Suma Prieš Pagonis Trečioji Knyga. 26–37 Skyriai
Summa contra Gentiles. Book III. Chapter 26–37
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Summa contra Gentiles. Book III. Chapter 26–37
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The Bible has always had a great influence on the art of Western civilization. Biblical images and motifs are often used in literary works and theatrical events. This article covers three possible exemplars of the relation between Biblical images and text of the performance which function in the contemporary Lithuanian theatre (1990–2009). These exemplars are: imitation, transformation, and deformation. The imitational relation is revealed in the staging of E. Nekrošius ,,Canto of Cantos“; the transformational relation is clear in the play „Lord, smile on us“ of R. Tuminas; and the play „P.S. Case O.K.“ of O. K oršunovas represents the deformational relation. The ideal biblical images are the most common in these performances. When being imitated, they correspond with the message of the Revelation. When one transforms them, their dramatic side is accentuated. In the case of deformation, they are taken out of the context of Revelation and become just a means of expression of the main ideas of the performance.
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This article deals with a possibility to express experience through language in a philosophical talk. Effect of a philosophical talk is revealed through the analogy of an impact of artwork. Aspects of an artistic experience are given as a basis for application of the same mechanism when thinking about a philosophical talk. Dimentions of a „weighty“ talk as opposed to an empty one are described and analysed. A talk as creation is opposed to a mere comment referring to George Steiner; memorization of a text or a talk is put as a condition for true interpretation and hence a „weighty“ talk. However, character of memorizing is questioned in analysis of G. Steiner’s suggested vigilant memory and patterns of memorization in oral culture, discussed by Walter Ong and Albert Lord. It is suggested that unconscious aspect of our memory could be effectively used in stimulating a vivid interaction between words and experience, thus helping to reveal their meaning. Another aspect important for the topic is dimention of narrative and dialogue. Talking as narration is considered not as a direct transfer of experience, but as a seed for it. Talking as dialogue is related to creating experience in the moment of talking, also having a great effect on perception of the issue and is further related to the question of ethics. On the whole, the topic of this work could be described with a question: „how is it possible to say more than words?“.
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Summa contra Gentiles. Book III. Chapter 22–25
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The results of the interpretation of the Constitution depend on a number of factors. First and foremost, they depend on the legal consciousness and philosophical worldview of the interpreter as well as its knowledge of the relevant historical background. The final outcomes of the interpretation depend on the qualification or skills of the interpreter and its ability to see the big picture. While interpreting the Constitution, the interpreter exerts full discretion which also provides the right to freely choose the methods of interpretation and independently decide what interpretation i.e. application of particular methods, will be considered official. Official doctrine and scholarly doctrine are only a small part of the possible interpretations that circulate in a democracy. Another type of interpretation, albeit having a number of limitations but still dominant in the minds of the public at large, is permeated by common sense logic. Although these interpretations have a certain logical consistency, the problems are analyzed superficially and without drawing upon systemic cognitive analysis. Therefore common sense interpretations may be popular with the public at large, but they are easily defeated conceptually by employing methods and arguments of scholarly and official doctrine. It should be noted, however, that common sense interpretations are valuable as an expression of freedom of speech and self-expression. The society uses common sense interpretations to expresses its expectations, therefore scholars and the official interpreter should be aware of and consider them. Official, scholarly and common sense interpretations of the Constitution are the outcome of society’s intellectual capacities, thus they exist naturally in a society. The interpretation of the Constitution is a permanent process of the exchange of opinions existing in society on the genuine meaning of the Constitution. It begins from the superficiality of common sense interpretations, moving to scholarly arguments (i.e. a systematic understanding of the problem) and then finally from scholarly interpretation to the official constitutional doctrine, which is then subjected to the interpretations at the common sense level, with this process repeating itself in a cyclical manner.
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Summa contra Gentiles. Book III. Chapter 16–21
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The purpose. The article is devoted to the theoretical crystallization of methodology and the discovery of the semiological significance of culturological art criticism in the complex study of the chamber art of Ukraine. Methodology. Methods of historiographic, chronological analysis and interdisciplinary approach have been applied. Scientific novelty consists in the categorical crystallization of the methodological foundations of culturological art criticism and the definition of perspective tasks of understanding the chamber art of Ukraine in the discourse of the semiotic paradigm of culture of late 20th and early 21st centuries. Conclusions. The analysis of the special literature reveals the importance of comprehension the chamber art in an integrated way based on the strategy of culturological art criticism, which includes the integration of historical-style musicological analysis and systemic-semiotic, hermeneutic methodological approaches of a wide range, namely, the application of research instruments of the philosophy of music, musical textology, semiotics, aesthetics, intermedial theory and cultural hermeneutics. Taken together, this lays the foundation for a new cultural doctrine of contemporary musicology that leads to a comprehension of the historical, cultural, semiotic and intermedial problems of chamber art in the context of the universalistic aspects of postmodern culture. From this perspective, the need for aesthetic, philosophical and cultural studies of the chamber art of Ukraine in terms of solving the following urgent problems: the definition of the characteristics of the sign-intonation traditions of the chamber ensemble and the disclosure of their semiotic significance in the development of the musical culture of Ukraine in the postmodern era; the study of the intertextual and intermedial aspects of logic and the semiology of the creative process; the formation of the aesthetic-hermeneutic concept of modern chamber performance in the semiotic context of a new system of artistic communication based on interactivity and intermediality.
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The purpose of the work is to reveal the methodological potential of the phenomenological analysis of cultural phenomena to intensify the search of modern technologies of cultural studies. Methodology. The conceptual methodological core of the research is the comparative analysis of the theoretical and methodological instruments of the phenomenological analysis that allows us to determine the general and special characteristics of its modifications as well as to identify the features of their use in cultural studies. Scientific Novelty. The scientific novelty of work consists in comprehending of the phenomenological analysis from the perspective of cultural problems. The work deals with the prospects of the use of theoretical and methodological apparatus of descriptive and transcendental phenomenology of Husserl, of socio-phenomenological analysis of A. Schutz, of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology and of Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology for the study of social and cultural facilities. Conclusions. The analysis shows the wide range of theoretical and methodological concepts of phenomenology and their potential for Cultural studies.
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The paper examines several inaccuracies in the evaluation of the status of ordinary observations in science. The analysis is centered on the examples from writings of Alan Chalmers and Ian Hacking. Concerning Hacking’s „commonplace facts“ about observation, it is noted that an important platitude is under-emphasized: no experiment, no use of instrument is possible without ordinary observation. It is also argued that the Galileo-example presented by Alan Chalmers does not substantiate his claim that an essential change in the standards of science was brought about at that time; that the replacement of inconsistent naked eye observations does not lead to the general distrust of the senses; that an important part of Galileo’s arguments was based on independent ordinary observations. The corrections of ordinary observations and the use of instruments supporting the senses had been known for ages.
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The article deals with the relationship between the philosophy of life of Wilhelm Dilthey and Friedrich Nietzsche. It investigates the gnoseological problematics of these authors as it is closely related to ontological problematics. The author analyzes and interprets the concepts of life of Dilthey and Nietzsche and their influence on the cognitive theory.
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Big ideological shifts and innovations have always accompanied Western culture. One of the most important shifts was the formation and spread of Christianity, its interpretation of reality and ethics. It is impossible to overview all the different methodological approaches to Christianity, but it is still necessary to ask what validates the possibility of the Christian faith today and what practical outcomes can we expect in the future, for even the most fundamental institutions cannot live in the past. Therefore, this article aims to reflect upon the nature of theology and its status as Sciencia Practica rooted in two fundamental functions of theology: hermeneutical and ethical. Besides the cognitive and apologetic functions, theology first of all is an interpretation of reality that presupposes participation. Theoreticians as Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Heidegger and many others were interested in the dialectics of understanding and participation. This feature of theology distinguishes it from natural approach of the natural sciences and supernatural doctrines. The first part of the article is dedicated to the hermeneutical function of theology, while Christian ethics is explored in the second. This survey uncovers the hermeneutic circle between the Church as the community of believers and the theological self-interpretation which ends up with ethical imperatives, best seen through the notion of conscience. For the deeper understanding of Christian notion of conscience I make a comparison to the perspective to the secular authority, Martin Heidegger.
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Priest, poet and pedagogue Motiejus Gustaitis (1870.02.27. - 1927.12.24.) is among most prominent persons who revived Lithuanian national self-consciousness at the beginning of the 20th century. He graduated from the gymnasium in Marijampolë and Seinai Priest Seminary. M. Gustaitis was one of the best educated priests and intellectuals in Lithuania. After graduating from the seminary, he studied literature and philosophy in Freeburg (Switzerland), music in Rogensburg, Canon Law in Jesuit St. Apolinar University in Rome. After returning to Freeburg in 1903, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic of A. Mickevièius’s (A. Mickiewicz) poetry. Having come back to Lithuania, he worked as a chaplain in Marijampolë, Seinai, and its Lazdijai gymnasia, as a teacher and director. During World War I, he was concerned with the teaching of children of Lithuanian deportees in Russia. Throughout this time, he also wrote copiously to reestablish independent Lithuania and published his poetry. The attempt to publish in 1940 a collection of his poetry was not successful. The Soviets broke into the Sakalas Printing House in Kaunas and burnt the collection of poems, which was almost ready for print. Only one or two copies were saved by a worker who passed the copies to M. Gustaitis’ grandson, Algirdas Gustaitis, who in turn rescued a copy during the years of deportation and gave it to the present author in Los Angeles, USA. The present author published that collection as a separate book “ Motiejus Gustaitis - Priest, Poet, Teacher” (V. 2008. 406 p.), now available for the broad circle of readers. The article not only elucidates succinctly the history of that book, but also presents the life of M. Gustaitis and gives an evaluation of the importance of his creative heritage for the present-day life.
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This article contains an analysis of the legal and philosophical aspects of the Constitution. It shows that precisely the features of (a) integrality and (b) exceptional juridical power allow one to understand the Constitution as a legal and philosophical document. The Constitution’s integrality feature, entrenched in legal form, determines its hermeneutical nature. The Constitution’s exceptional (supreme) juridical power feature determines the existence of a strictly definite hierarchy of legal norms, as well as the need for a unanimous interpretation of the Constitution. Because of the features of the Constitution, the hermeneutics of the Constitution is a complicated and permanent process. The hermeneutical task of Constitution’s content is solved by a single interpreter. In his disposition is all hermeneutical methodology . Next to the legal methods, a philosophical method becomes meaningful because it unveils word-view attitudes of the interpreter, as well as an attitude not only to separate expressis verbis provisions of Constitution, but also the completeness of the Constitution
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This paper is dedicated to the main tendencies of the contemporary mysticism studies. The aim of the article is to explore the possibilities of the investigation of the mystical experience. There are different conceptions of the mystical experience proposed by contemporary scientists and cherished by mystics. I draw the clear distinction between the mystical experience as a process of whole life and the mystical experience as a transient trance. Even the latter conception preferred by most of the scientists seems to have too many variations. I discuss some most important researches in the brain studies and examine the investigations of the trance caused by the chemical and organic substances. The question of an authenticity of the mystical experience is crucial here. The texts of the medieval Christian mystics such as Teresa of Avila, Jan van Ruusbroec and the author of the Cloud of Unknowing help to find the base for the identification of the authenticity and to research the influence of the tradition on the mystical experience.
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Priest, poet and pedagogue Motiejus Gustaitis (1870. 02. 27. - 1927. 12. 24.) is among most prominent persons who revived Lithuanian national self-consciousness at the beginning of the 20th century. He graduated from the gymnasium in Marijampolé and Seinai Priest Seminary. M. Gustaitis was one of the best educated priests and intellectuals in Lithuania. After graduating from the seminary, he studied literature and philosophy in Freeburg (Switzerland), music in Rogensburg, Canon Law in Jesuit St. Apolinar University in Rome. After returning to Freeburg in 1903, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic of A. Mickevièius’s (A. Mickiewicz) poetry. Having come back to Lithuania, he worked as a chaplain in Marijampolë, Seinai, and its Lazdijai gymnasia, as a teacher and director. During World War I, he was concerned with the teaching of children of Lithuanian deportees in Russia. Throughout this time, he also wrote copiously to reestablish independent Lithuania and published his poetry. The attempt to publish in 1940 a collection of his poetry was not successful. The Soviets broke into the Sakalas Printing House in Kaunas and burnt the collection of poems, which was almost ready for print. Only one or two copies were saved by a worker who passed the copies to M. Gustaitis’ grandson, Algirdas Gustaitis, who in turn rescued a copy during the years of deportation and gave it to the present author in Los Angeles, USA. The present author published that collection as a separate book “Motiejus Gustaitis - Priest, Poet, Teacher” (V. 2008. 406 p.), now available for the broad circle of readers. The article not only elucidates succinctly the history of that book, but also presents the life of M. Gustaitis and gives an evaluation of the importance of his creative heritage for the present-day life.
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On the basis of phenomenological, hermeneutical and cultural-analytic methods, my article argues that phenomenology is an essentially incompleteness and that the phenomenological access to the world is multi-faceted and contextual. Phenomenology is presented as an open method, having no specific and discernible direction; it is a path that has no closure. One focus of the article are the variants of reduction and the shortcomings of transcendental reduction. In turn, arguments are introduced to show how phenomenological reduction determines an authentic, open and unconditional awareness of presumptions and prejudgments. In this context, the article discloses the problematic of intentional awareness and shows how this characteristic of awareness shapes the multi-vocal, open and contextual experience. Not the least, the article addresses the way that awareness of emptiness or “empty awareness” is disclosed by phenomenological insight.
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The article deals with the issue of sensus from hermeneutical and existential point of view. Sensus is analysed as interconnection between its components, i. e. between sense, sensations, attitude, mind, sentence and understanding. The follow theses are developed: tension between the sensus’ components of different nature nourishes the content of philosophy; the relation between understanding’s contexts and existential whole is analogous to relation of sensus’ components; the contexts of sense arises in existential whole, which is formed under the influence of these contexts; sense arises as transition from a part we understand to the whole to be understand and vice versa; polyphonic and polychromic existential background as space of our becoming arises during creation-understanding-action by changing the roles of author, hero and reader concerning different registers of first-second plane, of activity-passivity, as well of type-prototype. Sense is treated as existential giving a sense in lingual-visual living world, participants of which we become by inscribing within it our story from the birth until death. The author presents multi-stage GDL’s (Grand Duchy of Lithuania) context, within which is inscribed a citizen’s biography of its imaginable society. The article deals as well with minor (understanding of the phenomena) and major (formation of existential picture) hermeneutical circles and with their interconnection during understanding.
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The intellectual map of the schools of thought and key thinkers of XXth century so remains somewhat bleak in Lithuanian academic discourses. The penetrating, unconventional critique of Western institutions developed by Ivan Illich throughout several decades of the last century for a number of reasons remains largely unknown in Lithuanian academic culture. This article is one of the first attempts to present an overview of his archaeology of ideas and to trace the main shifts in his intellectual life. The article also analyses the sources and background of his arguments and reconsiders his impact on the critique of modernity’s institutions from a deep historical perspective. It is suggested that his personal biography is a key importance in trying to understand in what contexts his ideas took form. The first part of the study is a general biocritical overview of his life, personality and most essential works, with an emphasis on the main stages of his intellectual endeavour. The second part is directed toward the analysis of his critique of Western institutions and modern systems: school, transportation, health care. The later shift toward historical studies of concepts is reconsidered in the context of his life-long research interests.
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