Theoretical Philosophy and Philosophy of Science in the Soviet Times: Some Remarks on the Example of Estonia, 1960-1990

Studia Philosophica Estonica 8 (2):195-227 (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Normal 0 21 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url } This part of the Soviet philosophy that corresponds approximately to theoretical philosophy and philosophy of science on the example of Estonia and proceeding from the University of Tartu is discussed. The author concentrates on the period of approximately 1960–1990, when he himself was engaged in the field, i.e. the time before 1960 is not included. The aim of this paper is not to provide an overview of the individual philosophers in Estonia at the time and their works, but to give a more general description of the philosophy of the Soviet era. The Soviet and the East European philosophy of the time have received rather little critical treatment in literature in English. However, a few general overviews trying to prove that this Soviet and East European philosophical legacy is worth studying have still been published. This paper is focused on the question what kind of philosophical researches it was possible to engage oneself in under the abnormal conditions at the time and whether some starting points and problem issues in theseresearches might be viable also today. Estonian experience confirms the general conclusion of these authors who, analyzing the legacy of Marxism, have found that although Marxism is nowadays—not to mention how it existed in the Soviet totalitarian regime—mainly not considered a serious philosophy but rather an ideological basis of a failed political doctrine, it has nevertheless quite something to offer when treated in a more depoliticized manner, in the general context of philosophical quests. Teoreetiline ja teadusfilosoofia Nõukogude ajal: mõned märkused Eesti näitel 1960-1990 Vaatluse all on Eesti näitel ja lähtudes Tartu ülikoolist see osa Nõukogudeaegsest filosoofiast, mis vastab umbes teoreetilisele filosoofiale ja teadusfilosoofiale. Autor peatub ajavahemikul umbes 1960–1990, mil ta ka ise tegev oli, st 1960-ndate aastate eelset aega ei käsitleta. Artikli eesmärgiks ei ole ülevaate andmine Eestis sel ajal tegutsenud filosoofidest ja nende töödest, vaid Nõukogudeaegse filosoofia üldisem iseloomustamine. Nõukogude ja selleagset Ida-Euroopa filosoofiat on ingliskeelses kirjanduses üsna vähe kriitiliselt uuritud. Üksikuid ülevaateteoseid, milles on püütud näidata, etsee Nõukogude ja Ida-Euroopa filosoofiline pärand väärib uurimist, on siiski ilmunud. Käesolevas artiklis on keskendutud eelkõige küsimusele, mis laadi filosoofilise uurimistööga sai tolle aja ebanormaalsetes tingimustes tegelda ja kas mõned lähtekohad ja probleemipüstitused selles on elujõulised ka veel nüüd. Eesti kogemus kinnitab nende autorite üldist järeldust, kes marksismi pärandit uurides on leidnud, et kuigi marksismi tänapäeval — rääkimata sellest, missugune see oli Nõukogude totalitaarses režiimis — enamasti ei peeta tõsiseltvõetavaks filosoofiaks, vaid pigem läbikukkunud poliitilise õpetuse ideoloogiliseks aluseks, on tal siiski nii mõndagi öelda, kui teda käsitleda depolitiseeritumalt, filosoofiliste otsingute üldises kontekstis. Märksõnad: dialektiline materialism, dialektika, ‘eessõna-marksism’, filosoofia põhiküsimus, Nõukogude filosoofia, ‘ontologistid’ ja ‘epistemologistid’, praktika

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,164

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Georgii Shakhnazarov and the soviet critique of historical materialism.Mark Sandle - 1997 - Studies in East European Thought 49 (2):109-133.
On the 'soviet paradigm' (remarks of an indologist).Sergei Serebriany - 2005 - Studies in East European Thought 57 (2):93 - 138.
Philosophy in the Soviet Union.Eugene Kamenka - 1963 - Philosophy 38 (143):1 - 19.
Soviet-American Philosophic Discussions.M. B. Mitin & M. E. Omel'ianovskii - 1964 - Russian Studies in Philosophy 3 (2):52-55.
Soviet legal philosophy.Hugh Webster Babb (ed.) - 1951 - Cambridge,: Harvard University Press.
Soviet philosophy of biology today.Anatoly Partashnikov - 1974 - Studies in East European Thought 14 (1-2):1-25.
An Establishment Like the Institute of Philosophy Is Unique.N. V. Motroshilova - 2009 - Russian Studies in Philosophy 48 (1):68-82.
Critical Philosophy of History in Soviet Thought.Andrus Pork - 1988 - History and Theory 27 (2):135-145.
Culture, contexts, and directions in Russian post-soviet philosophy.Edward M. Swiderski - 1998 - Studies in East European Thought 50 (4):283-328.
Soviet Philosophy Revisited.Frederick J. Adelmann - 1979 - Studies in Soviet Thought 20 (2):205-205.

Analytics

Added to PP
2016-04-28

Downloads
24 (#614,452)

6 months
2 (#1,114,623)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

References found in this work

A realist theory of science.Roy Bhaskar - 1975 - New York: Routledge.
Conjectures and Refutations.K. Popper - 1963 - Les Etudes Philosophiques 21 (3):431-434.
Representing and Intervening.Ian Hacking - 1983 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 35 (4):381-390.
Conjectures and Refutations.Karl Popper - 1963 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 19 (2):159-168.

View all 33 references / Add more references