3/2025 PHILOSOPHY TRANSCENDS BOUNDARIES
EDITORIAL
PHILOSOPHY TRANSCENDS BOUNDARIES
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535328
This Dialogue and Universalism issue is dominated by a comprehensive collection of texts titled PHILOSOPHY TRANSCENDS BOUNDARIES. The issue also contains four texts that do not belong to the collection.
The texts included in the collection were submitted to the International Society for Universal Dialogue (ISUD) Session which was held during the 25th World Congress of Philosophy organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies in Rome (August 1–8, 2024). The session did not have a separate theme from that of the Congress, so we named the collection of the session texts following the thematic idea of the Congress, but without copying its title exactly. The session—which is a part of the legacy of the ISUD—was organized and chaired by Professor Robert Elliot Allinson. Since he was unable to prepare the submitted materials for publication, the Dialogue and Universalism editorial team complete this ISUD endeavour. We would like to thank Professor Allinson for preparing the session. We would also like to thank Dr. Lorena Stuparu and Dr. Gabriela Tănăsescu for their assistance in organizing the collection for publication.
The collection of published texts is only a portion of the materials originally submitted for the project. For various reasons, beyond the control of the Dialogue and Universalism editorial team, we were unable to publish all of the materials.
The title given to the collection of texts, PHILOSOPHY TRANSCENDS BOUNDARIES, well reflects the collection content and, we hope, also the spirit of today philosophy. What is more, when taking a more general perspective, that is unlimited to the present, philosophy’s important attribute is the constant constitution of its identity, which has not been rigidly established once and for all. Along with the postulating of new programs and schools, philosophy constantly transcends its boundaries and reconstructs its identity again and again—both in terms of permissible problem domains, methods of philosophizing, and connections with other fields of human knowledge, as well as with non-philosophical domains of the human world. Philosophy changes in two ways. First, changes are caused by philosophy’s internal development, based also (though not exclusively) on the existing philosophical legacy and on a critical rethinking of it. Second, philosophy changes under the influence of the non-philosophical human world, which, in its own transformation, constantly provides philosophy with new research impulses. Recently, as is well known, philosophers have focused their attention on, among other things, the transformation of social systems, including democracy which is in deep crisis, and the IT revolution.
In any case, philosophical reflection on the human world, as well as new results from various sciences, plays today a more important role than ever before in the history of philosophy. This constantly clashes between these two aspects of philosophizing—philosophy’s internal development and the pressures of the non-philosophical world on philosophical thinking.
It is worth stipulating that philosophy’s shallow approach to the non-philosophical world risks losing its identity. This is seen when investigations hastily considered philosophical do not employ philosophical concepts, and the problems themselves are not substantially transformed from their original extra-philosophical forms into new, philosophical constructs. That is why it is so important to rely on philosophical tradition, which is and must be a reservoir, a problematic and conceptual basis, an inspiration, or at least a field that creates conceptual frameworks for philosophical insights. Moreover, despite sometimes centuries-long discussions of past philosophical achievements, these achievements remain open—in the sense that new interpretations of them are being formed again and again. This proposal for understanding the idea of philosophy across (or, equivalently, transcending) boundaries—in one of the possible interpretations—is clearly visible in the published collection of materials from the ISUD session.
Two texts outside the block align with the main idea and theme of the collection: Nancy Oppongwaa Myles’s „Understanding Self-rule” and Mehran Rezaee and Eisa Mohammadinia’s study „A Philosophical Analysis of the Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Human Comprehension and Will. A Focus on Relativism and Absolutism.” Their subjects are cases of the relation between new phenomena of human reality and traditional philosophical problems, which strive to reach the very basis of reality, that is, universals or essences.
In his text, Michel H. Mitias continues the discussion on dialogue begun in the previous issue of Dialogue and Universalism. Professor Mitias not only responds to Professor Emily Tajsina’s arguments in her essay on Mitias’ book Human Dialogue (see her “Human Dialogue as Human Essence? Reflection on Michael H. Mitias’ Concept of Human Dialogue” Dialogue and Universalism, (35), 2025), but also expands his concept of dialogue and reveals the philosophical foundations of dialogue even more broadly than in his book.
Enjoy reading!
Małgorzata Czarnocka
Dialogue and Universalism Editor-in-Chief
ABSTRACT
Gabriela Tănăsescu
ON THE CONDITION OF COMMON GOOD POLITICS. CURRENT DEBATES AND PRACTICES
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535329
The common good, considered in virtue-centred ethics as the source of human well-being or flourishing, is considered in the current neoliberal perspective as the result of the globalized free market economy. The existence but of a wide category of poor and disadvantaged, indicates that the prevailing economic model is not concerned with the common good that includes among its loftier ethical goals social justice and equality. The assumption of this approach is that the recent conceptions of common good found in an Aristotelian theoretical lineage, new movements and models like the Economy for the Common Good (ECG) and The Humanistic Management Network (HMN), can be considered relevant in indicating the dimension at which a paradigm of common good is reconfigured, the centrality of common good is restored and a politics of common good started to function for substantiating a transition from the prevailing economic model.
Keywords: Common good, flourishing, virtue, virtue-centred ethics, dignity-centred ethics, self-interest, common good politics, humanistic paradigm for business and economics.
Affiliation: Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations of the Romanian Academy.
E-mail: gabrielatanasescu@yahoo.com; gabriela.tanasescu@ispri.ro
William H. Harwood
EDUCATION AS GLORIOUS, PERPETUAL REVOLUTION: ROUSSEAU, DEWEY, AND FREIRE
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535330
The daily increase of authoritarian leaders, totalitarian reforms, and nationalistic sen- timent worldwide creates an imperative even for those typically confined to the realm of theory to search for practicable solutions. With his characteristic flare for inconsistency and ostensible pessimism, Jean-Jacques Rousseau strikes even careful readers as a dead-end in this regard. Nevertheless, Rousseau’s writings on civic education and civil religion provide an as-yet untapped resource, offering both a prescient diagnosis of our current predicament and realistic prescriptions as to how we might counteract it. And he is not alone: hitherto all but ignored by scholars, Rousseau’s thoughts on education bear a striking resemblance to those of John Dewey regarding experimental inquiry and Paolo Freire’s concerning liberatory pedagogy. For, though hailing from different continents and disparate traditions, all three emphasize that the slide towards tyranny is either ensured or prevented based on a people’s (in)ability to distinguish between nationalism and patriotism.
Keywords: Civic education, civil religion, democracy, Dewey, experimental inquiry, Freire, liberatory pedagogy, nationalism, patriotism, Rousseau.
Affiliation: Department of Political Science and Philosophy, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
E-mail: WilliamHHarwood@MissouriState.edu
Pepa Bouzova
THE CATEGORIES OF GOOD AND JUSTICE IN BUSINESS ETHICS
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535331
Business ethics is among the most dynamically developing areas of moral philosophy because business is based on values and encompasses everything in our lives. In the paper two fundamental values—good and justice—are analyzed. If good is leading among the ethical categories, justice is more important to business. In economy and business, the good experiences specific transformations. Usually, material good is opposed to moral good. Moral and material good are not only distinguished, but also intertwined. The „good” balances economic values, goals and outcomes, with the moral values and goals of man and society in the interests of all market stakeholders. A good business is one that makes a profit but has adequate market and moral behavior. Can we accept that the „good” in economics turns out to be closer to the original ancient conception of it as a unity of material good, moral good and virtues?
Keywords: Business ethics, good, justice, economic values, moral behavior.
Affiliation: “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo, Faculty of Philosophy, Bulgaria.
E-mail: p.i.petkova@ts.uni-vt.bg
Chrysoula Gitsoulis
FROM ANCIENT ATHENS TO CIVIL RIGHTS: INJUSTICE THROUGH THE EYES OF SOCRATES AND MARTIN LUTHER KING
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535332
The concept of justice and the relationship between the individual and the State is a core theme in the philosophy of Socrates and Dr. Martin Luther King. Both made deep and important contributions to discourse on this theme, yet, it appears as if their approaches and views diverged significantly. For Dr. King, the legitimacy of a law is determined by its adherence to moral principles and its alignment with the fundamental values of equality and human dignity. He clearly believed we have a moral duty to resist unjust laws, even if it means breaking them, in order to expose the flaws and contradictions of an oppressive system—his philosophy of civil disobedience was rooted in this idea. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail, he famously wrote that “an unjust law is no law at all.” On the other hand, it seems as if Socrates believed that we have a moral duty to always follow the laws of the State – that it would be immoral to ever violate them, even if they are deemed unjust. In this essay, I will explore this seeming disparity and offer evidence from Plato’s Crito, as well as passages from the Republic and the Apology that, contrary to appearance, we have more reason than not to believe that Socrates’ views do in fact converge with Dr. King’s.
Keywords: Socrates, Martin Luther King, Crito, Apology, Injustice.
Affiliation: City and State Universities of New York
E-mail: cgitsoulis@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Vihren Bouzov
CULTURE OF THINKING AS A UNIVERSAL VALUE
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535333
The presented paper outlines possibilities for applying the concept of culture of thinking. This culture is seen as a universal value and a means to substantiate the rationality of knowledge, to carry out logical argumentation and critical thinking. The culture of thinking is a set of intellectual tools for knowledge, communication and successful activity, for persuading others to accept or reject certain theses. Culture of thinking is a cognitive culture—a set of ideals, norms and values of thinking and knowing. These ideals, norms, and values are criteria for assessing the rationality of cognition and action. The content of this concept is the assessment of whether a given mental or practical action corresponds to certain rules of a normative nature.
Keywords: Culture of thinking, European values, rationality, norms, philosophy, logic, science, universal value.
Affiliation: “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo, Faculty of Philosophy Bulgaria.
E-mail: v.bouzov@gmail.com
Marie Pauline Eboh
WESTERN FEMINIST RADICAL VIEWS IN LIGHT OF GYNIST PHILOSOPHY
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535334
The woman question is an indubitable transcultural issue that is as occidental as it is oriental, and African. That is why it elicits global response. As gender theories that fight for women’s liberation and gender equality, feminism and Gynist philosophy belong to the same sorority. To liberate is to free someone from oppressive restraints. Thus, freedom is involved. Many shades of feminism fight for women’s liberation and equal opportunity for all, yet whenever Western feminism is mentioned, the mind goes straight to radical feminism. By osmosis then, radical feminism apparently eclipsed all the rest. But it holds extreme positions that contrast sharply with Gynist philosophy. However, other trends like egalitarian liberal feminism also advance radical views such as the abolition of marriage, hence, our choice of the expression: feminist radical views instead of radical feminist views. This paper focuses on the radical tenets that tend to unwholesomely confuse the human society in the name of freedom. Our elders have wisely cautioned that if one scratches the body the way it itches one will draw blood.
Keywords: Radical tenets, Western feminism, Gynist philosophy, gender equality, marriage.
Affiliation: Emerita professor, Rivers State University, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
E-mail: ebohmarie@gmail.com, eboh.marie@ust.edu.ng
Lorena-Valeria Stuparu
THE SIGNIFICATION OF A CLASSIC NOTION IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD: THE TRAGIC, BETWEEN THE AESTHETICS AND HISTORY
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535335
In this paper I propose to examine the actuality of the Aristotelian definition of tragedy, starting from the meaning of this notion in the visions of Hans Georg Gadamer and Jean-Marie Domenach, but also considering other interpretations (in theory), suggesting a referral to the current conflict situations between certain states and cultures. According to Gadamer’s interpretation, through his famous definition of tragedy in the book Poetics (“the imitation of an action […] which, arousing pity and fear, carries out the cleaning of these passions”), Aristotle decisively oriented the issue of aesthetics, including in the definition, the effect produced on the spectator. This implies the spectator’s “belonging” to the theatrical performance through the strong emotions he experiences: compassion, terror/fear, sorrow, desolation. As “sorrow and fear are modes of ecstasy, of coming out of oneself based on the fascination with what unfolded before us” (Hans Georg Gadamer, Vérité et méthode, Les grandes lignes d’une hermenéutique philosophique), they are also subjective means of self-liberation and the sign of an inner freedom that only contemplation can achieve. The pacifist/irenic sense of an aesthetic experience of such intensity, both at the individual level and at the community level, is highlighted by Jean-Marie Domenach’s interpretation: “Saying that tragedy ‘purifies’, Aristotle suggests a complementary truth: a society without tragedy becomes intoxicated, a society whose performances have lost their sacred elevation and community participation tends to reenact in reality the passions and mysteries that have deserted from its theaters. Theatrical language has always been combined with the essential language of life, but in recent times, it has invaded all domains so much that it has caused a kind of theatricalization of History” (Jean-Marie Domenach, Le retour du tragique). In the contemporary world, comedy and entertainment performances are usually preferred, and perhaps the “forgetting” of the aesthetic category of the tragic is one of the explanations for its dramatic movement on the stage of history, on a global scale. Arguments to support this hypothesis, I presented, referring to the following aspects of the stated problem: Brief introduction to the Aristotelian text; contexts and interpretations of the tragic; the tragic and the idea of historical destiny: Theatrical performance, the aesthetic expression of destiny; a kind of conclusion.
Keywords: Aristotelian text, Hans Georg Gadamer, Jean-Marie Domenach, historical destiny, theatrical language.
Affiliation: Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations, Romanian Academy.
E-mail: l_stuparu@yahoo.com
Adriana Neacșu
THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF PROCLUS
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535336
This article analyzes Proclus’ conception of evil, as it is synthesized in his treatise On the Existence of Evils. 1 It highlights the meaning of evil as parupostasis, that is, as a subcontrary of the particular good from which it feeds, so that evil can only exist by forming a mixture with good. Particular evil therefore has a secondary, accidental and parasitic existence on good, and absolute evil does not exist. The article also addresses the levels of being that allow the appearance of evil, in Proclus’ vision, as well as the main forms of manifestation of evil, emphasizing the distinction between the evils of the particular body, which are physical, and the evils of the particular soul, which are of a moral nature. Finally, it underlines the influence of Proclus’ conception of evil on the Dionysian Corpus, from the 6th century, and, through it, on the entire Christian theology.
Keywords: Proclus, evil, the Good, the One, parupostasis, matter, soul, body, Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.
Affiliation: University of Craiova, Romania.
E-mail: neacsuelvira2@gmail.com
Jonas Ciurlionis
JUSTICE AS HARMONY IN ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535337
Justice and Harmony are essential concepts of classical philosophy. Number of philosophers throughout the ages have dedicated themselves to understanding these principles. For Ancient Greeks concepts of justice and harmony were especially important as these were considered the fundamental basis of the cosmic order. Plato dedicated the entire first book of The Republic to analyze the concept of justice which further on is associated with the harmoniously functioning state and society. Aristotle, Stoics and Neoplatonists also paid great attention to the importance of these concepts. In this paper I analyze the Pythagorean notion of justice, which serves as a foundation for the later theories. I argue that the concept of justice had a very clear mathematical definition and was based on the concept of harmony. Music was also part of mathematical sciences, therefore harmony in music was expressed in mathematical terms. Moreover, all major Ancient Greek theories of justice follow the model. The earliest evidence of such mathematical expression can be found in the fragments of the Pythagorean Philolaus. The concept was a major inspiration for Plato and the Platonic Academy tradition as well as for later think- ers. Mathematically constructed concepts of justice and harmony played a crucial role in building the Platonic ideal state and society. Principles of justice and harmony among social layers, genders and generations for the Greeks are clearly governed by the same mathematical proportions. This idea again links to the Pythagorean fragments of Archytas. In this paper I show that mathematical fundamentals of concepts of justice and harmony serve as basis for social and political order. Are these concepts still of value today? Can they still be used in contemporary societies and states that often lack justice and harmony? If we answer positively, then we can still learn a lot from the Ancient Greeks and apply it today making a better world for everyone.
Keywords: Justice; harmony; mathematics; music; proportions.
Affiliation: Institute of Philosophy, Vilnius University, Lithuania.
E-mail: jonas.ciurlionis@fsf.vu.lt
Božena Čiurlionienė
TRITONE: THE TYRANT IN MUSIC
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535338
This paper examines the tritone’s psychoacoustic, cultural, and rhetorical characteristics from its prohibition to its apotheosis in the 20th century. Throughout music history, the tritone’s peculiarity has inspired a wide range of contentious theories. This paper seeks to provide a cultural, historical, and rhetorical perspective on the tritone’s acoustic and rhetorical tension, offering a thorough depiction of both theoretical and creative tensions. Based on historical tuning systems, rhetorical theory, and psychoacoustic research, this paper demonstrates that while the tritone’s sensory dissonance has remained sensorially constant, its cultural dissonance has progressively diminished through increased exposure and changing compositional practice. The paper will also explore the changing concept of the tritone through the overtone series, from its prohibition to its apotheosis, and its possible relationship to the number 729 from The Republic by Plato.
Keywords: Tritone, dissonance, consonance, rhetoric, intervals.
Affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Classics, University of Ghana.
E-mail: nancyomyles@yahoo.co.uk; nmylesbaffourgyamfi@ug.edu.gh
Nancy Oppongwaa Myles
UNDERSTANDING SELF-RULE
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535339
The main concern of democracy, labelled as liberal, social, majoritarian, or representative, remains how to ensure “self-rule”—that the perpetual gap between the ruler and the ruled is bridged. I focus on the fundamental, and often overlooked, philosophical question of what “self-rule” is, and not on the question of who ought to have self-rule which already dominates the social and political discourse. Adopting chiefly conceptual analysis, I argue, from a personist perspective for a reconciliation of four overlapping senses of the rule of the “self” in practice: My rule of my self, our rule of our self, my rule of our self and our rule of my self. I aim to offer a holistic conception of democracy that curtails both extremes of unrestrained individualistic freedom and restrictive communitarian solidarity. This approach, I argue, makes democracy as the people’s “self-rule” a more meaningful concept and practice especially for post-colonial multicultural contexts like Africa.
Keywords: Self-rule, democracy, self, personism, post-colonial, Africa, individual, communitarianism.
Affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Classics, University of Ghana.
E-mail: nancyomyles@yahoo.co.uk; nmylesbaffourgyamfi@ug.edu.gh
Mehran Rezaee, Eisa Mohammadinia
A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON HUMAN COMPREHENSION AND WILL: WITH A FOCUS ON RELATIVISM AND ABSOLUTISM
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535340
Over the last century, humans discovered the capacity to transfer some of their intellectual skills to structures other than themselves. In essence, intelligent artificial machine-computer patterns are made to adjust to the living situations of humans while accomplishing goals for their social and personal lives. There will be impacts and impressions from human-artificial contact. One of the ways that artificial intelligence affects individuals is through directing human comprehension and will. Specifically, the present research seeks to examine the influence of artificial intelligence on human comprehension and will. In this regard, the main focus of the study is to explore how AI affects individuals’ tendency toward moral relativism or moral absolutism. The study employs a descriptive–analytical method within a philosophical frame-work. The study’s findings suggest that humans when faced with ambiguous multifaceted productions of artificial intelligence, experience epistemic uncertainty and epistemic-moral gaps that affect their understanding and volition. It is possible that this internal struggle between relativism and absolutism will eventually lead them to adopt a more relativism-focused mindset in knowledge and ethics. This issue may evolve from an individual concern to a social and inclusive one as AI operations advance and broaden in scope. The findings of this study may inspire further research in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognition, human society, and ethics. Moreover, the proposed theoretical and philosophical foundations—although developed through a philosophical–analytical approach—can serve as a basis for future empirical, case-based, or experimental studies. Contribution: The article reflects on how the world’s most nascent technological development, artificial Intelligence, impacts on human will and decision-making, gradually leading human societies towards relativism.
Keywords: Ethics, philosophy of artificial intelligence, relativism, absolutism, philosophy of mind, decision making.
Affiliation:
Mehran Rezaee (Corresponding author) — Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.
Email: m.rezaee@umz.ac.ir
Eisa Mohammadinia — Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.
Email: e.mohammadinia@umz.ac.ir
Fatemeh Kookaram, Ramezan Mahdavi Azadboni
THEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF ART IN MULLA SADRA’S PHILOSOPHY
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535341
The main question of this research is: What is the theological and anthropological explanation of art in Mulla Sadra’s philosophy? The results of this research are: 1. According to the science of Divine Names, a theological explanation of art in Mulla Sadra’s philosophy is presented, by analyzing the semantic and existential nature of some divine names. It is claimed that the world is full of wonder, creativity, and artistry. 2. According to the anthropological discussions in Mulla Sadra’s philosophy, we discuss the anthropological explanation of art in Mulla Sadra’s philosophy. 3. Considering the entire theological and anthropological foundations and principles of Mulla Sadra’s philosophy, it is deduced that in the human sphere, art can be considered as a product of symmetry between theology and imagination, and man, as a mirror of the divine essence, attribute and act, becomes the creator of beauty, art and wonder. In this article, based on the principles of gradation and unity of existence, the theological explanation of art is discussed. Also, in the authors’ opinion, Mulla Sadra considered the category of art as a ground for the emergence of spiritual perfections.
Keywords: Art, theology, theology, beauty, imagination, Mulla Sadra, knowledge of divine names.
Affiliation:
Fatemeh Kookaram — University of Mazandaran, Iran.
E-mail: f.kokaram@umz.ac.ir
Ramezan Mahdavi Azadboni — University of Mazandaran, Iran.
E-mail: r.mahdavi@umz.ac.ir
Michael H. Mitias
HUMAN DIALOGUE. A RATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH PROFESSOR EMILY TAJSINA
https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535342
This essay is a dialogical response to Professor Emily Tajsina’s essay, “Human Dialogue as a Human Essence? Reflections on Michael Mitias Concept of Human Dialogue”, published in Dialogue and Universalism, 2 (35), 2025. It is not intended to refute or win an argument, or advance a rival idea or view, but to converse rationally about the three main questions she raised in her essay. First, the basis and extent of the attribution of rationality to any idea, action, train of thought, or aspect of reality is commensurate with the measure of its conformity to the rules or principles of reason as a central faculty of human nature. Second, although the human essence is not a source in the absolutist sense of Origin, the way God is an absolute source, nevertheless, it exists as a sui generis type of reality; it is novel, unique, and incomparable in its identity or nature, so far as we know. We know the nature of the human essence in its concretizations, viz., the capacities of thinking, affection, and volition, and what these capacities realize in the world, that is, the whole sphere of human civilization. Third, human dialogue is not merely a conversation between human beings individually and collectively, but especially a rational conversation, one guided by the rules and light of reason. It is essentially inquiring, reasoning, and communicative, aiming at mutual understanding, unlike most conversations in social encounters, which are often either instrumental or idle talk. Accordingly, although human dialogue is a conversation, not every conversation is necessarily a human dialogue.
Keywords: Dialogue, conversation, reason, human nature, human essence, origin.
Affiliation: Professor (emeritus) of Philosophy
E-mail: hmitias@gmail.com