nuclear arming, politicians can not totally abstain from the moral norms called upon to regulate political relations. Thus Max Weber's idea is that the politician has to practice an ethic of responsibility, that is, to seek to provide as much as possible the consequences of his actions and to assume responsibility for his decisions.
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The article is devoted to the Latin poem De spledidissimo Christi Jesu triumpho carmen by Martin Kromer who was one of the biggest writers of the Polish Renaissance. A theme of the work is time when Jesus Christ became alive again three days after his death. The theme are also miraculous events which took place after his Resurrection. The poet is supplementing records of the Gospel, introducing into his poem the action which isn’t complicated. He is talking about guards who stood by the grave. He is also describing the reaction of the nature which expressed its sadness because of the death of the Saviour. In the context of the report on the Resurrection, the poet is referring to the figures of ancient world belonging both to mythology, as well to history. In his artistic work Kromer isn’t presenting typical Apocrypha, he proposes a different perspective, having only character of the Apocrypha.
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The Assayer of Galileo Galilei is a classic of Italian literature. This is not only because of its formal qualities - in fact The Assayerbelongs to the most important current of Italian literature, which aims at drawing the map of what people know and what people do not know (I. Calvino). The Assayer was written in the context of the discussion on comets, and responds, paragraph by paragraph, to the Libra astronomica ac philosophica firmed by Lotario Sarsi (the pen-name of Orazio Grassi). Many authors have commented this book, so important for the methodology of modern science, and Galileo's rhetoric was always indicated as one of the most significant components of this 'opera'. From the formal (i.e. rhetorical) point of view The Assayer is an example of the judicial, defensive speech. Nevertheless, in the book one can notice the presence of the epideictic speech, to which belongs the famous tale/apologue of sound. In this essay a rhetorical and narratological analysis of the apologue in question is proposed. Different interpretations of the tale are discussed, and the special attention is paid to the argument attributed to the pope Urban VIII. The tale seems to be the founding narrative of the way in which the scientist confronts himself with the nature - the point which A. Banfi expressed in his conception of copernican model of man.
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Giordano Bruno (1548 – 1600) is regarded as the principal representative of the infinite and homogenous universe. Bruno has a modern rational mind by no means. However, his doctrine has so deeply influenced the reconstruction of a modern understanding of the material of universe and human body. His process of rebuilding the cosmology and humanity consists in learning the individual’s psychical condition and the relations between society and man. The links between the components of the brunian organic universe can be generated spontaneously from “love-Eros” for the mundane life of its infinite expansion. And in his organic universe, Bruno considers and desires all beings to be alive, all to be animated.And from this doctrine, his predilection for the magic is derived, which is based precisely on the presupposition of a universal “panpsychism” aiming to take possession of the natural world with artifices.
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The article presents Giordano Bruno's life and philosophical thoughts. The review is directed towards his determination of the One and the conflict he faced before his opinion, that is, life in the period when the Inquisition determined life or death in relation to the thinking of individuals. Bruno sought to survive free and persevering in the struggle for his thought, because living a life filled with dogmas and institutional “truths” is not a free life, and what is life if we spend it in a cave.
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Many contemporary social epistemologists take themselves to be combatting an individualist approach to knowledge typified by Descartes. Although I agree that Descartes presents an individualist picture of scientific knowledge, he does allow some practical roles for reliance on the testimony and beliefs of others. More importantly, however, his reasons for committing to individualism raise important issues for social epistemology, particularly about how reliance on mere testimony can propagate prejudices and inhibit genuine understanding. The implications of his views are worked out more fully by some of his immediate successors; I examine how François Poulain de la Barre, and (briefly) Mary Astell analyze the social conditions for epistemic agency in a Cartesian vein.
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The paper discusses Leibniz’s project for a lingua universalis undertaken in his first period, 1666- 1679, when he was enthusiastic about the possibility of creating a universal language based on the “alphabet of human thought”, which he viewed as the “most important instrument for the perfection of the human mind”. The article analyzes the main issue confronted by the young Leibniz, i.e., the creation of a list of “primitive notions”, also discussed by Descartes in his letter to Mersenne from 20th November 1629. Leibniz’s response to the issues raised by Descartes is outlined together with how he resolved them by means of the theory of so-called “blind thought” (cogitatio caeca). The article concludes with a brief account of the influence these ideas in Leibniz’s work had on the 19th century pioneers of modern logic.
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The reflections on civilization, barbarism, and their intricate relationship, which were put forward in ancient Greece, from Herodotus to Aristotle, had a longterm impact. In the mid-16th century debate which took place in Valladolid, between Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda and Bartolomé de Las Casas, about the status of the native populations of the New World, the Latin translations of Aristotle’s Politics, and its comment by St. Thomas Aquinas, proved to be especially relevant for both opponents. Were Indian natives comparable to Aristotle’s “natural slaves”? Was the war against them comparable to hunting wild beasts? The paper focuses on the debate and its contemporary implications.
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The intense and dichotomous relationship between orientalism and classicism that has been created over the last decades of the XX century, reaches new dimensions through the rapid scientific growth, the discoveries of new historical sources and artifacts, and, most importantly, through the paradigms change in many scientific disciplines. This development is also influenced by the rapid and multifaceted societal transformations in the intensively globalizing world of the new millennium. In this context, the paper explores the new understandings of these two important conceptions in the research of the past, and their redefined scope and relation in the light of the globalization theories and through the paradigm of ancient globalization.
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Kada Platon u Sofistu kaže da je “teško i mučno uloviti rod sofista (218 d) onda se on, ne htijući, negativno određuje od brzopletih i jednoznačnih interpretacija. Nije s toga čudno što, shvatajući kompleksnost (za)datog, sugeriše Teetetu da, ponajprije, okušaju metodu istraživanja na drugom lakšem predmetu... Bez obzira, dakle, što ih izrijekom naziva majstorima u protivurječenju (225b), šesti oblik u kojem se manifestuje sofističko umijeće, iako prijeporno, kao da protivurječi Platonovoj osnovnoj nakani.
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Most of the historians of philosophy know about the correspondence between Elizabeth and Descartes only due to the problem which princess had suggested to philosopher, regarding the relation of body and soul. Not that many people, however, know that their letters also concerned manifold of subjects: those of geometry, physics and medicine, as much as ethical and political questions. Undoubtedly, their correspondence testifies about origination and alteration of some of the Descartes‘ philosophical thoughts, but by far it reveals how educated and talented his correspondent was, and we can only regret because woman of such profile, besides these letters, did not leave a philosophical work.
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Descartes’s epistemology is rooted in his profound interest in and respect for what might be called intellectual experience, especially lucid intellectual experience. (Lucid intellectual experience is my term for what Descartes calls perceiving clearly and distinctly.) This interest, it seems to me, was shared by Descartes’s rationalist successors Spinoza and Leibniz. In the first part of this paper, I locate the phenomenon of lucid intellectual experience, focusing on Descartes and Spinoza. I try to show if we do not give enough attention to the character of such experience, we risk losing touch with a central motivation behind their respective epistemologies. In the second part of the paper, I consider intellectual experience in the context of skeptical doubt, particularly radical doubt. Although Descartes and Spinoza are often taken to be opposed here, I think they share more than is commonly appreciated.
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The topic of the paper is the notion of intuition in Descartes’ philosophy and its epistemic functions. Descartes introduces his notion of intuition in the context of a description of his method and process of knowing and doing science. Intuition is a significant component of this process. I intend to show that the main epistemic functions of intuition in Descartes’ philosophy are differentiated. Intuition is essential not only in the context of justification (the Cartesian synthetic method of proof) but also and especially in the context of discovery (the Cartesian analytic method of discovery). It plays not only a role in the foundation of the cogito but also on different stages of constructing the system of knowledge. Intuition has important functions in grasping simple natures, forming primary concepts, comprehending complex natures, forming primary propositions (including primary principles), and capturing relationships between them and building deductive reasoning (the role of intuition in deduction). Hence, intuition is the foundation for all primary stages of producing knowledge. It is active and important element of pure thinking (a priori) in human knowledge, and science. It fulfils these functions due to its specific epistemic properties. I also argue that intuition is not an autonomous and complete type of knowledge. Nor is it an intuitive thesis, but rather the basis of a justification for theses (including the cogito).
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The man’s position in relation to knowledge forms and regaining his dignity in terms of its unity as a being endowed with mind and soul is the essence of the epistemological theory of ethics. The thesis from which we start the new foundation of ethical theories is that: in conditions of freedom or adaptation / surviving, within the size of which the perception, representation, intention and action may bring about, one can see the human nature endowed with mind and soul. Knowledge theories aim the man and his entire ethical value that finds itself in the manner of government and social and moral living. Between the man’s „evil” and „good” we must explain the idea of solidarity, justice, truth and freedom. Within the universal value of the soul, the history of religions finds its place and the ethical values largely justify both the life here, and especially the one beyond. Or, in this new light it is required to see the ethical value of man and necessary alliances are needed that initially would require putting together those individual researches in various fields that complete harmonization of knowledge. This fact would imply a unity in diversity of ethical theories about man and society. Within the architecture of the new theory of epistemological ethics the value of human ethics and the role of ethics in theory of knowledge can be seen.
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Erasmus in Rotterdam analyze the forms of self-exploration and the need of a subjective pantheon, capable of replacing the classical mythology and the Christian one. The trickster goddess of Madness from the Erasmi enkomion is an ephemeral god of private happiness. The individual assumes the liberty of reconstructing his interior space.
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Essay writing by Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) and Francis Bacon (1561-1626) are analysed in this article. The hypothesis raised is that the essay writing by F. Bacon is formal whereas that by M. de Montaigne is informal. F.Bacon regards the form of the essay as an alternative to the language of the natural sciences. He provides a reader with Essays or Counsels: Civil and Moral. The initiator of the personal essay is M. de Montaigne. He creates narrative identity and considers his own “I” as an inseparable part of the Essay. This article deals with the approach of philosophy towards literature following an analysis on the issue of truth making. Certain aspects of stylistics are discussed - applying the principle of irony and the meaning of quotations. The examination reveals how the process occurs while the author creates his/her identity and what conditions are required to consider the essay form as an alternative to philosophical discourse. Additionally this work emphasizes the origin of the essay genre which links artistic and scientific discourse.
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Jedno je nesporno u najrazličitijim pristupima Renesanse, osim rijetkih izuzetaka, za novum koji ona sobom (do)nosi, ima da zahvalimo čovjeku pod kojim se, po pravilu misli na muškarca. Ulogu žene, pri čemu se počeci Renesanse ne razlikuju mnogo od srednjovjekovnog tretiranja iste, u dramaturgiji tadašnjeg življenja nije se u bitnome mijenjala. Uglavnom spremačica i roditeljica eonima daleko od akademskih, obrazovnih, stvaralačkih i političkih djelatnosti, da i ne spominjemo neobuzdane zabave, hedonizam naprimjer i tome slično.
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