Abstract: This article sets an objective of explicating the representations of Buddhists of the Gelug School about who is a philosopher, what is an accurate philosophical knowledge, its role and place in the soteriological system of Buddhism. The authors determine and analyze the key characteristics that define a Buddhist philosopher: “coming to refuge” of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; using as true argument (Tibetan –  rtags yang dag) for proper conclusion a reputable opinion (lung); acquisition of assurance in the true idea of Buddhist philosophy as a special form of doctrine through evidence; impartial (Tibetan – ma chags pa, chags med) attitude towards any ideas that blends with confidence in accuracy of the own opinion in such way that both, impartiality and confidence secure each other. The article provides an analysis of the process of philosophical cognition as an essential component of soteriological project of Buddhism. The work is conduced based on the referential Tibetan language sources viewed in the context of living tradition of the Central Asian Buddhism. The authors establish that a Buddhist philosopher of the Gelug tradition by the virtue of prasanga (Tibetan – thal ‘gyur; a particular type of conclusions proposed in response to the opponent’s assertion, due to which, leaning only upon the acknowledged by the opponent assertion, reveals its falsehood), as well as ordinary evidence form a median position of mind, and remaining within the framework of philosophy, solve the task of refuting the false representations. The established true representation and assurance in its validity, possess specific peculiarities that make them suitable for further application in the process of realization of the direct control over the final truth with help of the meditative techniques.

Keywords: education, scholasticism, Gelug, Mahayana, Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan Buddhism, debate, Prasangika, Madhyamaka, personality

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the conceptual difficulty occurred in philosophy directly when the latter attempts to comprehend the analogies to which constantly refers. Indeed, in order to understand something obscure, we are force to lean on something that seems common and familiar. As a result, something obscure becomes comprehensible by analogy with what we have seemingly discerned. Thus, human consciousness begins to cogitate by analogy with the computer; society – with the Internet; and world – with the computer game. Is it possible in such instance to rely on philosophy if its results appear to be just a consequence of the selected analogy? In order to answer this question, the author specifically refers to the analysis of media determinism, the unspoken foundation for the modern media research. It is demonstrated that media determinism is inevitable, if behind analogy stands not just a philosophical method, but profound possibility to achieve the “action itself” (in other words, media determinism is inevitable because the analogy is understood improperly). The author concludes that analogy should be acknowledged as the imperative method of philosophical work. Therefore, it is necessary to specifically examine the analogies used by the philosophers, give critical insight, as well as verify if they selected analogies actually lead to significant results, or on the contrary, only confuse the researcher.

Keywords: metaphor, mediadeterminism, philosophical methodology, analogy, media studies, philosophy of media, digital technologies, computer, Internet, video games

Abstract: The subject of this research is the analysis of correlation between Soviet design, including industrial design, textile, architecture, and the idea of projection of a new individual in the context of his perception through the figurative world. The author reveals this topic trough referring to the analysis of evolution of the figurative world. Specificity of this research consists in the examination of design traits in USSR not only in the context of peculiarities of the country’s political and economic development, but also the ideas that affected their emergence. The object of this work is the avant-garde art, which generates the industrial design. Methodology is based on the on the historical-philosophical analysis on one hand, and comparative analysis on the other. Author’s special contribution into this research lies in conduction of cross-disciplinary analysis regarding the formation of the Soviet design, which proves that unlike the foreign design that has emerged with the industrial development, the appearance of design in Russia is directly associated with the avant-garde art. The main conclusion is the consideration of question of why the project of a “new individual” did not see practical implementation, as well as the progressive ideas of Soviet design had not been realized in industrial sector.  

Keywords: light industry, Tatlin, Rodchenko, constructivism, industrial design, new individual, avant-garde, industrial design, Soviet design, Soviet trend

Abstract: The concept of intellectual virtue after prolonged neglect has regained popularity within the modern epistemology of the virtues (E. Sosa, L. Zagzebski). Unlike the traditional theory of cognition with its focus on the epistemic characteristics of reasoning (persuasions, propositions), epistemology of the virtues places emphasis on the intellectual arête (perfections, virtues) of a cognizing subject. At the same time, the question of according to which principle certain qualities must be included into the list of intellectual virtues, continuous to remain relevant. The goal of this article consists in demonstrating of the ability of various optics, through which can be examined such phenomenon as the intellectual virtues. As methodology, the author selected the concept of G. G. Mayorov regarding the three types of philosophizing that lean on the Greek notions indicating the intellectual arête that form their original teachings on the intellectual virtues: technē (technemology), episteme (epistemology), sophia (sophiology). Sophiology of the virtues implies intellectual contemplation, practical wisdom; epistemology of the virtues implies two groups of qualities: the virtues of reliability (excellent vision, memory, etc.) and the virtues of responsibility (intellectual humbleness, intellectual autonomy, etc.); technemology of the virtues implies intellectual equilibristic, intellectual adroitness, intellectual acrobatics.

Keywords: virtue epistemology, epistemology, techne, episteme, sophia, arête, intellectual virtues, virtues, aretaic epistemology, wisdom

Abstract: Over the last few decades, the concept of sustainable development has been forming within the social philosophy as an answer to the global human challenges. The scholars sufficiently detailed reveal the environmental component of sustainable development, while the social component just begins to formulate. The article attempts to examine some (less developed) social aspects through the prism of sustainable development of human civilization: urban environment, transport, family institution, social stratification, and social justice. The achievement of the set goal is realized based in the positions on humanity as a global interrelated and self-developing system (global evolutionism), as well as the principle of the overall connection between the phenomena, development principle, etc. The author considers the problems of formation of social component of sustainable development, such as: organization of ecologically safe transport infrastructure; family in “sustainable” future; substantiates the transformation of social stratification in global community for reaching the social justice. Despite of utopian nature of certain elements of the model of “sustainable” society, there currently exist the actual technical solutions, formulations, as well as the resource and intellectual potential for implementation of the indicated ideas.

Keywords: Green building, family, Social stratification, Sustainable development of territories, sustainable development, Eco-city, Noosphere settlement, globalization, Society, transport

Abstract: The object of this research is the philosophy of Maximus the Greek (Michael Trivolis), the prominent thinker, interpreter, and religious-cultural figure of Russia of the XVI century. Based on the analysis of his works of various genres, styles and themes, the author comprised a single and cohesive image of his philosophical views. Examining the philosopher’s ideas and way of thinking is conducted in the context of the religious-cultural situation of the era, as well as peculiarities of his personality and public activity. The author applies the historical-analytical and phenomenological methods, relying on the method of historical-philosophical reconstruction. In the course of analysis of the texts of Maximus the Greek, was formulated his comprehension of philosophy and external sciences, which allowed referring to his gnoseology that includes two different ways of cognition. The author was able to establish the fundamental link between his philosophy and the tradition of Byzantine-Athonite hesychasm, within which were developing the main intentions of his works. The article analyzes the teaching of Maximus the Greek on the mind and soul that traces its origin in ancient philosophy, but saturated with the Christian content. The author also examines the thinker’s concept regarding human autocracy and free will.

Keywords: Christianity, Orthodoxy, Russian philosophy, asceticism, knowledge of God, poverty, hesychasm, Maximus the Greek, Christian philosophy, religious culture

Abstract: The author examines the category of activity in the context of its anthropological meaning. Although activity within the framework of national philosophy and psychology is traditionally considered as specifically inherent to human, its application in speculative dialectics of Hegel and natural language exceeds the indicated boundaries. The goal of this article lies in clarification of the traditional Marxist approach towards determination of the human essence, due to which it is suggested to use the category of calling for emphasizing the subjective character of definition of a human as an ensemble of social relations. Methodology implies the methods of analysis and synthesis for examining the content of the category of “activity” and its relation to other adjacent notions. The scientific novelty consists in identification of heuristic potential of the category of “calling”: as a personal choice of activity that reveals the creative, undisposed and free character of activity of a human engaged in his socio-historical being, in other words, from the perspective of his individual, rather than social being. Only in this existential realm, the activity carries an actual anthropometric rather than sociologizing character. The category of calling can be used as explanatory in the studies in the category of activity within philosophical anthropology and psychology.

Keywords: topos, spirit, social relations, subjectivity, dialectic, act, status, calling, activity, anthropomorphism

Abstract: The subject of this research is the logic of creative process. The author analyzes the logics of correlation of micro and macro levels of the creative process: 1) logics of formation of the creative image (or poetization) of global events; 2) logic of structuring (composition) of creative work. Having established in a definitive way, although in a shape of “certain haziness”, the creative image in all its essence dictates or subconsciously pushes towards choosing one or another creative methods. In the course of structuring creative process, the author was guided by the idea of dialectical correlation between the content and form. The elements of complex approach, principle of historicism, methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, system and sociocultural approaches comprised the methodology of this research. The scientific novelty consists in introduction of the concept of “aesthetic logics” – as the logics of aesthetic activity of an artist, expressed in the interrelation of form and content of his oeuvre that reveals itself through the factor of time. Such logics vary depending on the variation of the creative process itself.

Keywords: conscious, surrealism, realistic art, creative image, macro level, micro level, fantasy, unconscious, logics, aesthetic logics