In recent decades, there has been a renewed attention to the emotions amongst scientists of different disciplines: psychology, psychiatry, neurobiology, cognitive science, computer science, sociology, economics, and many others. There are many research centers and scientific journals devoted to affective states already existing. However, studies of emotion have a very long history - especially in philosophy (anthropology, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, and rhetoric). Philosophers first raised many important questions about emotions and their contribution to the discovery of the nature of emotions is very important. The aim of the article is the reconstruction of the views on emotions of particular thinkers in history of philosophy.
This paper is a review of the book: James V. Schall, The Universe We Think In (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2019). The author discisses the reasons and consequences of modern philosophy’s propensity to neglect the innate or purposeful direction of human life.
The article presents the influence of the Flemish philosopher Franciscus Mercurius van Helmont (1614-1699) on G.W. Leibniz’s monadological system. It shows the convergence of some of van Helmont’s views expressed in A Cabbalistical Dialogue and Paradoxal Discourses (like, for example, a concept of the monad), and presents also the differences between van Helmont’s monadological system and the later Leibnizian one.
This paper is a review of Roberto de Mattei’s book, La critica alla Rivoluzione nel pensiero di Augusto Del Noce [The Criticism of the Revolution in the Thought of Augusto Del Noce]. According to the author, de Mattei’s book acquaints the reader with Del Noce’s criticism of the destructive nature of revolution as that which stems from the ideas of modern philosophy and culminates in current politics and culture.
This article is an attempt at comparative analysis of works of two representatives of the republican tradition, that is Immanuel Kant and Andrzej FryczModrzewski. This analysis is based on the following works: Perpetual peace, Doctrine of Right and On the Reform of the Republic. I will compare how both of the authors understand the notion of the republic and other notions such as law, freedom and general will. At the end of this paper I will show how the two republican traditions influenced today’s political reality.
In the current debate, we witness a conflict between the Christian concept of man vs. concepts that justify in vitro fertilization (IVF), genetic enhancement, or the reassignment of sexuality. Modern concepts cannot disregard the historic perspective of the consistent doctrines that the Catholic Church has maintained throughout her 2000-year history and which constitute the precursors of contemporary bioethics. Although she has adjusted specifics occasionally to address new developments, she has always based doctrine on immutable core principles. The current conflict lies neither in the novelty of the new proposals, nor in a conflict between religious and lay worldviews, but rather in concepts of man and human perfection. Some human traits may be regarded as disordered and incompatible with a particular concept of human perfection. The new proposals tend to involve physical changes based on technological manipulation, with a goal of developing a superior being, while Christian proposals do not seek to manipulate man’s being, but to develop his existing potential within criteria of acceptable reason. The new proposals rely on a Cartesian view which constitutes a human as his mind (cogito ergo sum), which has dominion over his body including authority to reengineer it according to any project that mind conceives. In contrast, the Christian concept views the human subject as a unity of mind and body, which may not be reshaped to meet a questionable goal of human perfection. The technological tools within the new concepts are in no way superior to the more personal attributes like virtues, perfection of the human will, prayer, and ascesis within the Christian concept.
This paper is a review of the book: Frère Pierre Marie, O.P., Dieu existe-t-il? Les preuves de l’existence de Dieu (Editions du Sel, 2020). The author highlights that Frère Pierre Marie’s book (1) describes the shortcomings of modern philosophies, and (2) can serve as both a challenging introduction to the basics of Thomistic thought and a powerful apologetic resource for well-versed Thomists.
The notion of history of philosophy is initiated by Bocheński by presentation of the notion of history itself which, according to him for the fact of treating the past („that what happened”), has two meanings: subject meaning (past events) and object meaning (historiosophy). Both of them can be further divided into two parts: history of facts and history of doctrines. History of philosophy is a typical history of doctrines. The second element of the name „history of philosophy”- which is philosophy-is etymologically linked to wisdom, present in numerous meanings: in antiquity its was simply a synonim of science. In the Middle Ages we observe division of human knowledge to revealed knowledge and natural knowledge, the latter one, in its aspect of exploring the ultimate principles and causes is called philosophy. In modern times philosophy was questioned at all or the entire science was included in its scope. For that reason Bocheński establishes the set of topics which are constantly present in the history of philosophy and which can be classified as strictly philosophical issues. They are: 1) the question of cognition (can we cognize truth?); 2) the question of science; 3) ontological issues (universalities, existence or non-existence of plurality); 4) questions of relation of science and psychic; 5) axiological issues (ethics, esthetics, philosophy of religion); 6) the question of absolute (God, eternal matter). Bocheński stresses that questions proper to philosophy can not be classified as one of the science and, what is more, contemporary methodology of science will rather not change this situation. Striking in that presentation is the lack of issues regarding philosophy of being (existence, essence, substance, accidental properties, relations, causes) with little exemption of philosophy of being inc-luded in the question of absolute. When it comes to division of history of philosophy, we may say that according to Bocheński it should follow analogically the traditional division of the European history such as classic, medieval, modern and contemporary times
Der Artikel beschäftigt sich mit dem Problem der Toleranz und deren Bedeutung in der sozialen Welt. Den Ausgangspunkt bildet der Versuch, auf den Entwurf von Michel Montaigne zurückzugreifen, einem der Wegbereiter der neuzeitlichen Wahrnehmung einschlägiger Problematik in der europäischen Kultur. Berücksichtigt wurde der historische Hintergrund, besonders die Zeit der religiösen Kriege im Frankreich des 16. Jahrhunderts und ihre sozial-politischen Folgen. Es wurde auch kurz die Genese des Toleranzbegriffs auf unserem Kontinent dargestellt, zusammen mit den Schlüsselmomenten ihrer Entwicklung von der Antike bis zum 16. Jahrhundert.
EN
The article takes up the issue of tolerance and its importance in the social world. Reference is made first to the ideas voiced by Michel de Montaigne, one of the forerunners of modern perception of that issue in European culture. Account is taken of the historical background, notably of the religious wars in 16th century France and their social and political consequences. Presented in brief is the genesis of the concept of tolerance on our continent, including key highlights in its development from antiquity to the 16th century.
PL
Artykuł podejmuje problem tolerancji i jej znaczenie w świecie społecznym. Punktem wyjścia jest próba odwołania się do koncepcji Michela de Montaigne’a jako jednego z prekursorów nowożytnego postrzegania wspomnianej problematyki w kulturze europejskiej. Uwzględnione zostało tło historyczne, szczególnie okres wojen religijnych we Francji XVII wieku oraz ich konsekwencje społeczno-polityczne. Pokrótce zaprezentowana została również geneza pojęcia tolerancji na naszym kontynencie wraz z kluczowymi momentami jej formowania od czasów starożytnych do XVI stulecia.
The concept of a figure (form) comes originally from the world of Greek thought, which created the notions of eidos (indicating both an image and an idea) and morphe (primarily describing a figure). They were taken from the world of organic life on the one hand, and from the world of thought, technical and artistic creativity on the other, and, so to speak, transferred and ennobled for philosophical use. The concept of form (figure), however, dominated not only Greek thought, but also medieval to the same extent, where it evoked the idea of something complete, perfect, defining. In modern philosophy, the concept of a figure in the world of organic life appears in the thought of J. W. Goethe and in the philosophical and theological thought of H. U. von Balthasar. The concept of a character who seems different from each side, and at the same time constantly radiates the full light of being, can introduce not only the understanding of man, animals or plants, but also the world of the diversity of perceptions of the same reality. What is it about? First of all, in contrast to Kant’s critical view, or the analytical view of natural sciences, on the synthetic view and the ability to see a living figure. Beauty appears in the world in visible forms and is given to us, above all, in the secret of a figure or an image. Only the figure claims the full name of beauty and is the place where the splendor of eternal beauty is revealed.
PL
Pojęcie postaci (formy) wywodzi się pierwotnie ze świata myśli greckiej, który stworzył pojęcia eidos (wskazujące zarówno na obraz, jak i na ideę) i morphe (określające przede wszystkim postać). Zostały one przejęte z jednej strony ze świata życia organicznego, z drugiej zaś ze świata myśli i twórczości techniczno-artystycznej oraz (jeśli można tak powiedzieć) przeniesione i w sposób uszlachetniony przeznaczone do użytku filozoficznego. Pojęcie formy (postaci) zdominowało jednak nie tylko myśl grecką, lecz w takim samym stopniu również średniowieczną, gdzie wywoływało wyobrażenie czegoś pełnego, doskonałego, określającego. W filozofii nowożytnej pojęcie postaci w świecie życia organicznego pojawia się w myśli J. W. Goethego oraz w myśli filozoficzno-teologicznej H. U. von Balthasara. Pojęcie postaci, która z każdej strony wydaje się inna, a jednocześnie cały czas promieniuje pełnym światłem bytu, może stanowić wprowadzenie nie tylko do rozumienia człowieka, zwierząt czy roślin, ale do świata różnorodności postrzegania tej samej rzeczywistości. Na czym ono polega? Przede wszystkim, w przeciwieństwie do krytycznego spojrzenia Kanta czy analitycznego nauk przyrodniczych, na spojrzeniu syntetycznym i umiejętności dostrzegania żywej postaci. Piękno ukazuje się w świecie w widocznych formach i daje się nam przede wszystkim w tajemnicy postaci lub obrazu. Tylko postać rości sobie prawo do pełnego imienia piękna i jest miejscem, w którym ukazuje się blask piękna odwiecznego.
The aim of this paper is to set out the following: firstly, the most important facts from Leibniz’s biography; secondly, the position of Leibniz’s philosophy within the philosophical thought of the 17th century; thirdly, the diverse ways to explicate Leibniz’s philosophical thought that are still in use in literature today; fourthly, basic features which define the general spirit as well as the methods of Leibniz’s philosophizing.
PL
Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przedstawienie, po pierwsze, najistotniejszych faktów z bio¬gra¬fii Leibniza; po drugie, miejsca filozofii Leibniza w ramach myśli filozoficznej wieku XVII; po trze¬cie, głównych trendów interpretacyjnych jego pism, czynnych do dzisiaj w literaturze histo¬rycznofilozoficznej; po czwarte, podstawowych cech, które określą zarówno postawę filozoficzną Leibniza, jak też przyjęty przezeń sposób filozofowania.
The author seeks to show how participation serves as a focal point of a Thomistic personalist account of natural law. While Aquinas himself does not invoke the concept of person in his account of natural law, the author argues that participation can and should be understood as a personal act. According to her, justification for this interpretation is found in the commonality of rationality: that which both makes a substance to be a person and renders the participation of man in the eternal law to be a truly natural law.
For the Greeks, a free man lived in the polis, the place for otium and virtues. Work and active life at the oikia occupied a secondary place. Luther challenged this view: Beruf is both work and a divine call, and the contemplative life has to disappear. In the Middle Ages, the beginning of the universities and the presence of guilds developed a new approach to human work that discarded the opposition between otium and nec-otium. But this new approach did not influence philosophy. Modern philosophy, following Luther’s thesis on Beruf and the primacy he gave to active life, understood man and his work as totally rational. Within this approach, Protestantism introduced a “work ethic,” but this labor-centered society contains a strong economic basis, because work is understood as production. This article proposes a notion of work as craft, which is part of human practices and implies the attainment of different internal goods. Every work, whether manual or intellectual, also has social meaning: it appears within a community. Work cannot be defined as product. University practices –studying, teaching, doing research – can also be explained in these terms, and when this is the case, they are intrinsically related to human excellence, because they are at the basis of different virtues that make us flourish.
PL
Według starożytnych Greków, człowiek wolny mieszkał w polis, które było miejscem otium i cnoty. Natomiast praca i życie aktywne zajmowały drugie miejsce. Luter spróbował podważyć takie rozumienie pracy. Według niego, Beruf, czyli praca, jest to miejsce, gdzie nadprzyrodzone powołanie i życie kontemplacyjne muszą się ze sobą łączyć. W średniowieczu, w czasach powstawania uniwersytetów i cechów rzemieślniczych, pojawiło się nowe podejście do ludzkiej pracy – otium i nec-otium przestały być swoim przeciwieństwem. To nowe podejście nie wpłynęło jednak na filozofię. Filozofia nowoczesna, idąc za tezą Beruf Lutra, zgodnie z którą pierwszeństwo ma życie aktywne, często rozumiała człowieka i jego pracę jako coś zupełnie racjonalnego. Wewnątrz tej szkoły protestantyzm wprowadził „etykę pracy”. Była to jednak praca rozumiana w sposób wybitnie ekonomiczny, jej jakość mierzono wydajnością produkcyjną. Niniejszy artykuł proponuje ujęcie pracy jako rzemiosła, czyli jako części ludzkich praktyk, które zakładają osiągnięcie rozmaitych wewnętrznych dóbr. Każda praca, fizyczna i intelektualna, ma również znaczenie społeczne: pojawia się wewnątrz konkretnej wspólnoty. Praca więc nie może być zdefiniowana tylko jako produkt. Różne praktyki uniwersyteckie – uczenie się, nauczanie, prowadzenie badań – można również zdefiniować przez odniesienie się do tych dóbr. W ten sposób stają się czymś nierozłącznym z doskonałością ludzką, ponieważ są podstawą rozwoju różnych cnót.
According to Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, while considering all the differences involving the origin and forms of atheism, agnosticism and antitheism, their common denominator is lack of humbleness. Pride prevents people from encountering God who, in fact, might always be recognized. It is not the faith itself, but lack of faith that is contrary to nature. Therefore, the dialogue with atheism, although carried out of respect for men, demands the full truth to be revealed about the definitive and objective evil of godlessness, which inevitably leads to the culture of death. Contemporary negation of God makes use of philosophical, scientific, psychological and social reasoning, intensely deterministic and marked by moralism, in which only immanent natural and historical processes are taken into consideration. Consequently, men have nothing else to do than to disastrously put the world in order only at their own discretion, bound by sin, to achieve worldly benefits. The result is an irrepressible attack on the Church which calls to conversion, secularism with modern roots and spiritual emptiness (boredom) that fills people with a sense of meaninglessness and hopelessness.