The Bustle and the Absence of Zhuyi: The Example of Chinese Aesthetics

Author(s): Wang Jianjiang / Language(s): English Issue: 13/2017

Compared with the rapid development of Chinese economy, which is theleading one in the world, modern philosophy and aesthetics in China are in a position thatis subordinate to the West. In contemporary Chinese aesthetics, for instance, there have occurredheated discussions and a craze for aesthetics as well as various rampant Zhuyi in the1950s and 1980s. However, the debate of Zhuyi in the 1950s was described as politicized andof a low level. The bustle of Zhuyi in the 1980s bore witness to all kinds of doctrines and -ismsin Western philosophy and aesthetics that also found their way into China, although Chinesephilosophers and aestheticians remained merely spectators to these processes. A closer lookcan disclose the reasons behind the absence of Zhuyi in Chinese philosophy and reveals theroles played by aesthetics and the humanities as a whole in the earlier bustle of Zhuyi. Thereare subjective and objective reasons for the weakness of Chinese academic power. There existsa severe imbalance between underdeveloped Chinese philosophy and aesthetics and thedeveloped economy. Eliminating the imbalance is essential for China to pursue developmentfurther, but the emergence of a new balance is not possible without the establishment of Zhuyiand schools.

Zhuyi: From Absence to Bustle? Some Comments on Wang Jianjiang’s Article “The Bustle and the Absence of Zhuyi”

Author(s): Aleš Erjavec / Language(s): English Issue: 13/2017

The article is a response to the article published in Filozofski vestnik in 2016and written by Prof. Wanf Jianjiang who in recent years devoted much of his efforts to theinfluence of Western aesthetics and philosophy on Chinese humanities. Thus a notion introducedby Prof. Wang Jianjiang – Zhuyi – became the center of discussion in the papers thatare to be found in this volume of AM Journal. Prof. Jianjiang claims that Zhuyi has a similarmeaning as Western -ism and argues that Chinese aestheticians and intellectuals in generalmust develop their own theories (-isms) if they want to gain speech and not remain stuck withvoice (cf. Jacques Rancière).

‘Quadrilateral’ in Philosophy and Bie-modernism (Comments on Aleš Erjavec’s “Zhuyi: From Absence to Bustle? Some Comments on Wang Jianjiang’s Article ‘The Bustle and the Absence of Zhuyi’”)

Author(s): Wang Jianjiang / Language(s): English Issue: 13/2017

Some Additional Remarks Concerning Issues Opened by Prof. Wang Jianjiang

Author(s): Aleš Erjavec / Language(s): English Issue: 13/2017

Aleš Erjavec proposed the global philosophical quadrilateral, giving Chinese philosophy, aesthetics, and humanities an expectation. However, the realization of this expectation hinges on the question whether Chinese philosophy as well as aesthetics and the humanities can rid themselves of the staggering level of ‘voice’ and develop their ‘speech’. To make ‘speech’, any nation should have its own idea, theory and Zhuyi. How to overcome the embarrassment that ‘quadrilateral’ expectation implies? Time spatialization and four-phase development theories of the Bie-modern, and great leap forward pause theory have provided an answer. The quadrilateral expectation as shown by Aleš Erjavec, is encountering the antagonism between ‘cosmopolitanism’ and ‘nationalism’. The key to resolving this antagonism is ‘my’ original achievement consisting of ‘Chinese traditional philosophy, Western philosophy, Marxism and I (myself)’. Bie-modernism is a Zhuyi of self-regulation, self-renewal and self-transcendence and of their practical implementation.

Lessons in Equality: From Ignorant Schoolmaster to Chinese Aesthetics

Author(s): Ernest Ženko / Language(s): English Issue: 13/2017

The postponement of equality is not only a recurring topic in JacquesRancière’s writings, but also the most defining feature of modern Chinese aesthetics. Particularlyin the period after 1980’s, when the country opened its doors to Western ideas, Chineseaesthetics extensively played a subordinate role in an imbalanced knowledge transfer, in whichstructural inequality was only reinforced. Aesthetics in China plays an important role and isexpected not only to interpret literature and art, but also to help building a harmonious societywithin globalized world. This is the reason why some commentators – Wang Jianjiang beingone of them – point out that it is of utmost importance to eliminate this imbalance and developproper Chinese aesthetics. Since the key issue in this development is the problem of inequality,an approach developed by Jacques Rancière, “the philosopher of equality”, is proposed. Eventhough Rancière wrote extensively about literature, art and aesthetics, in order to confront theproblem of Chinese aesthetics, it seems that a different approach, found in his repertoire, couldprove to be more fruitful. In 1987, he published a book titled The Ignorant Schoolmaster, whichcontributed to his ongoing philosophical emancipatory project, and focused on inequality andits conditions in the realm of education. The Ignorant Schoolmaster, nonetheless, stretches farbeyond the walls of classroom or even educational system, and brings to the fore politicalimplications that cluster around the fundamental core of Rancière’s political philosophy: thedefinition of politics as the verification of the presupposition of the equality of intelligence.Equality cannot be postponed as a goal to be only attained in the future and, therefore, hasto be considered as a premise of egalitarian politics that needs to operate as a presupposition.

Nicholas Gaskill and A. J. Nocek (eds.). The Lure of Whitehead. Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press, 2014, 427 pp., ISBN 9780816679966

Author(s): Milovan Novaković / Language(s): English Issue: 12/2017

Peirce, Sebeok, and the Semiotic Reformation on Contemporary Communications

Author(s): Maria Asuncion L. Magsino / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

Language in a broad sense becomes imperative for communication to ensue. Language considered as a system of signs and signification is achieved through a process involving sign relations, e.g. semiosis. Charles S. Peirce’s Theory of Signs can provide a basic framework for the elucidation of the intelligibility of signs. Furthermore, the ability for generating sign processes in an organized manner is determined by what Thomas A. Sebeok designates as an organism’s modeling capacity. Modeling capacities range from primitive to complex, thus generating three orders of language corresponding to language as a Primary Modeling System (PMS), a Secondary Modeling System (SMS) and a Tertiary Modeling System (TMS). This Peirce-Sebeok framework for communication, which John Deely places as “postmodern,” is premised upon what he designates as the suprasubjective nature of sign relations and their equally suprasubjective function. Thus, Sebeok’s Modeling Theory together with Peirce’s doctrine on the nature and behavior of signs can be used to direct the generation as well as the interpretation of language systems in accordance with the ultimate norm of communication, that is, to reflect truth as an icon of reality.

La originalidad de la ontología tomista y su giro en torno al ser

Author(s): Claudio Marenghi / Language(s): Spanish Issue: 1/2018

The article attempts to delineate the core of the metaphysical thought of Thomas Aquinas consisting in overcoming Platonism and Aristotelianism. By following the teaching of great European Thomists of the 20th century, Etienne Gilson and Cornelio Fabro, the author tries to summarize that which, according to him, seems to constitute the core content of Thomistic metaphysics, especially its turn to the theme of being. He also refers to selected critical texts of more recent Anglo-Saxon Thomists, such as Lawrence Dewan and Stephen Brock, who call for more attention to the subject of essence. By doing so, the author considers the notion of being consisted of essence and existence, the questions of ontological difference and real distinction, the relationship between the finite and the infinite, and also the linkage between causality and participation.

Why Augustinian Apologetics and Logical Dialectic Are Not Enough to Defend the Reasonableness of the Christian Faith in an Increasingly-Fragmented World

Author(s): Peter A. Redpath / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

From close to its inception, St. Augustine’s misunderstanding of the nature of ancient Greek philosophy, “Christian philosophy,” and the way the human soul essentially relates to human body caused formal Christian education to be (a) born in a somewhat unhealthy condition, (b) founded upon a devastating mistake of organizational self-misunderstanding, which essentially prevented it from comprehending how human reason could function both abstractly as a contemplative (or speculative) scientific intellect and concretely as a command and control prudential reason. This flaw in Au-gustinian psychology of the human person and Augustine’s misunderstanding of the nature of ancient Greek philosophy continued to influence Christian education from the start of the Christian West until the Christian and secular universities of today. For contemporary Christian education to preserve its identity in an increasingly fragmented world, a psychology of the human person adequate to explain the essential connection between the human soul and body and the nature of philosophy must replace this flawed Augustinian psychology that continues to plague the contemporary world.

Fashioning Episodes Through Virtual Habit: The Efficacy of Pre-Lived Experience

Author(s): Donna E. West / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2018

In MS 620 (1909), C. S. Peirce crafts his ultimate statement regarding habit-formation. Here he defines and illustrates the influence of specific vivid virtual habits with the objective of changing future beliefs/actions. The specificity of the protoplans as deter-minations invites immediate implementation of action interventions, or recommenda-tions to change action approaches. In this way, virtual habits transcend mere possibility for implementation of the action strategy; their vividity and specificity uniquely qualify them as soon to be actualized episodes.

Проблематика культурної еліти в історії філософської думки

Author(s): Ruslana Bezugla / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 1/2011

In this topic we research and analyzes the theoretical and methodological aspects of development and cultural elite as a leading social group.

Historia filozofii jako historia problemu poznania – propozycja Ernsta Cassirera

Author(s): Przemysław Parszutowicz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 54/2009

The goal of the essay History of Philosophy as History of the Problem of Knowledge is to show how the history of philosophy was practiced in neokantian School in Marburg (notably by Ernst Cassirer). Their method was based on the historical and genetic analysis. As a result of that analysis every particular philosophical conception, both historical and contemporary, is discussed as articulation and reiterated attempt to solve some of the perennial philosophical problems. The purpose of such reformulation, however, is not another description of particular epistemological standpoints. Is seeks – according to chief principals of the critical philosophy – the ultimate base for the possibility of their variety and thus apportion of the main function of the evolution of the epistemological issues.

Henryka Kamieńskiego pytanie o Rosję: między filozofią dziejów a filozofią społeczną

Author(s): Krzysztof Wołodźko / Language(s): Polish Issue: 52/2007

The aim of this article is to present the thought of Henry Kamieński (1813-1865), the author of „Russia and Europe. Poland. The Introduction to the Research into Russia and Russians”; the work is regarded as the most important and original analysis of Russian Empire, that was written in the 19th century by a Pole. Kamieński, the philosopher, the sociologist and economist tried to inform compatriots and international opinion about the complexity of Polish-Russian relationship, described in the wide social, economic and geopolitical background. As a participant of November Uprising (1830), the theorist of democratic movement and the Siberian exile, he regarded Russian issues as important not only from Polish point of view but also the European one. He pointed to civilization thre¬ats, that could result from the lack of understanding of Empire of Tsars. Russian Empi¬re, the state without history, institutions, law and without freedom, that indicated the co¬urse of history of Western Europe, can become the reason of the decline of civilization. What is more, the submission of West Europe to Moscow, an underestimating of its po¬wer and the lack of cultural initiative and ethic elements in international politics result in the fact that Europe continuously loses its significance with Moscow profiting from it. Therefore, if Poland does not find support in the West, it can be forced to make an allian¬ce with Russia, thus marking the beginning of the Slavic Empire, the seed of new Euro¬pe.

Zaman Üzerine Bir Sınıflama Denemesi

Author(s): Feyza Ceyhan Çoştu / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 2/2015

Objective and subjective time are the most discussed fundamental differentiations about time. Apart from these two fundamental differentiations, it is seen that philosophers had focused on time from various aspects. In this study, it is sought to determine the number of various ways that philosophers had related time since Archaic Age. Therefore the issue of time is discussed under four main titles; objective and subjective time, linear and cyclical time, metaphysical time and time for the mankind, and lastly time from an analytical perspective. These four titles do not indicate a sharp differentiation about time. The aim of the study is not to classify the philosophers talked about time, but to determine the perspectives on time which had developed analytically. Each classification is approached within the framework of philosophers who had the most significant tendency to mentioned category.

Estetička i poetička misao Vujadina Jokića

Author(s): Šefket Krcić / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 01/145/2017

Rackovićeva misao dokumentarno nas uvodi u smisao i strukturu djela Vujadina Jokića, kao Filozofa i Čovjeka, te nas upućuje na originalnu filozofsku, estetičku i poetičku misao neopravdano zapostavljena i zaboravljena mislioca. Vujadin Jokić (1928.–1986.), filozof, estetičar, kritičar i pjesnik rođen je 23. prosinca 1928. godine u Velici kod Plava (Crna Gora). Rano je ostao bez roditelja, nakon što je otac poginuo u partizanima kod Kruševca, a majka spaljena u požaru sela Velika 28. srpnja 1944. od strane njemačke divizije »Princ Eugen «. Mladog šesnaestogodišnjeg Vujadina tada je osobno spasio prevoditelj Bejto Redžepagić.2 Imao je teško djetinjstvo i mladost, slično Erazmu Roterdamskom. Nakon oslobođenja, zahvaljujući društvenoj pomoći i vlastitoj moralnoj odgovornosti, uspješno je završio najprije Gimnaziju i Učiteljsku školu u Beranama i Sarajevu, a zatim čistu filozofiju.

Nierozumienie ruchu i jego konsekwencje

Author(s): Krzysztof Ostasz / Language(s): Polish Issue: XXIX/2017

We do not understand the movement that we experience continually. On the other hand, we understand constancy that we cannot experience. In my opinion, it is a prime reason for apparent and unsolvable philosophical problems. Language cannot describe empirical experience adequately. This gap between rational thinking and sensual data can be bridged with the help of metaphor.

O niemożliwości ontologicznego argumentu na istnienie Boga

Author(s): Imanuel Kant / Language(s): Polish Issue: XXIX/2017

Geneza idei epistemicznych układów odniesienia i ich odmiany

Author(s): Krzysztof J. Kilian / Language(s): English,Polish Issue: 14/2017

The term “epistemic framework” was coined by Kazimierz Jodkowski in 2004. That expression, together with the notion of epistemic frameworks, is the outcome of his prior analyses of the evolution-creation controversy.Epistemic frameworks are small, two- or three-element sets of the most general, historically changeable assumptions. These assumptions determine sine qua non conditions of scientific practice. Nowadays, two epistemic frameworks based on methodological naturalism are in competition with the epistemic frameworks of supernaturalism and artificialism.The epistemic framework of antisupernaturalistic naturalism adheres to the precept of accepting only naturalistic explanations for facts and processes. That precept is correlated with a proscription on accepting antinaturalistic explanations, construed in turn as a proscription on referring to supernatural causes.The epistemic framework of supernaturalism follows the precept of accepting not only naturalistic explanations for facts and processes, but also supernaturalistic ones — interventions by a divine being, namely God.The epistemic framework of anti-artificialistic naturalism observes the precept of accepting only naturalistic explanations for facts and processes. That precept is correlated with a proscription on accepting antinaturalistic explanations, construed in turn as a proscription on referring to artificial (intelligent) causes.The epistemic framework of artificialism embraces the precept of accepting, in the context of scientific research, not only natural causes, but artificial (intelligent) ones as well.

Refleksja nad początkami wszechświata w traktacie Be-reszit Raba

Author(s): Mirosław Rucki,Michał Prończuk / Language(s): English,Polish Issue: 14/2017

From the perspective of today’s scientific methodology, the Bible does not count as a scientific source, at least as far as the natural sciences are concerned. However, for many centuries biblical texts have inspired reflections — including those of a philosophical kind — on the beginning of the existence of all things. The treatise Midrash Rabbah, with its commentary on the Book of Genesis, is an example of such reflections. In spite of the fact that rabbinic interpretation focuses on practical aspects of the Mosaic Law, it often raises philosophical and existential questions, especially in the context of those discussions that involve the gentile philosophers referred to in the treatise. The analysis undertaken here seeks to highlight those rabbinic reflections that appear reasonable even from the perspective of modern science aimed at describing the world and its origin — even though the rabbis were not themselves engaged in any form of the natural sciences and based their reflections exclusively on biblical texts.

Wokół problematyki genezy w Czekając na Godota Samuela Becketta

Author(s): Piotr Pałac / Language(s): English,Polish Issue: 14/2017

This sketch focuses on the problem of genesis as it figures in the play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.The first part presents the notion of genesis in formal terms, listing the factors that had an influence on the emergence of the tragicomic in Beckett. These consist of a biographical aspect relating to his stay in the south of France during the Second World War, and some cultural inspirations of a philosophical, religious and literary sort. Beckett’s fascination with a phrase deriving from the Confessions of Saint Augustine influenced the work from the point of view of its formal concerns, and acting under its influence, he sought to create a unity of form and content.In the next part of the sketch, the issue of the genesis of mankind is raised. Humankind, afflicted by loneliness since the dawn of time, has sought to reverse this fate — by conceiving Reason and Intellect, and by starting a dialogue aimed at eliminating that very loneliness and despair. Yet this did not bring the expected results, so in response the idea of a transcendent being was created. Ever since that moment, humanity has found itself waiting for the latter to appear, and for the reversal of its fate that this was supposed to bring.