Abstract: The subject of this research is the understanding of dialectics as a universality of the critical interpretational rationalism. The main stages of the establishment of a new dialectical method in the history of philosophy are being examined. Special attention is given to the Hegelian and the Marxist theories of dialectics. The author determines the essential cluster of the elements (core) of dialectics, which remains throughout the entire history of its development, as well as gives an extensive criticism to Karl Popper’s understanding of dialectics. Reconstruction of the main ideas of hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jean-Paul Sartre is being conducted. The scientific novelty consists in the following statement: the linear dialectics of the XIX century is currently opposed to the nonlinear dialectics, the essence of which lies in the hermeneutic movement for the purpose of resolution of the contradictions between the part and the whole, private and public, secondary and primary. The object is being viewed alternately in different contexts, and the mind sort of executes a “shuttle” movement from the object to one “horizon”, from the latter to another “horizon”, and then back to the object.  Unlike the linear scheme (thesis – antithesis – synthesis), the new understanding of dialectics first and foremost consists in the ability to fit an object into various, and most often opposite (contrary), conceptual contexts, which confront each other as binary oppositions.

Keywords: culture, laws, method, contradiction, rationalism, hermeneutics, semantic contexts, oppositions, binarity, dialectics

Abstract: This article poses the problem of establishment of the prerequisites for future female emancipation in Ancient Greece. The author examines the status of a woman formed by the classical period of Ancient Greece, which in essence was close to the status of a household slave. Nevertheless, we can observe that the woman’s position in Sparta was a lot better than in other poleis. It is explained by the high level of archaism of the Spartan social order and lower level of development of the commodity-financial relations; as well as a certain type of slave ownership, which required a strong consolidation of free citizens in face of danger of the Helots uprising. This work demonstrates that the comparison of women’s status in Sparta and Athens becomes one of the two foundations for the two contradictory solutions of a “women’s issue” by Plato on one hand, and Aristotle on the other. The author analyzes Aristotle’s justification of the class and gender slavery, as well as interprets Plato’s argumentation of the idea of equality between a man and a woman by their nature and his project of liberation of women in the utopian fair state. The historical-genetic and sociocultural origins of gender equality are being determined. The role of Plutarch as a theoretician-“feminist” and a successor of Plato’s idea of gender equality is being demonstrated. The scientific novelty of this research consists in the fact that unlike the ideology of the modern feminist authors, which mainly includes the unmasking of the “patriarchy” of the ancient culture, it reflects the emergence and gradual progress of the idea of gender equality within the patriarchal and overall antiquated culture.

Keywords: Plutarch’s feminism, Woman’s dignity, Spousal Eros, Utopia of the Ancient Greek comedy, Primeval Communism, Plato’s social utopia, Project of female emancipation, Woman’s nature, Idea of gender equality, Gender slavery

Abstract:   The subject of this research is the search for the optimal combination of the creative and biographical components in reflection of a life path of the philosophers based on the example of Hegel. The importance of solution of this task is associated with the unacceptability within the historical-philosophical science of the replacement of analysis of the inner content of the philosophical doctrines by the reproduction of the biographical and socio-historical connections, as well as disregard for the “vital” aspects in description of the philosopher’s creative work. In particular, the article underlines the connection between the evolution of the Hegelian project of the system of philosophy with the teaching activity of the thinker, which encouraged to shift from the project “System of Science” to the encyclopedic model of building the system of philosophy. The scientific novelty is substantiated by the need for clarification of the established within the historical-philosophical science approaches to the description of the life path of the thinker. Making an accent on the meaningful aspects of Hegel’s creative work as the basis of his “conceptual biography”, the author understands the dangers associated with the unilateral execution of such approach. In this regard, the author attempts to reconstruct the connections of the biographical facts with the inner content of Hegel’s most important compositions, first and foremost – the “Phenomenology of Spirit”.  

Keywords: historical and cultural context, principle of autonomy of the text, Hegel's encyclopedic system, Phenomenology of Spirit, System of Science, evolution of Hegel's philosophy, Hegel's philosophical system, philosopher creativity, philosophical biography, Hegel's teaching activities

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of the factors and value-semantic bases of the two interdependent sociocultural phenomena – "charity" and "civil society". The author gives evaluation to theoretical views of the philosophers D. Rawls, P. Bourdieu and F. Fukuyama, who analyze the relations of civil society based on such values as trust, justice, responsibility and social capital. The author believes that it is impossible to perform charity effectively without these values. The author assesses the humanistic potential of charity as a social phenomenon in the context of need for harmonization of public environment and formation of the civil society institutions. .The conclusion is made that currently the social charitable practices play an important role in formation and development of civil society in modern Russia. It is a significant factor of evolution of the Russian super-ethnos. Participation in charitable activities encourages the social mobilization of the society, as well as forms civil activity of an actor based on the principles of solidarity and social justice.

Keywords: mercy, social support, pro-social activities, social culture, Russian super-ethnos, social capital, social justice, civil society, charity , humanity

Abstract:     This article examines the models of modernizations followed by Russia, beginning with the reforms of Peter the Great and up until the XX century. Special attention is given to the trends of transformations, which in response to the challenges of time were carried out in the area of government structure and economic life of the Russian society, considering the historically established legal norms and spiritual-cultural traditions. In I. N. Sizemskaya research, the history of Russia’s modernization is presented as the history of geopolitical and cultural relations of Russia and Europe; the reforms of Peter the Great are being considered as its origins, which after accepting Christianity, became the first major attempt to include the country into the all-European course of development. The author believes that the reforms of Peter the Great were not a modernization in its classical form, i.e. a transition from the traditional society to modern society, but they drastically turned the society towards the reformations in the political-administrative, religious, and cultural institutions, as well as defined the beginning of its path towards the innovation development according to the vector of Modern Times. An important factor in this process became the establishment of a platform for the emergence of Russian culture, similar to European. As the next historically significant stage of modernistic reforms, the author reviews the reforms of Alexander II, which were actively supported by the Russian liberalism. Such reforms oriented towards capitalization of the Russian society, taking into account its actual state and readiness for the innovation transformations. As demonstrated by I. N. Sizemskaya, the West will become the example of development; capitalism will become the goal; and the “catching modernization” – the way for its achievement. Within the retrospective socio-philosophical analysis of the model of modernization, the author of this article bases herself on interpretation of modernization as the process that captures all spheres of social life and contains a sociocultural component as a guarantee for success, which provides a sustainable character to the implemented changes.    

Keywords: Reforms of Peter the Great, Era of Great Reforms, Alexander II, Russian liberalism, Russia’s model of capitalization, Catching modernization, Culture, Economics, Innovation development , Modernization

Abstract: The object of this research is the peculiarities of the “Society of the Spectacle”, while the subject is the theatricality of the consumer society. The author analyzes the nature and inclusiveness of the simulacrums and simulations, the phenomenon of commodification, and the correlation of the real and symbolic. The work examines the phenomena of commodification and excessive consumption as the orientations of post-modernistic and consumerist outlook, as well as the link between consumption and system of ethical orientations. The author reviews the contrariety of the value dimensions of the consumer society; the processes of substitution of the authentic with the fictitious, real with virtual; and the role of social illusions in formation of the ideologemes. The scientific novelty consists in substantiation of the position about the modern society as the “society of the spectacle”. The analyzing problematics allows making the following conclusions: 1) theatricality is the attribute of the consumer society; 2) special relevance for the scientific research consists in the questions of formation of the social illusions and their impact upon the mass consciousness.

Keywords: visibility, illusion, hyperreality, theatricality, commodification, consumerism, postmodernism, Society of the Spectacle, simulacrum, myth

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the relevant problem of cultural philosophical study of the phenomenon of videogames. The subject of this research is the virtual world of videogames. The authors analyze the essence of the notions “virtual”, “virtual reality”, “virtual world”, “and virtual world of a videogame”. The work presents the results of the conducted analysis of the foreign and Russian literary sourced, dedicated to the questions of examinations of the virtual worlds. The author trace the evolution of the notion “virtual world” within the scientific literature, as well as formulate a generalized definition of the virtual world as a computerized three-dimensional or two-dimensional environment that simulates the real world, and in which the users represented by the avatars are capable of synchronized and simultaneous communication. It is noted that the ability of implementation of a similar definition in examination of the non-computer virtual worlds is limited within the cultural philosophical aspects. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that for the first time the definition of the “virtual world of a videogame” is being formulated. The work also gives definition to the notion “virtual world”, which can be applied not only to a cultural philosophical research of the virtual worlds constructed by videogames, but also to the analysis of the essence of the virtual worlds of non-computer origin.

Keywords: Virtual reality, Philosophy of videogames, Virtual world of a videogame, Simulacrum, Post-modernistic philosophy, Architect of virtual worlds, State of flow, Gaming-type phenomena, Game studies, Universality of simulacrums