Specificity of philosophical problems. The subject and main sections of philosophy.
The term "philosophy" in Greek means "love of wisdom." The first who called his teaching philosophy was ancient Greek. mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras (VI - early V centuries BC) “No one is wise,” wrote Pythagoras, “because a person, due to the weakness of his nature, is often unable to achieve everything. And one who aspires to the disposition and way of life of a wise being can be called a wise man, i.e. philosopher." To love wisdom is to strive to penetrate the secrets of the universe by yourself, by the power of your own thinking. He who loves wisdom comprehends himself, not relying only on authority, faith and tradition. Such a person “philosophizes; those. shows the ability to abstract thoughts about nature, own life relationships with others and with God. For example, he reflects on what is the meaning of human life, what is fate, good, evil, truth, and other issues that are "eternal" because. always interested in thinking people.
From the foregoing, therefore, it follows that philosophy is a changing system of fundamental ideas, theoretically explaining the attitude of a person to the world, in its value and orienting people in their social actions.
Since philosophy is it is a system of the most general theoretical views on the world and on a person’s place in it, then its subject, i.e. the range of its problems is wider than the subject of study of any particular science.
The basis of philosophy is not blind faith, but justified knowledge, and in this respect it is similar to private, separate sciences. However, philosophical knowledge and scientific knowledge differ significantly from each other. This difference consists, for example, in the fact that particular sciences (chemistry, physics, biology, and many others) are indifferent to the problems of the purpose and meaning of human life, happiness and destiny of a person. In other words, philosophy develops such knowledge that is inaccessible to any other form of spiritual activity - science, religion, art, etc. The characteristic features of the philosophical reflection of natural and social reality are universalism and substantialism.
Universalism means that philosophy claims to develop a universal, all-encompassing, comprehensive knowledge. Therefore, it is obvious that philosophy is the knowledge of the universal foundations of being.
Subjectivism(lat.substantia - essence, and what underlies) means that everything that happens in the world, its very structure and development, philosophy seeks to explain through a single stable beginning.
God, an absolute idea (religion and idealism) or matter (materialism) can be recognized as such a beginning.
The general structure of the subject of philosophy consists of four main sections.
1. Ontology is the doctrine of being.
2. Gnoseology - the doctrine of knowledge.
3. Philosophical anthropology - the doctrine of the essence of man.
4. Social philosophy - the doctrine of society as an integral system.
Functions (lat. functio - performance) are the main areas of application of philosophy, through which its goals, objectives, purpose are realized.
The following nine functions of philosophy are distinguished:
1 Worldview;
2 Methodological;
3 Gnoseological;
4 critical;
5 Axiological;
6 Social;
7 Educational and humanitarian;
8 Prognostic;
9 Cognitive-theoretical
Each function has its purpose and its content.
1. The worldview function contributes to the formation complete picture world, holistic ideas about its structure, about the place of man in it.
2. The methodological function lies in the fact that philosophy develops the main methods of cognition of the surrounding reality.
3. The epistemological function aims to ensure correct and reliable knowledge of natural special reality.
4. The role of the critical function is to question the surrounding world and existing knowledge about it, to look for their new features, qualities, to reveal contradictions. In this way, the boundaries of knowledge are expanded, dogmas are destroyed, and the reliability of knowledge increases.
5. Axiological (gr.axios - valuable) consists in assessing the phenomena of the surrounding world from the point of view of various values - moral, social, ideological, etc.
6. The social function aims to explain society, its causes, its evolution, state of the art, structure, driving forces, reveal contradictions, point out ways to resolve them and improve society.
7. The purpose of the educational and humanitarian function is to cultivate humanistic values, instill them in a person and society, help strengthen morality, help a person adapt to the world around him and find the meaning of life.
8. The predictive function is to, based on the available philosophical knowledge predict development trends, foresee the future of man, nature and society.
9. The mental-theoretical function focuses on how to conceptually think, philosophize, i.e. to reason on the most general, abstract topics, to reason, to philosophize.
In conclusion, we note that in order to philosophize, according to other Greek. philosopher Aristotle, people had to achieve knowledge of their ignorance.
Knowledge of ignorance is not given directly, and often people are not aware of their ignorance. And ignorance, if it is not realized, cannot be overcome. Other Greek philosopher Plato noted that before striving to know something, a person must realize that he does not know it. This plunges him into a state of surprise, bewilderment, amazement, and here lies the psychological source of philosophy.
1 What is a mindset? Do all people have a worldview?
2 what is the structure, levels and historical forms worldview?
3 What are the main features of the mythological worldview?
4 What are the main features of the religious worldview?
5 What is a philosophical worldview?
6 How does it differ from the mythological and religious worldview?
7 Is a “purely scientific” worldview possible?
8 What is the specificity of philosophical problems?
9 Is philosophy reducible to science?
10 What is the structure of philosophical knowledge?
11 Can philosophy change the world? How?
12 What are the main functions of philosophy?
13 Can a person philosophize if he is not aware of his ignorance?
Literature
1 History of Philosophy. Ed. prof.Ch. Kirvel. Mn.2001
2 E.Z.Volchek. Philosophy. Mn.2006
3 Philosophy. Ed. Y. Kharin. Mn.2006
4 O.G.Volkogonova, N.M.Sidorova. Fundamentals of philosophy. M.2006
5 A.G. Spirin. Philosophy. M.2006
6 V.G. Kuznetsov and others. Philosophy. Textbook. M.2006
7 V.D. Gubin. Philosophy: an actual problem. M.2006
additional literature
8 The world of philosophy: in 2 volumes. M.1991
9 Philosophy. Ed. prof. V.P. Kozhanovsky. Rostov-on-Don. 2004
Exercise
1. Prepare answers to questions.
2. Compile a glossary.
In the article we will consider the functions of philosophy briefly, its subject and features of the method. All these are fundamental questions in the study of this science. Before designating the functions of philosophy, we will briefly talk about the term itself, denoting the science of interest to us.
The term "philosophy"
Note that philosophy originated about two and a half thousand years ago. It happened in Greece, India, Rome. AT Ancient Greece it has acquired the most developed forms.
The term "philosophy" comes from two Greek words: "love" (phileo) and "wisdom" (sophia), that is, it means "love of wisdom" in translation. The philosophers themselves answered the question of what constitutes wisdom in different ways, and each philosophized in his own way. Related to this is the fact that the concept of "philosophy" is used today in different values. The first to explain this word itself was Pythagoras, who lived in the second half of the sixth - early fifth century BC. e. According to this thinker, the meaning of philosophy lies in the search for truth.
The meaning of philosophy (according to the sophists)
The Sophists held a different opinion about what the functions of philosophy are. Summary their positions on this issue are as follows. The main task of the philosopher is the need to teach the wisdom of his students. At the same time, they identified wisdom not with the achievement of truth, but with the ability to prove what everyone considers beneficial and correct. To do this, any means were recognized as acceptable, up to various tricks and tricks.
Opinions of Plato and Aristotle
Plato, an ancient Greek thinker, also studied the subject and functions of philosophy. The summary of his works allows us to make a number of important notes relating to the topic under consideration. In particular, he believed that the task of philosophy is the knowledge of absolute and eternal truths. And this is only possible for wise men, endowed with a corresponding soul from birth. From his point of view, philosophers are born, not made. Aristotle (pictured below) believed that the task of philosophy is to comprehend the universal in the world, and its subject is the causes and first principles of being. Moreover, it is the only science that exists for its own sake. Philosophy represents understanding and knowledge for their own sake.
Connection of the subject of philosophy with socio-historical conditions
It should be noted that the understanding of the subject of philosophy is also connected with socio-historical conditions. For example, the decomposition of society (medieval, ancient, Greek, etc.), of course, influenced the emergence of concepts according to which this science should free people from suffering and fear of the future, contribute to the achievement of mental health and happiness.
Philosophy also performs the functions of culture. Briefly explaining this statement, we can say that it ensures the adaptation of a person to the environment, to historical and natural conditions habitat.
What is the subject matter of philosophy?
Philosophy is distinguished by a multitude and variety of understandings and approaches to its subject, which speaks of a pluralistic nature. The subject and functions of philosophy, summarized in this article, really allow us to conclude that this science is far from unambiguous. What has been said, however, does not imply that philosophical concepts do not have a common feature.
There are some essential points inherent in the subject of philosophy:
The study of the questions of being, which are the most general (the problem of being itself is understood in the universal sense: the ideal and the material, the being of man, society and nature, being and non-being);
Analysis of general questions of cognition, such as: is this world cognizable or unknowable, what are the goals, methods and possibilities of cognition, what is the essence of cognition as such and what is truth, what is the object and subject of cognition;
Study of general issues of development and functioning of society;
The study of the most essential and general questions of man.
Having studied such topics as the subject, structure and functions of philosophy, one can briefly define this science as the doctrine of the general principles of knowledge, being and the relationship of man with the world.
Philosophy is always formalized in the form of a theory that formulates certain categories and their system, principles, methods and patterns of research. The specificity of such a theory lies in the fact that its principles, categories and laws are of a universal nature. They simultaneously extend to thinking itself, man, society and nature. The subject of this science includes the question of what philosophy is, as well as the study of its history.
Specific questions
Continuing to reveal the topic "The structure and functions of philosophy" briefly, we highlight the specific issues of this science. The fact is that as an established system, the field of knowledge that interests us has its own questions. It must answer them, relying on the methods and functions of philosophy. Let's briefly talk about the main ones.
In any philosophical system there is a main, pivotal question. Its disclosure constitutes its essence and main content. For example, for ancient philosophers it was a question about the fundamental principles of existence, for Socrates - the principle of "know thyself", for the thinkers of modern times - the possibility of knowledge, for modern positivism - what is the essence of the "logic of scientific discovery". However, there are also general questions that reveal the nature of philosophical thinking itself. Among them, first of all, is the question of what is primary: material or ideal, matter or spirit. From decision this issue the understanding of being depends, since the ideal and the material are its limiting characteristics. Depending on its decision, such philosophical directions as idealism and materialism are distinguished.
Method features
Every science has its own method. Philosophy, however, appears as the most general methodology. This is the essence of her method. It can be said that it is a system general techniques practical and theoretical development of reality, is a way to substantiate and build a system of philosophical knowledge.
It originates, like the methods of other sciences, in the practical activity of man. The philosophical method is at its source a reflection of the laws and logic of the development of objective reality. This, of course, applies only to philosophy based on science. The general principles of research are set by the philosophical method. However, different philosophical trends and schools, in accordance with their understanding of the subject and their specificity, formulate and apply different methods.
Thus, the pluralism of methods corresponds to the pluralism of concepts in this science. These include logical methods (induction, deduction) and experimental (self-observation, reflection, experiment). The general characteristic of all of them is theoretical thinking, which is expressed in philosophical laws, principles and categories.
Idealism and materialism
Idealism and materialism are the most common ways and approaches to the consideration of knowledge and being. From the very beginning, the theory of knowledge is determined largely by what is taken as primary: consciousness or matter, nature or spirit, that is, idealistic or materialistic premises. The general process of cognition in the first case is considered as a reflection of objective reality in consciousness, and in the second it is understood as self-knowledge of consciousness, the absolute idea that is initially present in things (objective idealism) or as an analysis of our own sensations (subjective idealism).
Metaphysics and dialectics
Another aspect of distinguishing the methods of philosophy is metaphysics and dialectics. Dialectics is the doctrine of the general laws governing the development of cognition and being. It also acts as a general method of cognition of reality, which is considered as the unity and struggle of various opposites. In principle, dialectics is compatible with both idealism and materialism. It appears in the first case as an idealistic dialectic (for example, Hegel), and in the second - as materialistic (Engels, Marx).
Dialectics arose and subsequently developed along with metaphysics as a way of knowing and thinking, opposite to it. Its peculiarity is the tendency to create a static, unambiguous picture of the world, as well as the desire for absolutization and consideration of certain fragments of being or moments in isolation.
The metaphysical method considers processes and objects according to one principle: yes or no, black or white, friend or foe, etc. Metaphysics, when studying movement, tends to note various forms to some one. For example, it is characteristic of modern materialism to reduce different forms the movement of matter only towards the mechanical (the so-called mechanistic materialism). The error of the method occurs when the moment of rest or some side, the characteristic of the subject of research is elevated to the absolute, breaks out of the general interdependence and interconnection.
Other Methods of Philosophy
In addition to these methods in philosophy, there are others. Among them, the following are the most common.
Sensualism is a methodological principle according to which feelings are taken as the basis of knowledge. He seeks to derive all knowledge from the activity of sensations, sense organs, while absolutizing their role in knowledge (Feuerbach, Holbach, Berkeley, Locke, Hobbes, Epicurus). Rationalism is a method according to which the basis of human action and knowledge is reason (Hegel, Leibniz, Spinoza, Descartes). Irrationalism is a methodological principle that denies or at least limits the role of the mind in the cognition. He focuses on irrational ways of comprehending reality (Bergson, Dilthey, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer).
The rapid development of knowledge and science in recent times led to an understanding of methodology as a field of knowledge that is specialized. Within its framework, the internal mechanisms, organization and logic of science (knowledge) are studied. For example, the criteria by which it is possible to determine the scientific nature of knowledge are considered, the language of science, the structure of scientific revolutions are analyzed, growth and logic are traced. scientific knowledge.
Functions of Philosophy
The specificity and subject matter of philosophy cannot be fully disclosed without touching upon the question of the functions of this science. Among them, the following are worth noting.
The worldview is connected with the conceptual, abstract-theoretical explanation of the world. It differs from all other levels and types of worldview (mythological, everyday, religious). The role played by the ideological functions of philosophy can be briefly defined as follows: they contribute to the formation of ideas about the structure of the world, its integral picture, the place of a person in it, as well as the principles by which interaction with the world around us takes place.
The worldview has its own structure: knowledge (scientific and everyday), principles, faith, beliefs. It serves as a means of understanding the world around man. Worldview absorbs the experience of cognition, and philosophy is focused on understanding general principles how the world works, what are its the most important characteristics. It solves only the most general worldview questions, and by no means seeks to give its own answer to all cognitive questions.
Methodological is that philosophy is a general doctrine of the method, as well as a set of general methods for the development and knowledge of reality by a person. In another way, this function is called search. The methodological function of philosophy can be briefly described as follows: this science formulates the rules of knowledge for all particular sciences.
Continuing to describe the functions of philosophy briefly, we move on to prognostic, hypothesizing about general trends, according to which the world, man, consciousness and matter develop. The degree of probability of the forecast will then be higher to the extent that philosophy relies on science.
This science is a school of wisdom and theoretical thinking, especially in the history of philosophy.
Critical complements other functions of philosophy. We will briefly say the following about it. Since antiquity, many philosophers have preached the principle that says: "Question everything!". This indicates the importance of a critical approach in this science, as well as the presence of a certain amount of skepticism in relation to existing socio-cultural values and knowledge. This principle plays an anti-dogmatic role in their development.
Describing the main functions of philosophy briefly, let's talk about one more, axiological. It is closely related to the critical. Each philosophical system includes the moment of evaluating the object under study in terms of various values: ideological, aesthetic, moral, social. This function is especially acute when there is a transitional period in social development, when the problem arises of choosing the path of further movement and the question of which of the old values must be discarded and which should be preserved.
Philosophy also has a social function. It consists in the fact that this science must fulfill a dual task. Philosophy must explain social being and at the same time contribute to its spiritual and material change. It should be remembered at the same time that social reforms, experiments, various changes in social life have special meaning and value. Therefore, before trying to change the social world, it is necessary to explain it well. Today, the social functions of philosophy, briefly described above, are especially important. This science has the prerogative to develop concepts of consolidation and integration of society that are comprehensive.
Let us briefly describe other functions of philosophy in society. Closely connected with the social humanitarian. From this point of view, philosophy should play a life-affirming and adaptive role for individuals, contribute to the formation of humanistic ideals and values in society, the affirmation of the purpose of life and its positive meaning. Thus, it is called upon to fulfill the function of intellectual therapy, which is most important at times when the state of society is unstable, when the existence of people is in a borderline situation and everyone needs to make their own choice.
The main functions of philosophy have been briefly described by us. Each of them is important in its own way, and together they determine what great importance which this science has in the system of knowledge. After all, it describes the functions of consciousness. Philosophy, which we briefly talked about in this article, allows us to get closer to understanding the essence of all things.
Philosophy translated from Greek - this is love of wisdom (phileo - love, sofic - wisdom). The word "philosopher" was first used by the Greek mathematician and thinker Pythagoras (580-500 BC) in relation to people striving for intellectual knowledge and the right way life. The interpretation and consolidation of the term "philosophy" is associated with the name of Plato. Thales is considered the first Greek and at the same time the first European philosopher.
Place and role of philosophy in the system of knowledge:
Philosophical knowledge differs from purely scientific knowledge in that if in science a person is aimed at knowledge, then in philosophy at understanding the world from the standpoint of their value ideals. That is, science, speaking of an object, deliberately loses sight of the fact that for a person there is no object outside the activity of the person himself.
The specificity of philosophy lies in the fact that it deals with phenomena already mastered by culture, represented in knowledge. Based on this, the philosophical way of thinking is called critically reflective.
Philosophy, unlike science, is more national than international in character, so we can say: “Russian philosophy”, but “German physics” sounds absurd, etc.
Emphasizing the qualitative certainty of philosophical and scientific knowledge, they cannot be opposed to each other. Philosophy cannot develop without relying on the achievements of science.
In turn, philosophy plays an important role in the development of scientific knowledge:
Philosophy designs system general universal categories(cause, effect, essence, phenomenon, content, etc.). Every science uses these categories;
Philosophy is the methodology of science;
Philosophy Makes a Significant Contribution in the development of a scientific picture of the world;
Philosophy has an impact on science and value and ethical impact, developing an understanding of the responsibility of scientists, changing their mentality.
Science exists as a process of putting forward and refuting hypotheses, the role of philosophy in this is to study criteria of scientific and rationality. At the same time, philosophy comprehends scientific discoveries, including them in the context of formed knowledge and thereby determining their significance. Related to this is the ancient concept of philosophy. as the queen of sciences or the science of sciences.
Functions of Philosophy:
The main functions of philosophy are ideological, epistemological, methodological, axiological, critical, prognostic, humanistic.
The worldview function is function comparative analysis and substantiation of various worldview ideals, the ability of philosophical knowledge to unite, integrate knowledge about the most diverse aspects of reality in single system allowing you to delve into the essence of what is happening.
Thus, this function fulfills the mission of forming a holistic picture of the world and the existence of a person in it.
Gnoseological (cognitive) function is that philosophy gives a person new knowledge about the world and at the same time acts as a theory and method of cognition of reality. Formulating its laws and categories, philosophy discovers such connections and relations of the objective world that no other science can give. The specificity of these connections is in their generality. In addition, scientific philosophy substantiates the possibility of knowing the world, its deep laws, affirms its epistemological optimism.
The active, effective nature of scientific philosophy is manifested not only in the fact that it teaches and educates, gives new knowledge and a general view of the world, but also in its methodological function, that is, that she concretely guides the conscious and practical people's activities, determines its sequence and the means used.
Philosophy performs a methodological function in two forms: as a theory of method and as a general method. As the second, philosophy acts primarily as a tool (guide) for posing and solving the most complex general problems of philosophy itself, the theory and practice of science, politics, economics and other areas.
Axiological function philosophy contributes to the orientation of a person in the world around him, the directed use of knowledge about him through the development and transfer of a whole range of values.
predictive function philosophy is based on its ability, in conjunction with science, to predict the general course of the development of being.
Critical function is based on the fact that philosophy teaches not to accept or reject anything at once without deep and independent reflection and analysis.
Humanistic function helps the individual to find a positive and deep meaning of life, to navigate in crisis situations.
Integrating function contributes to the unification of the achievements of science into a single whole.
heuristic function involves the creation of prerequisites for scientific discoveries and the growth of scientific knowledge.
educational function consists in the recommendation to follow positive norms and ideals of morality.
The structure of philosophical knowledge
As a system of scientific knowledge modern philosophy has its internal structure. It developed gradually. So for many teachings of the 17th-19th centuries, the division of philosophy into ontology (Greek ontos - being), that is, the doctrine of being as such, being in itself, epistemology (Greek gnosis - knowledge), that is, the doctrine of knowledge and logic - the doctrine of the laws and forms of thinking.
In the bosom of philosophy, the following philosophical disciplines and trends have developed and acquired a certain independence:
Social Philosophy - a more detailed extension of philosophical principles to the study of social historical phenomena. It studies not only the manifestation of the universal laws of development in the life of society, but also the operation of special, general sociological laws, sources and driving forces. community development;
History of Philosophy - studies the objective laws and stages of the formation and development of philosophy, its main historical types;
Ethics -(Greek Ethos - habit, custom) - the doctrine of the essence of morality, its laws historical development and role in public life;
Aesthetics -(Greek Disthetikos - sensual) - a philosophical discipline that studies expressive forms corresponding to ideas about the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the base, etc.;
Axiology -(Greek Axio - value) - philosophy about the essence, structure and purpose of values;
Philosophy of culture - philosophical understanding of the essence of culture as a special form of being;
Philosophy of Science - philosophical understanding of the essence and specificity scientific knowledge in close connection with human activity;
Philosophical anthropology - philosophical doctrine of man;
Philosophy of history - a philosophical doctrine that deals with the comprehension of the laws of the process of development of society in time.
Philosophy of technology - is the branch of philosophy that deals with the study of technology.
Philosophy of nature (natural philosophy)- This is a speculative comprehension of nature.
The role and significance of philosophy in human life and society are
the functions it performs. The very concept of "function" means any way of action, the activity of philosophy in solving the tasks set by it.
One of the first functions that philosophy performs is worldview function. Philosophy synthesizes all existing views of the world, creating a system of a holistic picture of the world, including knowledge, assessments, values, ideals and guidelines, and finds out the place of man in this world. Philosophy is actively involved in the formation of the worldview, criticizing the illusory, and in modern world virtual values.
cognitive function philosophy is to comprehend the knowledge gained by specific sciences, systematize this knowledge, create a unified picture of the world. Philosophy itself does not open up new knowledge, it tries to explain the world on the basis of the knowledge of other sciences.
Socio-critical function philosophy lies in the critical understanding of the social reality in which a person lives and acts. Philosophy shows the system of values necessary and possible, on the basis of which society should develop.
Axiological function philosophy is expressed in understanding the value, significance and meaning of human life and the history of society.
Fulfilling educational function, Philosophy contributes to the formation of a person's ideas about what is and what should be, about good and evil, about beautiful and ugly. Without the assimilation of these value orientations, the life of a person, society and the development of the human in a person is impossible.
Methodological function philosophy lies in the development by philosophy of both its own methods, without which the subject of philosophy cannot be represented, and the methods that are used in cognitive activity other sciences.
Let us turn to the consideration of the main methods that have been developed by philosophy in the history of its development. Critical reflection method is one of the main methods of philosophy. Reflection means a critical analysis of one's own actions, knowledge and awareness of the mental state. Philosophical knowledge differs from other forms of scientific knowledge precisely in the ability to reflect, that is, the ability to know subjective being. Philosophy is the only field of knowledge in which a person cognizes himself, and this cognition makes one of the problems of research.
Dialectical method begins to be developed in ancient philosophy, in the conversations of Socrates, who, in order to clarify the truth, deliberately led his interlocutors to contradictory statements. Socrates called this method of cognition "maieutics", in philosophical literature this method was called "negative dialectics". This method was most consistently developed in the 18th century in the philosophy of Hegel, and then in the philosophy of Marxism, where a different understanding of this method was presented. The essence of the dialectical method is that, firstly, the process of cognition itself is contradictory, it contains opposites at the same time, which are in unity and struggle, allowing cognition to develop; secondly, in any studied object there is also an inconsistency that must be known. This method is inextricably linked with other methods, with the unity of historical and logical, ascent from the abstract to the concrete, etc. The dialectical method is used in the cognitive activity of all sciences and jurisprudence in particular.
Method of ascent from the abstract to the concrete and vice versa is developed in the philosophy of Hegel and the philosophy of Marxism. It should be noted that in Hegel's philosophy this method was developed only in relation to cognition, because the identity of thinking and being was recognized, and in Marxism in relation to being and cognition. The essence of the method lies in the fact that at the very beginning the most general, abstract concept is given about the subject under study, and then, in the process of further cognition, the object under study is concretized, the concept of it is filled with specific content. For example, when studying law, the most abstract concept of law is given, when studying various forms of law and legal theory, this concept is filled with content, as a result, the student has a holistic view of law and the state that regulates people's lives on the basis of this law.
hermeneutical method developed in the philosophy of the XIX-XX centuries and is widely used not only in philosophy, but also in other areas of scientific knowledge. Hermeneutics in translation from ancient Greek (I explain, interpret) means the art of interpreting texts, culture, era or history in general. In the history of philosophy, the hermeneutic method was developed in the philosophical concepts of the 19th century (F. Schleiermacher, W. Dilthey, M. Heidegger) and the 20th century (G. Gadamer, P. Ricoeur and others). Each of the mentioned thinkers made a certain contribution to the development of the hermeneutic method. The essence of the hermeneutic method is reduced to several basic provisions: the need for prior understanding, the infinity of interpretation, and the hermeneutic circle.
The need for preliminary understanding means that each attempt at interpretation is guided by already known ideas about the object being studied, that is, there is already certain knowledge that is the basis for further understanding. Our preliminary understanding, from which we can never get rid of, allows us, by determining the meaning of an object or a text, to have some kind of hypothesis. The infinity of interpretation means that there are many interpretations of the meaning of one and the same event of reality, or text, whether it be the text of a letter, a scientific essay or a positive law.
Pre-understanding and the infinity of interpretation are inextricably linked with the hermeneutic circle. The concept of "hermeneutic circle" was introduced by Schleiermacher. The hermeneutic circle is the principle of understanding a text, a cultural monument, an epoch based on the ratio of a part and a whole, that is, an understanding of the whole is made up of an understanding of its individual parts, and to understand the parts, a preliminary understanding of the whole is necessary. Such is the essence of the hermeneutic circle. The hermeneutic method is especially important in the cognition of socio-cultural reality, which is also the legal reality, where true knowledge is revealed from a multitude of interpretations based on analysis and comparisons.
Structuralist method developed in the twentieth century, in the philosophy of structuralism and post-structuralism (Claude Levi-Strauss, Michel Foucault, etc.) and neo-Marxism, later this method began to be used in other sciences. The essence of this method lies in the fact that the object under study is a system consisting of their elements, first each element of the structure is studied, its functions are analyzed, and then the entire system is analyzed and its functions are revealed. For example, a state like a complex system, consisting of elements, it turns out the essence of the various branches of government and their functions, then the functions and role of the state in the life of society and man.
These are the main areas of application of philosophy, through which its goals, objectives and purpose are realized.
Philosophy is characterized by a system of interconnected and complementary functions that are designed to realize all the formed spiritual potential into reality. The whole variety of functions of philosophy can be classified according to different bases and in different groups, each of which is designed to solve a particular range of philosophical problems and tasks.
According to their purpose, all the functions of philosophy can be reduced to two large groups - worldview functions and methodological functions which are aimed at both contemplative and creative activity.
Worldview functions are manifested in the process of forming a universal, systemic view of the whole world as a whole, of its unity and diversity, of determining the place of man and all mankind in this infinite world.
Worldview function of philosophy lies in the fact that it, by equipping people with knowledge about the world and about man, about his place in the world and the possibilities of his knowledge and transformation, influences the formation of life attitudes, the awareness of social subjects of the goals and meaning of life.
Often, when it comes to worldview, its characterization as a generalized system of ideas and views on the world, man, his place in the world, etc. comes to the fore.
Among the worldview function, it should be noted such subfunctions as humanistic, information-reflective, ideological, social and moral, educational, artistic and aesthetic, etc.
1. G humanistic subfunction - one of the eternally living in philosophy, but it either increased or decreased in its significance, realizing in different directions vital activity historically actualized problems of humanity and social harmony.
2. And informational-reflective subfunction is intended to organize a universal substantive foundation in which one could express in a simple and clear way all the infinite complexity and diversity of the world. One of the ways for this is the special world of symbols, the use of signals, signs, models, etc.
3. And deological subfunction is expressed in the fact that it helps the whole society, as well as social groups develop and use guiding ideas and principles aimed at the development of political, legal, socio-economic processes in such a direction that leads to the achievement of the goals set, to the solution of problems.
4. With socially-moral subfunction consists in the fact that affirms in social life the conscious-normative attitude of a person towards himself and towards other people.
5. X artistically-aesthetic subfunction affirms in the mind the images and concepts associated with the formation of harmonious unity and beauty.
6. BUT psychological(value) subfunction (translated from Greek axios - valuable) consists in assessing things, phenomena of the surrounding world from the point of view of various values - moral, ethical, social, ideological, etc. The purpose of the axiological function is to be a "sieve" through which to pass everything you need, valuable and useful, and discard the inhibitory and obsolete. The axiological function is especially enhanced in turning points history (the beginning of the Middle Ages - the search for new (theological) values after the collapse of Rome; the Renaissance; Reformation; the crisis of capitalism late XIX- XX centuries. and etc.).
7. P practical subfunction - associated with the development of meaning, goals, rules, principles and mechanisms of practical human life.
8. Social subfunction - explains society, its causes, evolution, current state, its structure, elements, driving forces; reveals contradictions, indicates ways of their elimination or mitigation, improvement of society.
9. culturally-broadcasting function - is associated with the generalization and transmission from generation to generation of the most important achievements of the spiritual culture of mankind.
10. Educational and humanitarian function philosophy is to cultivate humanistic values and ideals, to instill them in a person and society, to help strengthen morality, to help a person adapt to the world around him and find the meaning of life.
Methodological functions are manifested in the organization of the most common ways and methods of human activity. The method itself is a special form of knowledge about the ways of organizing the means of activity for the purposeful transformation of things and objects of the surrounding world. The method always manifests itself when it is necessary to organize activities in order to achieve the set goals. So human activity always relies on some method.
Selection methodological function as the initial one due to the fact that philosophy occupies special place in the process of understanding being in the structure of social consciousness.
Methodology should be understood as a system of initial, fundamental principles that determine the method of approach to the analysis and evaluation of phenomena, the nature of the attitude towards them, the nature and direction of cognitive and practical activities. These principles include ideas expressed in a general form about the essence of the world and man, about the ultimate foundations of their existence, about man's attitude to the world and to himself.
What methodological foundations does philosophy open up for human activity? In a broad sense, the methodological function of philosophy continues and complements its ideological function, because a person's views on the means of his activity also have an ideological significance. In turn, the worldview is an integral part of any methodology.
First of all, it should be noted here that in philosophy all the most common methods knowledge, but a special role is played by the so-called general methods, used only in philosophy. These include the dialectical method (about the laws of motion and development), the metaphysical method (about the eternal properties of being), the relativistic method (about the changing properties of the world), etc. Each such method has its own methodological specificity of functioning. Among the methodological functions, it should be noted such as logical, epistemological, heuristic, selective, integration, etc.
1. L ogical subfunction consists in the use of philosophical categories, ideas and principles as methods that organize the process of thinking in a direction predetermined by the goal.
2. E vristic subfunction organizes the search for new realities and promotes the discovery of new knowledge about them in different spheres of life.
3. With elective subfunction associated with the solution of philosophical problems of choice and conscious selection of the necessary features, properties, things and relationships in the process of activity.
4. And integration subfunction aimed at combining different methods activity, to subordinating them to one problem-driven goal, to forming a single and coordinated result in multifaceted activity. On this occasion, it should be noted that classical philosophy proceeded from a direct correspondence between the subject and the method.
The classical requirement says that a given object should be known only by the method corresponding to it, which cannot be applied to other objects. Postclassical philosophy has developed a methodological mechanism in which one object can be cognized in many ways by several methods, and several different objects can be cognized by one universal method.
5. P gnostic subfunction - consists in predicting development trends, the future of matter, consciousness, cognitive processes, man, nature and society on the basis of the existing philosophical knowledge about the world and man, the achievements of knowledge.
6. To rhytic subfunction , whose role is to question the surrounding world and existing knowledge, to look for their new features, qualities, to reveal contradictions. The ultimate goal of this function is to expand the boundaries of knowledge, the destruction of dogmas, ossification, its modernization, and the increase in the reliability of knowledge.
Philosophy performs a number of cognitive functions, related to the functions of science. The immediate goal of science is the description, explanation and prediction of the processes and phenomena of reality that constitute the subject of its study, on the basis of the laws it discovers. Philosophy has always, to one degree or another, performed in relation to science the functions of the methodology of cognition and the worldview interpretation of its results.
Philosophy also combines with science the desire for a theoretical form of building knowledge, for the logical evidence of its conclusions.
Summing up what has been said, it should be noted that all the functions of philosophy reveal the richness and diversity of its possibilities in understanding the world.
test questions
1. How will you answer the question "What is philosophy?".
2. How do philosophy and worldview relate to each other?
3. Is every worldview a philosophy?
4. Name the levels of reflection of reality.
5. What is the subject of philosophy?
6. What questions does philosophy begin with?
7. Explain what the philosophical method is.
8. Name the functions of philosophy and explain how they are related.
9. What is the methodological function of philosophy?
10. How do philosophy and science relate to each other?
11. What is the relationship between knowledge and faith?
