The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Series Philosophy. Philosophical Peripeteias

ENLIGHTENMENT AS AN “UNFINISHED PROJECT” AND UNIVERSITY PHILOSOPHY IN THE CONDITIONS OF CRISIS AND WAR

Anatoliy Yermolenko — 2025-06-30

The article proposes the idea of «unfinished enlightenment», which involves the permanent creation of reflective structures for the justification of norms and values of society based on the meta-institution of deliberative democracy. Despite the interpretation of enlightenment as a certain historical stage of the spiritual development of society (ancient Greek or modern European), enlightenment is interpreted as a structural element of «feedback» of society, which ensures its self-knowledge, self-reflection and self-control.

The component here is the public discourse, which involves the communicative, axiological and political competence of citizens, the ability and courage to use their minds publicly and reach an agreement with other people on solving the main problems of society. The idea of Enlightenment is important for defining the polity of modern society, free individuality, modern institutions in general, civil society with its sphere of publicity, etc. The idea of “unfinished enlightenment” implies the permanent creation of reflective institutions of society. Enlightenment is interpreted as a certain instance of self-reflection of society, as its structural element, “constitutive factor”, as a critical attitude to reflection itself. Thus, Enlightenment is a meta-institution of society, its legitimizing instance, which is aimed at affirming, justifying, substantiating the norms, values, customs, traditions and institutions of society.

COGNITIVE INSTITUTIONALIZATION AS A CONCEPTUAL INSTRUMENT FOR UNDERSTANDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY PHILOSOPHY

Sergey Golikov — 2025-06-30

The article explores the process of institutionalization in university philosophy, which is viewed as a result of the interaction between social and cognitive mechanisms. The author proposes a conceptual distinction between social and cognitive institutionalization, emphasizing their impact on the development of philosophical thought in the academic environment. Social institutionalization is examined in connection with the formation of organizational structures (departments, faculties, research schools) that regulate philosophical activity, while cognitive institutionalization pertains to the systematization, production, and transmission of philosophical knowledge. The author analyzes how these processes interact, particularly under conditions of state regulation, ideological pressure, or, conversely, academic freedom. Special attention is given to contemporary challenges, such as the influence of artificial intelligence, the formalization of the educational process, and distance learning, which may lead to the loss of philosophy's creative potential. The author tries to explore cognitive institutionalization as the original figure in the formation of university philosophy. Moreover, in the context of the process, the author postulates a philosopher as a subject, who is humanly and existentially oriented towards philosophical truth, which is ontologically rooted and effectively independent in philosophical researches. The university philosophy itself explores how it occurs in specific human contexts, real and valuable, discursive and speech, ethical and political, historical and biographical. The author focuses on the process of formation in the minds of a democratic university, a self-reliant and self-regulatory educational middle ground, as an official of the social institution of philosophy. The role of the philosopher as a subject who not only reproduces knowledge but also critically reflects on it, ensuring societal development, is emphasized. The article concludes by highlighting the need for a balanced approach to institutionalization, one that combines structural organization with creative freedom, allowing university philosophy to remain dynamic, relevant, and truth-oriented.

MOTIVATION IN EDUCATION ACCORDING TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF MAX HORKHEIMER AND THEODOR ADORNO: UKRAINIAN RECONCEPTUALIZATION

Nataliia Fialko — 2025-06-30

This study is an attempt to reconstruct the concept of motivation, which was developed for the field of education by the founders of the Frankfurt School of Social Research, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. The emphasis is on such key theses as the democratization of education and overcoming totalitarian education, the role of the individual in education and autonomy in decision-making, spiritual development and emancipation of the individual against the instrumentalization of man with an emphasis on professional education, the ideological role of philosophy in education and the criticism of ideologies. It is demonstrated that the ideas of critical social theory, which were consciously applied by Adorno and Horkheimer to reform education, have a certain potential, but also certain limits for the development of proper motivation of the individual for his conscientious inclusion in education. Critical social theory explores the topic of legitimation of education too abstractly, reducing it to the individual's need for freedom and spiritual development, and avoiding a detailed institutional analysis of the problems of educational development. The reconceptualization of the topic of motivation in education based on the ideas of Adorno’s and Horkheimer’s critical social theory, carried out by Ukrainian philosophers, develops the theory of education in the direction of the philosophy of generations, institutional legitimation of education as the basis of proper personal motivation in education. The contribution of Mariia Kultaieva, Vitalii Bryzhnik and Mykhailo Boichenko to the criticism and development of the ideas of critical social theory is analyzed, in particular to its assessment as a reflection on reflection in education. Critical understanding of the past (as a reflection on the past) also requires a reflexive assessment of its significance in order to determine priorities for education, which prepares the person to change the future of society for the better.

OBJECT-ORIENTED FEMINISM IN THE POSTHUMAN ENVIRONMENT

Nataliia Zahurska — 2025-06-30

The article’s narrative begins by considering the negative attitude of women philosophers, particularly feminist philosophers, towards speculative realism (hereinafter referred to as SR) and object-oriented ontology (hereinafter referred to as OOO). This negation is partly due to anxieties of increased objectification. To dispel these anxieties, the article proposes such forms of objectivity as subject object, object as subject, experimental subject, disidentity, interject, hyposubject and others in their allures. In addition, it is suggested to re-evaluate the concept of thingification and return its own philosophical valuable connotations to it. The article displays that object-oriented feminism (hereinafter referred to as OOF) demonstrates its potential political, erotic and ethical advantages. OOF is considered in connection with agential realism, new feminist materialism, xenofeminism, queer theory and other related conceptions. Together, they best outline the posthuman context. It is displayed that OOF fits into the post-postmodern posthuman speculative turn while retaining the actual features of the postmodern linguistic turn. Similarly, in the context of OOF, the turn from aesthetics to erotic, from production to seduction, etc., is understood. In the article also the inception, development process, collaborations with OOO philosophers and the influence of OOF on them are researched. As a result, the intra-action in-between treating women like objects and treating objects like women happens. Thus object-hood, affirming the democracy of any objects, appears instead of objectivation, which fully corresponds to the posthuman intentions of the OOF and contributes to the formation of the posthuman environment. The article is written on a material of contemporary art and literature and, at the same time, ecophilosophy and bioethics.

METAMODERN SOCIOLOGY: LEGITIMIZATION OF THE PRECARIATE IN THE AESTHETIC PARADIGM

Andrii Artemenko — 2025-06-30

This article is dedicated to analyzing the social foundations of metamodern culture in the context of transformations in the social space of the early 21st century. It critiques the reductive understanding of metamodernism merely as an aesthetic sensibility, emphasizing instead its deep entanglement with social transformations and structural shifts in society. The theoretical framework of the study is grounded in the works of U. Beck, A. Giddens, G. Standing, as well as in methodological approaches drawn from actor-network theory and topological analysis, which enable the interpretation of culture as a complex network of socially conditioned meanings and preferences. A key theme is the influence of socio-economic changes on the aesthetic paradigm of metamodernism. The article traces how shifts in societal structures—particularly the emergence of the precariat—shape new forms of aesthetic demand. Special attention is given to the legitimization of new cultural forms by art institutions. The study also examines the consequences of the post-ideological era, the ideological crises of multiculturalism, the rise of imagined communities, and cultural responses to global migration processes.

The article further analyzes symbolic expressions of contemporary identity through the lens of the 60th Venice Biennale of 2024, where the theme of "the Other" acquired profound cultural significance. At the center of analysis is the ambivalence of the contemporary West, which simultaneously reproduces colonial narratives and seeks critical reflection upon them. The article concludes that metamodernism is not merely an aesthetic phenomenon but primarily a social one, representing a networked logic of cultural formation in the new post-industrial age. It argues that within metamodern culture, aesthetics serves not only a representational function but also a legitimizing one—responding to a social reality shaped by new classes, altered labor markets, and global identities.

ROMANTICISM AS THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF METAMODERNISM

Anton Alekseenko — 2025-06-30

The article explores the relationship between Romanticism and metamodernism. The author examines how oscillation as a methodological approach allows for the integration of opposing ideas, forming a new type of aesthetic and philosophical sensibility. In this context, Romanticism appears not only as a historical artistic and philosophical movement but also as a system of thought with the potential for further development within the metamodernist paradigm. Particular attention is given to the role of subjectivity in both Romantic and metamodernist traditions, analyzing the differences in approaches to understanding individual experience. The author notes that while Romanticism sought absolute expression of subjective states, metamodernism, in contrast, oscillates between irony and sincerity, creating a dynamic model of interaction with reality. The question of temporality also holds an important place: Romanticism tends toward nostalgia for lost ideals, whereas metamodernism balances between past and future, striving for a synthesis of tradition and innovation. Additionally, the article examines the structure of sensibility that shapes the worldview of both the Romantic and metamodernist subject. The author points out that both movements aim to transcend the rationalism and utilitarianism of modernist thought; however, while Romanticism pursued this through a desperate yearning for the ideal, metamodernism operates through play, ironic acceptance, and, at the same time, a serious engagement with higher values. In conclusion, the article highlights that Romanticism and metamodernism share many common aspirations, although they employ different methods. The author suggests expanding the metamodernist discourse by integrating Romantic philosophy, which would help overcome the fragmentation of contemporary thought and contribute to the formation of a more whole cultural and societal perspective.

CONTOURS OF METAMODERN ESCHATOLOGY: A CORPUS-BASED APPROACH

Illia Ilin — 2025-06-30

This article presents an interdisciplinary socio-philosophical study that seeks to integrate corpus linguistics with philosophical analysis of metamodernism and its eschatological potential. The authors argue that today’s global political, ecological, and technological challenges call for a renewed mode of thinking about the future – one that transcends both postmodern skepticism and the linear teleology of modernism. As a cultural and methodological framework, metamodernism is capable of holding the tension between a belief in progress and a critical reassessment of past utopias. Therefore, the authors contend, metamodernism offers fertile ground for the emergence of new eschatological imaginaries.

The central claim is that philosophy, which relies on quantitative analysis of philosophical texts (e.g., concordances, collocations, frequency data) – not only allows for empirical validation of philosophical intuitions but also helps overcome subjectivism in interpreting complex concepts, particularly those related to eschatology. Through corpus analysis, the authors reconstruct eschatological sensibilities in the works of Marx, Engels, leading metamodernists (such as Freinacht and van den Akker), and eco-socialist theorists, highlighting not only critiques of capitalism but also emerging efforts to articulate positive visions of the future. Eco-socialism, in this context, is interpreted as one of the few paradigms capable of uniting ecological ethics, social justice, and materially grounded utopia.

Though, drawing on international sociological surveys, the study demonstrates that contemporary imaginaries of the future are polyphonic, conflictual, and saturated with existential anxiety – underscoring the need for new forms of eschatological reasoning. Ultimately, the article offers a corpus-supported reconstruction of metamodern eschatology – one that incorporates dialectical thinking about the end, political commitment, openness to a multiplicity of futures, and attentiveness to the voices of the marginalized. This form of eschatology is not abstract; rather, it emerges as a tool of critique and political engagement in an age of ecological, political, and economic polycrisis.

SIMPLE NET DIAGRAM: HUMAN – MACHINE – COMMUNICATION

Oleh Perepelytsia — 2025-06-30

This article examines social mediations as practices of human transformation/modification from a historical perspective. It presents the author's own model of historical epochs, based on the understanding of humans as beings who constitute themselves through specific procedures of communication mediation. The article identifies three distinct stages (epochs) characterized by different ways of mediating interpersonal relationships and different communicative mediators: 1) Human – Animal – Human: archaic communication linked to the establishment of tribal structures and kinship. Totemism is defined as the basic model, with the animal as the mediator; 2) Human – God – Human: communication is constituted by transcendental structures, focusing on the establishment of a spiritual connection between people. This forms the religious/metaphysical human, where mediations are performed by appealing to the word of God, and God is the mediator of communication; 3) Human – Machine – Human: communication is directed by the process of production, emerging as a culture industry. Interpersonal relationships are mediated by technology, with the machine acting as a communication mediator that takes the form of a market, shaping a functional, operational human. The article notes that we are currently observing symptoms of a new epoch, the character of which can be described by the sequence Machine – Human – Machine. In this new era, dependence on machines and the interdependence among people connected to machines constitute a new form of sociocultural mediation. The goal of the article is to clarify the nature of this new mediation.

The contemporary world is characterized by the development of machines into artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. These new technologies reproduce a human's communicative and meaning-creating faculty: the capacity for language. AI (specifically ChatGPT and its counterparts) embodies a technology that can potentially replace many types of human activity. However, the article points out that the problems and threats to humanity and nature are rooted not in the machine or in AI, but in humanity itself. If we view contemporary technological development as the liberation of humans from instrumental reason, then we can define new prospects for communicative, critical, poetic, empathetic, and emphatic forms of reason. Machines, even "desire machines," should be viewed as opportunities to realize all these forms of reason while reducing the exploitation of humans. In other words, the Machine – Human – Machine sequence should be seen as a new perspective that embodies an ethical imperative in its own way.

ONTOLOGICAL GRAMMAR OF LANGUAGE AS A FOUNDATION FOR LIFE CREATIVITY IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Lubov Karpets — 2025-06-30

This article analyzes the role of language as an ontological space for human life-creation amidst the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). It substantiates the concept of ontological grammar, which emerges as a conceptual tool for exploring the interrelationship between linguistic being, cognitive strategy, and cultural self-realization. The authors consider the possibility of a unified ontological grammar common to classical, non-classical, and post-classical philosophical approaches. Particular attention is paid to the holistic dimension of communicative space, where language functions as a carrier of life-creating meanings. It's noted that the ontological grammar of holism can offer a discursive solution for a "natural" worldview strategy, especially in the new technological era. The research reveals that AI poses significant challenges to ontological grammar. It functions as a high-tech tool for speech simulation, rather than a subject of thought. This means that while AI models generate texts, they do not create meaning in the sense of an intentional act. Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool for philosophical exploration, testing concepts, and comparing ideas, but it isn't a full participant in life-creation or the philosophical understanding of being. The article points out that post-structuralist semiotics critiqued the structuralist idea of seeking a meta-structure or universal meta-code. Conversely, in the era of high-tech AI, the explication of the concept of code shifts from metaphysical and ontological dimensions into the broader context of human life-creation, with extensive opportunities for information access and internet communication. However, a problem of decontextualization arises, as AI can process texts without discerning the depth of situational relevance. For AI, context is merely linear memory, not a multidimensional situational structure. Furthermore, semantic inversion can occur, where a model might generate contradictory phrases or exhibit "empty coherence" due to the absence of semantic verification mechanisms. A significant issue is the discrepancy between intention and utterance, as AI lacks intentions, and its speech is never an act of communicative will. These limitations demonstrate a fundamental disconnect between AI's speech and human language: where humans infuse meaning-as-being through life-creation, AI merely models a semblance of meaning. It's proven that the digital era organizes the space for life-creation through language, but simultaneously creates threats to its authenticity.

COURSE "RESEARCH METHODS AND ANALYSIS IN PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH": AI AS A TOOL, CHALLENGE AND MIRROR OF HUMAN FAILURES

Natalia Viatkina — 2025-06-30

The intersection of philosophical research and artificial intelligence (AI) is, at first glance, fertile ground for research, but only at first glance. After all, it is not an easy task to thoroughly delve into the fundamental philosophical principles on which AI developments are based and to realize all the consequences of this relationship fully. The article is devoted to the search for those fundamental principles that may determine the value, effectiveness, and different risks that AI may generate alongside new ideas and experiences. The article exemplifies the role of AI in teaching the course "Research Methods and Analysis in Philosophical Studies" as a study. The author also analyzes the ethical and cognitive problems of AI, using two student research works as illustrations of how the course achievements are applied to consider, in particular, the bias of AI and its limited ability to "judge" compared to humans. Deliberately bypassing the history of AI development, the author describes the closest stage to us when there is a transition to creative processes, especially writing. ChatGPT is used for searching, classifying research objects, generating data, and rewriting with editing, as well as overcoming writer's block, all of which can be accomplished in a matter of minutes. There are also more specialized versions of artificial intelligence for academic work, such as searching and processing literature. True, one also has to deal with the consequences of such "encyclopedism" of AI. The fact is that AI finds information using the work of hundreds of thousands of academics (scientists, teachers), as well as writers. Everyone decides for themselves whether to use such a labor-intensive means of creating texts. However, the mechanism of AI borrowing literary sources requires immediate regulation and constant monitoring of copyright compliance. The article discusses the latest approaches to assessing the role of philosophy, which lays the principles of creating artificial intelligence and is, therefore, a fundamental part of effective AI. A field of AI philosophy is emerging that deepens and illuminates important topics, combining theoretical foundations with practical applications in technology. Furthermore, considering various concepts, such as explainable AI, highlights the need for users to understand, at least in general terms, the meaning of complex models, including information models. The conclusions emphasize the importance of moral responsibility in the development and use of AI, both personal and collective.

DIGITAL ETHICS OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THE WORKS OF L. FLORIDI

Vadym Kuznetsov — 2025-06-30

The article analyzes the transformation of the concept of responsibility in the digital age, particularly in the context of Luciano Floridi’s information ethics. Responsibility is examined as a key ethical category undergoing a profound shift under the influence of digital technologies. The authors emphasize that, in the digital era, responsibility should be understood not only as an individual moral choice but also as a collective obligation. Special attention is paid to the changing nature of ethical action in virtualized interactions, where classical notions of free will and moral autonomy are being revised. A central focus of the article is the concept of the “infosphere” – a global informational environment encompassing both digital and biosocial systems. Within this environment, responsibility emerges as a distributed and structural ethical function, shaped by a network of interactions between users, algorithms, and institutions.

The article addresses key challenges related to the development of artificial intelligence, particularly the issue of the “responsibility gap” and the social risks associated with algorithmic decision-making. It explores the foundations of sociotechnical pragmatism as an alternative to both utopianism and skepticism in evaluating digital technologies. A critical review is conducted of the AI4People initiative, which seeks to formulate universal ethical principles for a digital society. The analysis highlights five core principles of digital ethics: beneficence, autonomy, justice, explicability, and non-maleficence.

The study also examines the ethical implications of immersive digital environments (XR), which introduce new sensory and embodied dimensions of interaction. The article demonstrates that an ethical approach to digital reality must be interdisciplinary, reflexive, and oriented toward institutional responsibility. In this context, responsibility is interpreted as a multidimensional obligation encompassing technological, social, and normative aspects of interaction in a digitized world.

BOUNDARIES OF IMITATION: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AMONG “KNOWING-THAT” AND “KNOWING-HOW”

Natalia Bilchuk — 2025-06-30

This article presents a philosophical and methodological analysis of the problem of the possibility of machine thinking, which was first systematically posed by Alan Turing in his classic work Computing Machinery and Intelligence. The authors refer to the Turing Test as a tool for evaluating the ability of artificial systems to imitate human behavior and thinking, while also engaging with Turing’s own critical reflections on the inherent limitations of artificial intelligence. Special attention is devoted to the critiques advanced by Hubert Dreyfus and John Searle. Dreyfus contends that the foundational assumptions of artificial intelligence – classified by him as biological, psychological, epistemological, and ontological – are insufficiently substantiated. Drawing on the phenomenological tradition (E. Husserl, M. Heidegger), Dreyfus introduces a distinction between "Knowledge-That" and "Knowledge-How" as two different forms of knowledge, only one of which is subject to formalization and algorithmization. Knowing-that is conceptualized as analytical thinking, "factual" knowledge capable of describing and clarifying an object, whereas knowing-how is contextual or "background" knowledge that forms the basis of understanding. At the same time, John Searle, through his thought experiment of the "Chinese Room," argues that a computer cannot possess genuine understanding even if it can imitate human behavior and thought processes. The article addresses fundamental epistemological, ontological, and methodological issues related to the nature of thinking, experience and background knowledge. The work draws on primary sources by Turing, Dreyfus, and Searle, while also incorporating phenomenological insights from Husserl and Heidegger, as well as Wittgenstein’s logical analysis of language formalization. It concludes that intelligence cannot be reduced to purely computational operations and that model of human thinking requires consideration of non-conceptual, contextual, and existential components of human existence.

DIGITAL URBANISM: ONTOLOGY OF HYBRID URBAN SPACES IN THE AGE OF DIGITALIZATION

Mykyta Miazin — 2025-06-30

The article presents an analysis of the phenomenon of digital urbanism as a transdisciplinary research field integrating philosophical, engineering-technical, socio-spatial, culturological, and information–communication paradigms. Digital urbanism is conceptualized as an epistemological strategy for understanding the transformative processes occurring in the modern city under the influence of digital technologies, and as a theoretical framework for analyzing the new ontology of urban space. The key concepts of digital urbanism are explored: code/space, platform urbanism, real-time city and infrastructuring, which form the theoretical apparatus for understanding the hybridization of the urban environment. The technological components of the city's digital transformation are analyzed: the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, geographic information systems, and mobile interfaces, which act as tools for constructing a new urban reality. Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of urban space hybridization, where the physical and digital environments mutually constitute each other, creating new modes of perception and interaction. The transformation of the city's spatio-temporal structures is explicated, in particular, the transition from cyclical temporality to the logic of constant updating and from static spaces to dynamic flows. The influence of digital mediation on urban experience is revealed, where technological interfaces become key intermediaries in the subject's interaction with urban space, forming individualized routes and personalized cartographic representations. The aesthetic aspects of the digital city are analyzed, including the formation of a new visual culture and data architecture. A critical analysis of the social, cultural, and ethical implications of digital urbanization is carried out, particularly the problems of the digital divide, privacy, and algorithmic governance. The city is conceptualized as a platform and information environment operating in real-time, transforming traditional notions of urban space and catalyzing emergent forms of sociality. The necessity of integrating technological innovations with a critical reflection of the social, cultural, and ethical aspects of the city's digital transformation is substantiated for the formation of a balanced approach to the development of the urban environment in the age of digitalization.

TRANSHUMANISM AND THE ETHICS OF THE POSTHUMAN IN THE CONTEXT OF SPACE EXPANSION

Volodymyr Oleshchenko — 2025-06-30

This article examines the philosophical foundations of transhumanism in the context of humanity’s potential expansion beyond Earth. The posthuman subject is examined as one shaped by technological modifications, artificial intelligence, mind-machine interfaces, and the extreme conditions of extraterrestrial environments. In this framework, space is not only a physical frontier but a platform for radically rethinking the human condition.

The author considers transhumanism not as a futurist utopia but as an ethical practice that transforms the relationships between embodiment, technology, and morality. The article introduces conceptual tools such as adaptive subjectivity, moral recalibration, and cognitive modification within the framework of interstellar existence. Particular attention is paid to the problem of preserving moral continuity amid radical alterations of corporeality, as well as to forms of cooperation between humans and non-anthropomorphic agents in autonomous off-Earth communities.

The article offers a critical examination of limit-case scenarios, including bodily deconstruction, consciousness emulation, and the emergence of algorithmic instances endowed with moral responsibility. The focus is not primarily on technologies themselves, but on the ontological shifts they trigger in how we understand freedom, autonomy, and the boundaries of the subject. The study lays the groundwork for a posthuman ethics applicable to extreme future environments in which core categories of humanism lose their intuitive self-evidence.

SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AS A PHILOSOPHICAL CATEGORY IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

Yaroslav Sehen — 2025-06-30

The article provides a philosophical understanding of the category of social consciousness in the context of modern digital communication. Taking into account the transformational nature of the information society, the author proposes to consider social consciousness not as a static reflection of social existence, but as a dynamic and sensitive to technological changes form of collective spiritual existence. The relevance of the study is due to the need to rethink traditional philosophical concepts under the influence of new social and techno-communication realities.

An interdisciplinary methodological approach is applied, combining elements of hermeneutics, phenomenology, critical social philosophy and techno-philosophy. The key stages of the evolution of ideas about social consciousness in Western and Ukrainian philosophical traditions are analyzed, and the main factors of its modern transformation are identified: virtualization of experience, fragmentation of information, algorithmization of communication, post-truth and the formation of new types of digital identity.

Special attention is paid to the analysis of digital communication as not only a technological but also a socio-cultural phenomenon that affects the deep meanings of collective thinking. It is shown that digital communication constructs a new form of social consciousness - dynamic, unstable, reactive, sensitive to the information environment and manipulative strategies.

The author concludes that social consciousness in the digital age appears simultaneously as a space of threat (due to the weakening of criticality, the growth of emotional reactivity, information overload), and as a space of new opportunities (for mobilization, self-identification, resistance). The article emphasizes the importance of further philosophical understanding of the processes occurring at the intersection of technology and consciousness, in particular in the context of information warfare and the global struggle for meanings.

"I AM HERE. WHO ARE YOU?": BRUGES AS A PHILOSOPHER OF DIGITAL REFUSAL (MARTIN MCDONAGH'S "IN BRUGES" (2008))

Artem Perchyk — 2025-06-30

This article proposes, for the first time, a philosophical reading of the film «In Bruges» through the lens of the «digital refusal» concept. In contrast to traditional interpretations focusing on the crime plot or existential motives, this research unveils a unique metaphysical dimension of the film, where the medieval city of Bruges emerges as a fully-fledged philosophical subject resisting the algorithmic logic of modernity. The innovative approach lies in treating the urban space not as a scenographic backdrop, but as an active actant influencing the temporal and ethical parameters of the narrative. The author's concept of «city-as-code» opens a fundamentally new perspective on understanding the urban environment as a proto-algorithmic structure operating according to a logic distinct from digital perceptions of time and space. This view radically differs from existing interpretations of urban semiotics in cinema and urban studies.

The paper identifies a previously unarticulated problem of «ontological lag» – a specific state of the digital modern subject who finds themselves in an environment incompatible with the logic of algorithmic operations and network communication. This interpretation allows for a new understanding of the film's visual strategy as a deliberate media glitch that prevents a cathartic perception of the main characters' ethical drama.

The proposed interpretation of the aesthetics of slowness and opacity in the film is fundamentally new, not as a stylistic device, but as a philosophical gesture that exposes the fundamental contradiction between digital temporality and the analog mode of presence. These reading challenges conventional notions of a unidirectional process of the digitalization of cultural experience.

Of particular value is the proposed typology of «digital subjects» in a state of glitch, which opens a new approach to analyzing characters in contemporary cinema as carriers of various forms of temporal dissonance. For the first time in the context of film analysis and media philosophy, the problem of «ethics without an audience» – moral choices that occur outside the logic of digital publicity – is articulated.

The research paves the way for the formation of a new interdisciplinary field combining media theory, the philosophy of ethics, and digital aesthetics to understand the transformations of subjectivity in the post-digital age.

"SQUID GAME": HUMAN IN THE WORLD OF CONTEMPORARY CAPITALISM

Sergey Manukyan — 2025-06-30

Cinema as an art form developed rapidly in the last century and has not lose its position in the 21st century. What we see on the screen is the embodiment of thoughts, actions, stories of people and society. Serious cinema or cinema not for everyone (sometimes they call it chamber) is in many ways a philosophical creation. However, a cross-section of society, pictures of life are color wide-format frames of commercial cinema. Cinema that millions of people watch with “eyes wide open”. The author of the article notes that often it is fiction and feature films that are more documentary. He draws attention to: which social classes and groups and how they react to what is happening on the screen.

The article attempts to study the life of a modern person in a modern highly developed country. As is known, the world socialist system, socialism on the threshold of the 21st century gave up its positions to the old (according to the calendar) good (in the opinion of many) capitalism. With the beginning of the new century, scientific and technological progress, in the form of digital and other technologies, has dramatically changed the situation in the economy and the life of society. More grandiose changes are expected. Progress brings great advantages (in healthcare, communications, transport) and no less serious disadvantages. Among them are such problems as: future unemployment from robots and digital algorithms.

The problem of recent decades is the alienation of people from each other in the case of the development of new means of communication. The purpose of the article will be the idea that "pure" progress and the latest technologies do not make people's lives better automatically. Happiness remains for many the same unattainable blue-bird-dream. What prompts "ordinary" people and specialists - economists, sociologists, engineers to philosophically understand scientific and technological progress.

As is known from history, humanity postpones the solution of the most acute problems to the end. The author sees the solution (not the only one) to the problem of future unemployment from robots with artificial intelligence in the implementation of the UBI-Unconditional Basic Income. Raises the issue of the mandatory race for "success" in the modern world. These problems are relevant today and the article touches on them through the study of a landmark film. Today, it is art cinema, not music, nor literature, but cinema that can raise acute issues on a massive scale, louder and more colorfully.

THE PHENOMENON OF THE HORROR IN UKRAINIAN HORROR FILMS

Uliana Abashnik — 2025-06-30

This article is devoted to a critical analysis of the phenomenon of horror in the philosophical and anthropological aspect in Ukrainian horror films of the early 21st century. The focus is on the manifestation of the phenomenon of the horrific and its components, including anxiety, trembling, shivering, and panic, fear, ugliness, disgust, disgusting, etc. The role of horrors and the terrible in Ukrainian literature (Ivan Kotliarevskyi, Mykola Hohol, Hryhorii Kvitka-Osnovianenko, Taras Shevchenko, Yurii Vynnychuk, Andrii Kokotiukha, and others) and philosophy (Hryhorii Skovoroda) is emphasized. Particular attention is also paid to the understanding of the phenomenon of horror in various philosophical traditions (Aristotle, Hume, Diderot, Heidegger, Gadamer, etc.). Next, the author outlines the peculiarities of the horror film genre and its various subgenres in the global context. After that, the latest works by foreign authors (Julius Sittel, Adam Lowenstein, Stephen Prince, Eugene Thacker, Ursula Vossen) and Ukrainian authors (H. F. Batalina, etc.) on horror films are mentioned.

The main part of this article is devoted to a critical examination of the peculiarities of the phenomenon of the horrific in contemporary Ukrainian horror films. It begins with a brief overview of the storylines of individual films, their main technical characteristics, and mentions the main characters and actors who play the respective roles. This is followed by a selective analysis of certain episodes of those films that focus on the manifestations of the phenomenon of the horrific and its components. In particular, the role of corporeality, gender aspects, and psychological transitions of the characters from the real state to the state of “Alter ego”, in the sense of the image of the Other (films “Lysa hora”, “Konotopska vidma”, etc.) in the perception of the phenomenon of the horror is emphasized. An important characteristic of these films was the reflection of the horrors in the context of Ukrainian history and culture, in particular the legends and traditions about the pagan gods Perun and Veles of the Kyivan Rus era, etc. (films “Shtolnya”, “Brama”, “Lysa hora”, “Morena”, “Synevyr”). A specific feature of some Ukrainian horror films is the reflection of the tragic present of the Russian-Ukrainian war, when the phenomenon of the horrific becomes a reality in life (for example, “Konotopska vidma” or “The Konotop Witch”). The author concludes by stating that Ukrainian horror films are guided by the achievements of world horror cinema, including in the subgenres of body horror, folk horror, mystical horror, etc.

EXTREME VIOLENCE AND SELF-DEFENSE OF THE SUBJECT IN THE MODERN POLITICAL REALITY

Lidiia Gazniuk — 2025-06-30

This article substantiates an integrated understanding of the subject's self-defense in situations of extreme violence. This understanding is presented as a necessary component of the methodological complex for researching society and the processes of reformatting the modern world. The concept of "extreme violence" is considered a form of contradiction and a clash of potential answers to basic questions regarding the existential nature of human existence, the social purpose of certain communities, state formations, and their socio-political structures. Such clashes lead to a struggle among social subjects for the dominance of their worldviews. When the global order collapses, the weakest usually suffer the most. In the face of conflicting claims and interests, it becomes difficult to split blame and find a reasonable compromise.

Self-defense, as an activity of a subject within the social environment, is associated with threats stemming from a range of large-scale crisis and pre-crisis situations that endanger the existence and normal functioning of social groups and individuals. These situations are precipitated by processes such as globalization, terrorism, warfare, environmental disasters, pandemics, post-industrial modernization, and the development of information technologies and artificial intelligence. The threatening nature of these situations arises from accompanying processes of individualization and fragmentation across all spheres of society, including the fragmentation of each individual's socio-political behavior. These mentioned processes are further complicated by the evolving political reality of modern society and the difficulties individuals face in adapting to a rapidly and continuously changing social reality. This reality often disintegrates into numerous autonomous spheres that invade an individual's inner world, influencing values, ethics, attitudes toward politics and state events, and transforming the perception of social reality. Under such conditions, ensuring a stable human life can only be achieved through constant practices of identifying and understanding threats, coupled with developing methods and programs to influence these threats with the aim of avoiding, eliminating, or neutralizing them through social self-defense.

THE PHENOMENON OF SOLIDARITY IN POST-POLITICAL CONSENSUS

Mykhailo Beilin — 2025-06-30

The profound transformation of all aspects of society's existence, which began in the last quarter of the previous century and continues to this day, has changed almost the entire structure of social relations, both in its morphological and substantive plans. Social solidarity is presented as a dynamic and non-guaranteed state arising in the course of human interaction and requiring constant activity of all participants of the interactive process. The main integrative role is played by joint action and its interpretations, the proximity of which ensures the consolidation of society. The influence of solidarity on the reproduction function of the social system at all its hierarchical levels – from groups of primary social practices to the society as a whole – has been studied. It is substantiated that the state or level of social solidarity in society determines the degree of harmony of its functioning, and in general determines the life chances and prospects of this society. It is noted that the reduction of solidarity carries a threat of social disintegration. It is emphasized that in the normal functioning of society, solidarity is the object of unremitting attention, both on the part of the ruling group in society, whose actions are almost inseparable from the goals of reproduction of society and its power, and on the part of other social institutions, whose activities are directly conditioned by the level of consolidation and cooperation of their members. Accordingly, a state of social relations in which neither the authorities nor other institutions demonstrates adequate concern for the degree of consolidation of the social whole cannot be considered normal. It is shown that within the post-political consensus, class identity appears as the result of a specific political gesture – a political and discursive construction. Political-discursive analysis is defined as an independent and self-sufficient methodology that enables a new perspective on traditional objects of political inquiry, such as populist movements and ideologies, large-scale social conflicts, the absolutization of ideology, and the ideologization of the functioning of various societal discourses.

PROPAGANDA CLASSIFICATION: TRADITION AND NEW APPROACHES

Mykyta Shpylovyi — 2025-06-30

The analysis indicates that propaganda, in the contemporary context of the Russo-Ukrainian war, presents a challenge not only to Ukrainian defense, but also to the everyday life of every Ukrainian. As the result – Ukrainian society constantly encounters propaganda as conceptualized perspective on specific phenomena or problem, and each citizen of Ukraine inevitably faces the need to counteract this social influence daily.

This research argues that the enemy`s most sophisticated propaganda incorporates philosophical foundations, operating either fully in alignment with social-philosophical concepts or evidently intersecting with philosophical ideas, such as those of Guy Debord or Jacques Ellul. Hence, the central hypothesis of the study is that if propaganda is constructed upon these philosophical concepts, a mirrored usage of these same concepts might aid in effectively countering it.

In Ukraine, propaganda research typically relies either on psychology or on journalism. In such communication, the most common approach of propaganda involves fact-checking, followed by refuting the claims made by the propagandist. Consequently, we are always one step behind, essentially treating symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. This study demonstrates how propaganda can be conceptualized in a way that highlights its key elements and clarifies the propagandist’s true objectives, even in cases involving covert and structurally complex informational-psychological operations conducted by intelligence services.

The research further argues that propaganda can be characterized not merely by factual accuracy, vividness, or distribution methods – as most researchers currently typologize it – but instead by classifying it based on the forms of influence it exerts on individual and social consciousness.

POLITICAL DOCTRINE OF AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO: DIRECTIONS OF RECONSTRUCTION

Oleksiy Vorobiov — 2025-06-30

The article provides an analysis of the current state of scholarly knowledge concerning the political dimension of Augustine of Hippo’s teachings. It explores the possibility of conducting a systematic historical-philosophical reconstruction of his political philosophy and substantiates the necessity of addressing this task within the context of the national academic tradition. The author argues that, at present, both in international and local cultural spheres, there is no clear and structured understanding of the construction of Augustine’s political philosophy.

One of the main factors influencing the difficulty of isolating and holistically perceiving the political philosophy of this great thinker is the overwhelming presence of his philosophy of history. The grandeur and scale of Augustine’s historical thought often overshadow, if not entirely obscure, the political component of his teachings. However, this problem can be resolved through a systematic historical-philosophical reconstruction, which would allow for a transparent distinction between Augustine's philosophy of history and his political philosophy, clearly outlining their substantive components and the relationship between them within the broader framework of his doctrine.

The core challenge typically lies in the need for a precise understanding of the context of Augustine's political philosophy, which was shaped by his historical and philosophical views – views that, in turn, are an inseparable part of the theology of the Doctor of Grace. But it is also important to reveal the sources and concepts that influenced his philosophy, to conduct a terminological study. Thus, the article identifies possible stages of a comprehensive historical and philosophical reconstruction of Augustine's political philosophy.

ASPECT PERCEPTION AS A PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM: PHENOMENOLOGICAL REDUCTION OR LANGUAGE GAME?

Mykyta Trachuk — 2025-06-30

This article explores the phenomenon of aspect as a fundamental philosophical problem situated at the intersection of phenomenology and philosophy of language. The author examines aspect not merely as a grammatical category, but as a philosophical-political tool for interpreting reality—structuring our perception of events, truth, and existence. Special attention is given to the comparison between two major approaches: the phenomenological (E. Husserl, M. Merleau-Ponty) and the linguistic-analytical (L. Wittgenstein), which reveal different modalities of conceptualizing aspect as eidetic experience or as language game. The phenomenological approach is presented through the concept of eidetic reduction aimed at grasping the evident essences (eidōs), enabling philosophical aspect to be understood as an intentionally constituted event. In contrast, Wittgenstein’s perspective presents aspect as visibility informed by a concept – “seeing-as” –realized within language games and devoid of essential content. The author demonstrates how these two perspectives also reflect two models of the political: politics as a space of intentional consciousness and policy as a structurally linguistic practice of governance. A distinctive contribution of the article lies in the inclusion of the Ukrainian linguistic context, which allows the author to uncover profound ontological and political distinctions between the concepts of “present”, “authentic”, “truth” and “veracity”. Through the analysis of verb aspects (perfective / imperfective) in Ukrainian, the author illustrates how grammatical structures shape political imagination and the interpretation of reality. This is especially relevant within decolonial discourse, where language functions not merely as a medium of expression but as a constitutive factor of political subjectivity. The article combines hermeneutic analysis, logical-linguistic critique, and philosophical reflection, opening possibilities for the development of a theory of metapolitics. It offers a new optic for analyzing political language, in which aspect is not treated as a secondary linguistic feature but rather as a key structure of perception, meaning-making, and power. In the conclusion, the author outlines future directions in connection with French phenomenology (J.-L. Marion, P. Ricoeur), speech act theory (J. L. Austin, J. Searle), expanding the scope for interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationship between language, politics, and truthfulness.

NEW PARADIGMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN SCIENCE AND EDUCATION: SYNTHESIS OF EXISTENTIALISM, PERSONALISM AND DIALOGICAL APPROACH

Hanna Yemelianenko — 2025-06-30

The article deals with the issues of understanding human existence in the context of post-nonclassical philosophy, where value-semantic, communicative and existential aspects acquire special importance. The main attention is focused on the processes of self-knowledge, existential choice, identity formation and transformation of subjectivity in conditions of rapid social and cultural changes. The study uses methods of phenomenology, hermeneutics, as well as historical and philosophical comparability to study the strategies of understanding human existence that arise within the framework of post-nonclassical philosophy. It is shown that the anthropological paradigm is transforming from metaphysical objectivity to an emphasis on personal experience, interpersonal dialogue and processes of personality formation. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the significant phenomena of modernity - cultural fragmentation, moral relativism, loss of stable identities - on the formation of a new type of anthropological thinking. The focus of the analysis is the transition from a one-dimensional to a multidimensional model of man, in which intersubjectivity, reflection and responsibility play an important role. The originality of the approach lies in the synthesis of ideas of existentialism, personalism, philosophy of dialogue and post-non-classical concepts of the subject. It is concluded that philosophical anthropology in the post-non-classical era becomes a key tool for interpreting man as an open, dynamic being who is in a constant search for meaning. The results of the study can be used to form new concepts of human development, education, intercultural interaction and ethical responsibility within the framework of modern humanitarian knowledge. The analysis of post-nonclassical approaches reveals that modern philosophy of anthropology departs from classical rationalist and metaphysical models, offering a more complex view of man. This opens up new prospects for interdisciplinary research that takes into account cultural, social, and psychological aspects of being. Special emphasis is placed on dialogue and communication, which allows us to rethink traditional notions of identity as a static category, emphasizing its dynamic, constitutive nature instead. Thus, post-nonclassical philosophy of anthropology acts as a platform for the formation of ethical models that take into account the complexity and multiplicity of human experience, contributing to overcoming the one-dimensional approaches that dominated previously. Such an approach is especially relevant in the context of globalization processes and cultural diversity, which pose new challenges to philosophy and opens up opportunities for its development.

EXISTENTIALISM AND HELLENISTIC PRACTICES OF «CARE OF THE SELF»: COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Oleksandr Loiko — 2025-06-30

The article presents a critical comparison between Hellenistic philosophical practices of «care of the self» (as interpreted by Michel Foucault and Pierre Hadot) and existentialism (in the version of Jean-Paul Sartre). The analysis emphasizes that the practices of «care of the self», as specific forms of «everyday creativity», resist classification within the binary opposition of «professional» vs. «spontaneous» activity. Key distinctions between ancient forms of «care of the self» and various types of «techne» (professional skills) include: first, their imperative nature; and second, their essential incompleteness. Traits that elevate «practices of the self» beyond mere spontaneous actions – bringing them closer to professional forms of creativity – include: first, a developed set of «rules»; and second, the presence of a mentor. Furthermore, the individual who engaged in «care of the self» functioned simultaneously as both subject and object of their activity: as a creator guided by certain rules and as material to be shaped into a distinct form.

The version of existentialism represented by Jean-Paul Sartre is proposed as a European analogue to the Hellenistic «practices of the self». At the same time, the article explains what makes Sartre’s concept of the «project of oneself» not identical to the ancient «art of existence». While Hellenistic «styles of existence» were grounded in pre-established principles and values that the individual was to follow with the guidance of a mentor, Sartre emphasized the absolute groundlessness of the subject's choice and viewed the figure of the mentor as unnecessary and even undesirable.

Despite the significant differences in approach, the article argues that a middle ground can be found between the ancient «practices of the self» and Sartre’s «invention of the self». This intermediate position is exemplified by Cicero’s strategy, which Pierre Hadot describes as «probabilistic» or «eclectic». According to this strategy, it is not necessary to strictly adhere to a single, once-and-for-all chosen mode of existence. One should act according to the situation, adopting the model of behavior most effective under the given circumstances. Thus, by creatively synthesizing elements from various schools of «practices of the self», the «eclectic» can develop their own unique «style of existence».

PHILOSOPHY OF PERSONALITY IN THE CULTURE OF CREATIVITY: CREATIVITY AS A PATH TO LIFE CREATIVITY

Nataliia Bohdanova — 2025-06-30

The article explores the philosophy of personality in the context of a culture of creativity, where creativity is considered a fundamental factor that contributes to the life-creativity of the individual - the process of active formation and understanding of one's own life in conditions of constant change. The relevance of this topic is due to the demands placed on a person by the constant change of the environment, which requires flexibility, the ability for innovative thinking, and deep internal development from the individual. The importance of creativity is emphasized not only as a problem-solving skill, but also as an internal process that enriches the personality, determines its ability to self-knowledge and cultural self-expression.

The aim of the article is to reveal the meaning of creativity as the main means of self-creation of the individual within the framework of the culture of creativity. The proposed working hypothesis states that creativity is not only a tool for creating new ideas or objects, but also a profound way of being that gives a person the opportunity to realize themselves through the creative act. The article also examines philosophical approaches to the problem of creativity, in particular the concepts of such thinkers as I. Kant, G. Hegel, and M. Berdyaev, who consider creativity to be an important component of individual freedom and the path to her self-realization. Additionally, modern psychological and cultural studies are analyzed, which help clarify the mechanisms of creative activity and its role in personal development (A. Maslow, M. Runko and others).

Particular attention is paid to the concept of "culture of creativity", which is a space that ensures the development of creative life, providing the opportunity for self-realization through the expression of aesthetic, humanistic and ethical values. Creativity in this context appears as a process that not only shapes individuality, but also creates conditions for deep interaction with others, contributing to the development of new forms of cultural expression. The author argues that creativity should be integrated into all spheres of human existence – from education to intercultural dialogue – as an important resource for the development of not only the individual, but also society as a whole, which can contribute to harmonious development and mutual understanding between people of different cultures and worldviews.

The conclusions outline the prospects for further research aimed at integrating philosophical, psychological and pedagogical approaches to the formation of a creative personality in the context of modern global challenges.

PHENOMENOLOGICAL RECEPTION OF WAR AS A HUMAN EXPERIENCE: THE EXAMPLE OF OCCUPATION

Oleksandra Amelchenko — 2025-06-30

The article focuses on the conceptualization of the experience of occupation based on the phenomenological descriptions of life under occupation proposed by Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Paul Sartre. The philosophical potential of the phenomenological methodology is demonstrated by its use in critical war studies, which rethink this phenomenon from the perspective of human experience, rejecting the dominant approach to war as a continuation of politics by other means. Analyzing the research of the representative of critical studies of war, Shane Brighton, the phenomenological potential of the works of Carl von Clausewitz is revealed in the context of rethinking war as the excess of being over knowledge. It is also demonstrated how the understanding of war proposed by E. Levinas is used in interdisciplinary studies of this phenomenon to understand the impact of war on people's lives. At the same time, the author distinguishes between the reference to descriptions of war in works of literature and phenomenological works made by Sh. Brighton to generalize how war is experienced, and phenomenological descriptions of the experience of war itself. The consideration of the essays by M. Merleau-Ponty and J.-P. Sartre helps to demonstrate how the phenomenological methodology is used to describe the direct experience of war, particularly the experience of occupation. The article shows that the phenomenological approach allows not only to rethink war as a generative force, as S. Brighton does, but also to conceptualize specific experiences of war. Thus, using the examples of descriptions of life under occupation offered by M. Merleau-Ponty and J.-P. Sartre, it is shown that the experience of authentic life under occupation can be conceptualized as the experience of struggle in the ranks of the Resistance movement. The conducted research allows us to conclude that it is necessary to use phenomenology to achieve a truly human understanding of war, that is, to understand it as a phenomenon that confronts people with a choice to save their own lives as private individuals and live an illusory freedom or to participate in the Resistance movement and sacrifice their lives in the fight for the freedom of all citizens. The results obtained indicate the need for further phenomenological research of war experiences, which will involve the analysis not only of the experience of occupation, but also other forms of experiencing war.

THE HEURISTIC POTENTIAL OF THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY OF DISABILITY RESEARCH

Denys Chernetskyi — 2025-06-30

The article draws attention to the transgressive effect of the 11 years of war in Ukraine, when a significant public demand from Ukrainians for understanding and researching disability is being formed in a nonlinear and traumatic way. This demand actualizes the subject of the article's research, which attempts to study the heuristic potential of the phenomenological methodology of disability research in contrast to the medical and social models of disability that are prevalent in modern society (including Ukraine). It is specified that the modernity of a specific phenomenological approach is determined by the possibility of building a trauma-sensitive, non-discriminatory dialogue and a productive conversation about disability here and now.

Based on the criticism of phenomenology by modern disability researchers, the article describes the problematic narrow points of classical phenomenological approaches (E. Husserl, M. Heidegger, M. Merleau-Ponty), as well as some early phenomenological models of disability. It is shown that the narrowing of the phenomenology of disability to the phenomenology of disease is methodologically discriminatory towards certain cases of congenital disability. Classical phenomenology, which should focus on describing the experience of corporeality as such, tends to create an artificial dichotomy of the «normative/non-normative» body, thereby moving away from its own basic guidelines.

A new and expanded version of the phenomenological model is analyzed, which views disability as a complex, dynamic, and multidimensional phenomenon. Disability here is an interweaving of both intrinsic (medical model) and extrinsic (social model) properties, pre-reflective, attuned (pre-awareness), and reflective aspects that constitute the experience of disability.

The conclusion indicates that by overcoming the bottlenecks of classical phenomenological approaches in a new phenomenological model of disability, we must leap to a postphenomenology of disability as a broader view of disability (as mediated by technology). Phenomenology here serves as the methodological basis of postphenomenology, and postphenomenology opens up for the latter the possibility of reconsidering what disability is in the 21st century, in particular in the context of posthumanist challenges.

PAIN AND SUFFERING AS AN EXISTENTIAL CHALLENGE: BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY

Kyrylo Chuprin — 2025-06-30

Pain and suffering, as universal facets of human existence, permeate individual and collective experiences, prompting profound reflection on the meaning of being. In today’s world, marked by global crises, particularly the war in Ukraine, these phenomena acquire new dimensions, evolving beyond psychophysiological states into ontological challenges that shape human subjectivity. This study focuses on exploring the transformative potential of suffering through a synthesis of philosophical and theological perspectives, viewing it as a catalyst for ethical and mental growth. Its relevance arises from the urgent need to reconsider pain in the context of wartime traumas, which intensify existential questions, and the technological era, which reduces suffering to a mere functional issue, stripping it of her ontological depth. The works of S. Kierkegaard, M. Heidegger, V. Frankl, alongside recent studies by F. Mijatović and M. Burley underscore suffering as a boundary experience that unveils the authenticity of being. However, there is a lack of interdisciplinary approaches integrating philosophical and religious studies analyses with a focus on the Ukrainian context, where war amplifies the collective dimension of pain. The research aims to elucidate how suffering fosters the creation of new meanings by examining existential concepts, theological interpretations in Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, and the impact of digital culture on the perception of suffering. Special emphasis is placed on Ukraine’s wartime experience, where pain serves as a source of societal solidarity and ethical revaluation of values. The novelty of the study lies in its interdisciplinary synthesis, combining philosophical reflection with religious studies analysis to offer a holistic framework for understanding suffering as a source of spiritual and ethical meanings in crisis conditions. The findings demonstrate that suffering, despite its destructive nature, opens pathways for ontological rethinking of existence, fostering individual and collective resilience. The study also highlights the tension between the technological devaluation of pain and its existential significance, proposing ways to preserve the depth of human experience.

PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONING IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PRACTICES

Roman Kharchenko — 2025-06-30

The principles of the functioning of the phenomenon of religion in contemporary post-secular society are considered. An analysis of the relationship between the social and the religious, as well as the triad of being-society-religion, has been carried out, which allows for a significant actualization of the conceptual apparatus of religious ontology – an element that is exceptionally important for philosophical anthropology in determining the place of the human as a spiritual being within the religious contexts of the modern globalized world. It shows how the matrix of religion is changing in the era of digital technologies, responding to changes in sociocultural environments. Under the influence of globalization, the implementation of existing social practices requires the introduction of a whole range of new ideas, strategies, and tactics, as well as the introduction of a new model of religious communication that is acceptable in a post-secular society. Religion is relatively autonomous from other spheres of sociocultural life, as well as functional in terms of self-regulation and self-control. In the digital age, religion also acts as a virtual information space in which, through the introduction of cyber technologies, information is encoded and decoded and transmitted using technical means. The religious sphere reproduces various aspects of the religious world, which can be represented in numerous versions as: an “imprint,” a “copy,” an “imitation”; a spiritual layer in which the deepest human experiences and emotions echo polyphonically; a theologically grounded and modeled virtual picture of the religious world. Religion is what a person can perceive at a given moment in time, given their religious experience, knowledge, and faith, or what they imagine it to be. It is reasonable to assume that modern religious communication is one of the components of social practices. Religious communication acts as: a way of paving the way for establishing new religious relations; a condition for the coexistence of communicators in the sphere of religious functioning and the establishment of links between them; a model of religious communication; a means of transmitting religious information; a specific form of interaction between religious subjects, which is carried out in religious language, including sign systems. Religious communication is realized in the forms of conversation, dialogue, and the process of transmitting and exchanging religious information, which structures the activities of religious organizations and gives them new meaning, influencing people's religious consciousness. Digital technologies contribute to the constant renewal of religious communications, changing the functioning of religion. Religious communication can take the form of a set of verbal and nonverbal means of religious communication used in modern social practices when exchanging information and performing religious rituals, using all possible technical means of communication.

TERMINOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF A POSSIBLE UKRAINIAN TRANSLATION OF N. HARTMANN’S ZUR GRUNDLEGUNG DER ONTOLOGIE: AN ANALYSIS OF K. PETERSON’S ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Marko Mushenko — 2025-06-30

The article examines the terminological challenges that any future translation project of the works of the semi-forgotten German philosopher N. Hartmann, specifically Zur Grundlegung der Ontologie, into Ukrainian may encounter. In the context of the growing interest in Hartmann’s philosophy within the Western academic sphere, the Ukrainian history of philosophy is presented with an opportunity to engage with this scholarly movement. One of the key stages in such integration is the creation of academic translations of the philosopher’s major works. The initial step in realizing this task, as suggested in the article, should be the translation of Zur Grundlegung der Ontologie. To prevent common terminological mistakes, the authors have conducted a detailed analysis of the English translation of this work by K. Peterson, also examining his “Translator’s Notes.” As a result of the study, the most difficult terms for translation were identified, classified into groups, their conceptual content analyzed, and possible Ukrainian translation options proposed. Special attention is given to terms originating from the philosophical projects of E. Husserl, G. W. F. Hegel, and M. Heidegger, as well as existing Ukrainian equivalents of these terms. Despite the overall clarity of Hartmann’s language, which is based on a Latin-Greek philosophical lexicon, certain German-origin terms, particularly the paired terms Dasein and Sosein, remain problematic for accurate translation. The article not only outlines these difficulties but also lays the groundwork for a future Ukrainian translation of Grundlegung.