This personal letter describes the history and current situation of philosophy in Estonia. We sketch the development of academic philosophy since the foundation of Tartu University in 1632, and describe the current philosophical landscape. We discuss the challenges we are facing in trying to find a balance between the responsibility that a discipline in the humanties in a small country has with respect to local culture and society on the one hand, and our ambitions to build up an internationally collaborating (...) department with an international graduate programme on the other. We close with a description of the relation between academic philosophy and Estonian society and the role that the Center for Ethics in Tartu plays in supporting that relation. (shrink)

My “Letter” collects some facts concerning the 20th century history of Hungarian Philosophy as a basis for understanding its situation now. Progressive and conservative systems of thought dominated the first half of the century alternately, until the post-war communist regime refused to tolerate independent thinking. The new regime after 1956 was unpredictably hostile or tolerant towards philosophical dissenters. All this resulted in a multifaceted philosophical life in the period after 1989. Its basic tendency has been a historical approach issuing in (...) various disciplines like phenomenology and hermeneutics, analytical philosophy, postmodern thought, philosophy of religion, while ethics and aesthetics became disciplines in their own right. The “Letter” maps out some of the institutional bases of philosophizing as well as some of the dangers threatening independent philosophy. (shrink)

The essay condenses experiences of my work in Spanish universities in a constellation of five topics: 1. The actual situation of philosophy in Spain, 2. Her historical dimension, 3. The corresponding style of philosophical writing by the example of Ortega y Gasset, 4. Beyond the tension of traditionalism and modernity: the underestimated philosophy of Javier Zubiri, 5. Perspectives.

Human beings have the unique ability to view the world in a detached way: We can think about the world in terms that transcend our own experience or interest, and consider the world from a vantage point that is, in Nagel's words, "nowhere in particular". At the same time, each of us is a particular person in a particular place, each with his own "personal" view of the world, a view that we can recognize as just one aspect of the (...) whole. How do we reconcile these two standpoints--intellectually, morally, and practically? To what extent are they irreconcilable and to what extent can they be integrated? Thomas Nagel's ambitious and lively book tackles this fundamental issue, arguing that our divided nature is the root of a whole range of philosophical problems, touching, as it does, every aspect of human life. He deals with its manifestations in such fields of philosophy as: the mind-body problem, personal identity, knowledge and skepticism, thought and reality, free will, ethics, the relation between moral and other values, the meaning of life, and death. Excessive objectification has been a malady of recent analytic philosophy, claims Nagel, it has led to implausible forms of reductionism in the philosophy of mind and elsewhere. The solution is not to inhibit the objectifying impulse, but to insist that it learn to live alongside the internal perspectives that cannot be either discarded or objectified. Reconciliation between the two standpoints, in the end, is not always possible. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie Jahrgang: 63 Heft: 3 Seiten: 538-548.

This essayistic letter examines the actual situation of philosophy in Russia. From the quantitative point of view it seems as if we can be optimistic: Russia’s stock of philosophers and philosophical faculties, departments and institutes is one of the largest in the world. But from the other qualitative point of view, the whole situation is more complicated. First of all, the institutional and moral legacy of ideologically colored Soviet philosophy has not been wholly overcome in theory, teaching practice, selection and (...) training of a new staff. Second, new problems have arisen which are caused by the desire to preserve at all costs the old patterns of behavior and thinking in any external and internal modification of ideas and institutions. As a consequence, philosophy ceases to produce new ideas. Philosophical books and journals cease to be of interest not only to the general public, but also to the philosophers. Non-professionals and students who have not lost their interest in philosophy have to look for ideas in other fields of knowledge, sometimes far removed from academia. And “professional” philosophers have turned their occupation into a boring routine which is left with no choice but to protect the incompetence of its adherents using aggressive methods of institutional bureaucracy and intellectual intolerance. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie Jahrgang: 64 Heft: 3 Seiten: 452-464.

Two authors with a similar philosophical biography write this letter from Serbia. First the German professor is introduced to the history of Serbian philosophy. Special attention is given to the relations between German and Serbian philosophy. Subsequently, the present situation of philosophy in Serbia is described, including the toil and deprivation implied in occupying oneself with philosophy in this country. The authors demonstrate that in these circumstances, enthusiasm and personal dedication are of the essence.

The letter deals with the establishing and development of philosophical education in the Department of Philosophy of Addis Ababa University. It explores the focus of philosophical education since its inception, unravelling a trajectory that began with a few courses and has now reached a level where a PhD in teaching is offered and important research undertaken. It explains how certain philosophical issues have influenced the evolution of philosophical education in Ethiopia. The dynamics of philosophical education in Ethiopia is constituted by (...) the debate on the nature and task of philosophy. This highlights a healthy and fruitful debate by students of philosophy pointing out that philosophy can be contextualised to enlighten us on social and moral questions without, of course, forgetting the traditional and main branches of philosophy. (shrink)

This short text is part of a series of letters from philosophers working abroad. I write about what brought me to Sweden and about what philosophy and academic life are like there, including some reflections on language politics as well as on the situation of women in philosophy and in academia more generally.

The study aims at expanding the idea of knowledge beyond the notion of descriptive knowledge. It examines a pluralism of scientific, philosophical, literary, and aesthetic forms of knowledge. This pluralism is not relativistic but complementary. Different ways of knowing enrich each other thus facilitating a more comprehensive and differentiated conception of the world.".

In this “Letter from Chile” I describe and comment the main features of philosophical activity in Chile. My perspective is related to my own academic experience: that of a Chilean academic, who earned his doctorate at the Free University of Berlin, worked in that same university for six years as an Assistant Professor, and has been an Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago for the last eleven years. The first part (...) of the text offers a review of the historical development of philosophy in Chile. Afterwards, I refer to the current situation of our academic philosophy, analyzing various aspects: issues, currents, institutions, publications, research system, among others. Finally, I outline, from the above, some assessments and a general diagnosis of the present situation of philosophy in my country. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie Jahrgang: 65 Heft: 3 Seiten: 574-588.