Abstract: The subject of this research is the phenomenon of understanding, associated with it ambiguity and meaning of the language elements (words, sentences or text). The author examines their dependence on marginal conditions, within which the understanding has taken place. Ambiguity of understanding, in turn, is justified by the dichotomy of intensional (actual) quality of language objects (words, sentences or text). Such quality is given within the inner context (through which the object prevails), but unfolds in regard to the subject within outer context using the corresponding marginal cognitions (natural paradigms). The process of understanding is perceived as a process of achieving completeness of conformity of the actual quality, set in the inner context, its manifestation in the outer context in regard to the subject. Based on phenomenological approach, the author determines the marginal conditions. The author describes the essence of hermeneutic circle, as well as interrelation between expectations and intuition. Understanding as a process always has two vectors of development: horizontal and vertical. This matters in learning. Depending on correlation between the marginal conditions and expectations of the subject itself, the author identifies the difference between possibility and probability of understanding. The scientific novelty consists in substantiation of the ambiguity of understanding through the dichotomy of intensional (actual) quality of language elements. Understanding and sense is examined depending on the accepted by the subject natural paradigms (marginal conditions of understanding). The article analyzes the dialogueness of understanding in communication between “Self” and Other, as well as the influence of marginal conditions in hermeneutic logics. The perceived idea behind the text or its part in communication is often deemed through interrelation of senses: subjective (understood by Self) and intersubjective (meant for understanding by the Other).

Keywords: probability and possibility, property of intention, explanation, expectation, hermeneutic circle, preunderstanding, context, bias, abstraction, wholeness

Abstract: The subject of this research is the methodology and practice of the historical-philosophical activity reflected in the book by I. A. Ilyin “The Philosophy of Hegel as a Doctrine of the Concreteness of God and Humanity”. The author attempts to demonstrate that Ilyin’s concept contains the ideas that can be adequately understood considering the development of hermeneutics in the XIX-XX centuries. Special attention is given to Ilyin’s attitude towards romantic hermeneutics and the concept of “substantive understanding”. The research is based on a set of the traditional historical-philosophical methods, hermeneutic methodology, and the tradition of comparative analysis of historical-cultural phenomena. The article substantiates a thesis that the fundamental hermeneutic ideas of historical-philosophical concept of I. A. Ilyin on the need for independent vision of a subject that received reflection in the philosophical concept, and the necessity of reproducing the “soulful-spiritual” experience of the philosopher, as the conditions for understanding his doctrine, connect only through the method of “consciousness' experience” formulated in the “Phenomenology of Spirit”.

Keywords: Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel, Ivan Alexandrovich Ilin, methodology of the history of philosophy, history of philosophy, hermeneutics, experience of consciousness, understanding, Chladenius, hermeneutics of romanticism

Abstract:   This article presents the analysis of Gadamer’s relation to the philosophical heritage of Hegel. The author attempts to demonstrate that Gamader’s contemplation of the points of Hegelian philosophy, in which his aspirations intersect with the content of dialectic-speculative system of Hegel, are capable of substantially specifying the characteristic for the philosophical hermeneutics understanding of historicism.  The article highlights the moments of similarity and differences between the positions of the philosophers, particularly examines Gadamer’s criticism of Hegelian teaching about reflection and structure of the phenomenological experience, as well as demonstrates the importance of the “Phenomenology of Spirit” for comprehending the regularities of development of storyline in “Truth and Method” in one of its key aspects. The scientific novelty consists in substantiation of the idea about the crucial importance of Gadamer’s apprehension of Hegelian philosophy for structuring the philosophical hermeneutics as an independent way of philosophizing within the context of post-classical philosophy. At the same time, the author underlines that the criticism of separate elements of Hegel’s system in “Truth and Method” should not interrupt the profound closeness of the thinkers in understanding the character of mediation of history and modernity.    

Keywords: phenomenological experience, Phenomenology of Spirit, Truth and Method, speculative philosophy, hermeneutics, Hegel, Gadamer, reflection, understanding, historicism

Abstract: The authors examine the correlation between the communication and text within the framework of the process of philosophizing. For description of the mechanism of such correlation is used the notion of “format”. It is noted that the format of textual-communicative organization of the philosophical thought, which is currently represented in conference, symposium, congress, roundtable discussion, has its own tradition ascending towards the ancient symposium. The article sets a task to determine the symposium form in philosophical texts, which contained the foundations of its tradition. In order to resolve this task, the authors explore the texts combined into the table-talk genre based on the example presented by Plato’s dialogue “The Symposium”. The methodological basis lies in the communicative approach towards hermeneutics of the philosophical text, which is views in the dynamics of establishment of the meaning as the source of meaningfulness in communication. The scientific novelty consists in determination and analysis of the symposium form as the mechanism of coordination of philosophical text and actual communicative process of the table talk. The authors come to the conclusion, according to which the philosophical text is initiated by the communicative process of the table talk as a position of self-reflection that allows preventing a thread of sliding towards senselessness. Communicative situation of the text and set by it example of quasi-argumentation represent the parameters of the form, by the means of which the text brings meaningfulness into the reality of communication.  

Keywords: dialogue, communicative situation of the text, sense, form, symposium, communication, philosophical text, argumentation, table talk, text representation

Abstract: The purpose of the author is consideration through a prism of distinction of knowledge and understanding of special spheres of human communication where professional strategy (technologies), social hierarchies (status and role dispositions) and the thinnest aspects of actually interpersonal relations are bound. To understand means to be able to generate (to open) meanings of forms of culture and human communication in an alloy of understading and experience, cognitive and strong-willed, setting discourses and contexts. To know means to own socially and personally intelligent experience, conceptually and almost fixed, to possess skill of work with meanings that also assumes existence of the limits and borders. Methods: comparative and analytical and structural and descriptive, existential hermeneutial and phenomenological methods. Analogies, oppositions, interpretations, idealization and other methodological techniques are also used What do to know and to understand people mean? What gives us experience of daily occurrence and, for example, psychiatric work? So the questions posed in the second part of article leads to a conclusion about the need for social and humanitarian researches of the holistic vision of a phenomenon of the person that is possible at synthesis explanatory and hermeneutic practices. 

Keywords: knowledge, understanding, meaning, human, humanitarian knowledge, psychiatry, subject, object, ill person, self-reflection

Abstract: The modern Protestant Bible hermeneutics has two main paradigms: the conservative paradigm and the liberal paradigm. The liberal hermeneutic paradigm was formed in XVIII -XIX centuries under the influence of the ideas of Enlightenment and Positivism. Later existentialism also had a significant influence on it.  The conservative paradigm as we know it was formed in the XIX century as a reaction to the spread of the liberal paradigm. The conservative hermeneutic paradigm is related to the conservative theological and metaphysical position in Protestantism.  These paradigms are the object of studies in this article. The article uses social philosophical analysis, comparative analysis, psychological analysis, and general scientific methods. Social and philosophical analysis allowed to uncover the influence of social and political elements on the later interpretation of sacral texts. With its help the author defines specific historical prerequisites for the development of hermeneutic strategies. The conservative movement has the most influence among the clergy, and interpretation based on conservative approach is often used in the preaching practice: for preaching, counseling talks and missionary work. Liberal approach has more influence in the academic circles. The two movements have mutual distrust towards each other. From the standpoint of conservative Protestants, the representatives of the liberal movement are doubtful Christians.  And from the standpoint of the liberal Protestant the conservative approach towards the Bible interpretation is hardly scientific.  The conservative approach is irrational (while not being mystical). At the same time, it should be noted that in the late XX century fundamentalism merged with the postmodernism, since these two approaches similarly distrust critical mindset.

Keywords: hermeneutics, Bible studies, Protestantism, fundamentalism, conservativism, liberalism, existentialism, Rudolf Karl Bultmann, Karl Barth, semiotics