Ideas and Ideals

This article introduces a hermeneutic model of triple meaning encoding developed on post-nonclassical methodology. The model aims to overcome the static nature of structural-semantic approaches that describe understanding as extracting ready-made meaning. The organization logic of sign-based text – text, author, intention – lets the reader view it as a trinity of spaces with increasing organizational complexity: the space of signs, the semiotic space of knowledge, and the semantic space of subjectively significant meanings. As a mental construct, the semantic space reproduces this organizational logic and simultaneously takes on three forms: 1) sign-based, 2) social, and 3) subjective. Knowledge is a constructed model of the subject’s life-world, while meanings imply a reflective evaluation of the reconstructed knowledge that holds subjective significance. Our model treats understanding as a recursive meaning-generating process where readers circulate meaning between three functional word modes: concept (within the reader’s discourse), category (a trigger that starts context restructuring for the reader), and meta-category (a semantic tuning fork that aligns interpretation with the author’s intention). This process unfolds as movement along a hermeneutic spiral: from pre-understanding through contextual analysis to anticipating the author’s design with subsequent interpretation correction. Each spiral turn transforms the subject’s semantic space, which simultaneously serves as tool, process, and result of understanding. The model’s scientific novelty lies in moving from static meaning reconstruction to dynamic, pragmatic-hermeneutic processuality. This approach shows that understanding produces not only extracted meaning but also subject self-development through reflexive restructuring of their semantic space. Thus, the focus shifts from reconstructing text content to developing the reader’s semantic competence – their ability to anticipate meaning and, consequently, to achieve reflexive self-development by improving their understanding tool.

This article presents an analysis of the emergence and development of the concept of transgression in philosophy, particularly in relation to the formation of the subject. The author explores the main factors that contributed to the emergence of this concept. Drawing on the ideas of Georges Bataille and Michel Foucault, the author examines how transgression connects to notions of prohibition, limits, and the sacred. The article delineates the relationship between transgression and fundamental aspects of human existence, such as eroticism and death, suggesting that familiarity with these themes illuminates the discontinuities in human life. It highlights both the continuity and distinctions in the approaches of Bataille and Foucault regarding transgression: for Bataille, it is associated with a temporary lifting of prohibitions, whereas for Foucault, it signifies a definitive overcoming of limits. The author concludes that Bataille’s and Foucault’s approaches can be viewed as two different perspectives: the cultura lanthropological and the ontological. The article also discusses the ‘bestial’ aspect that Bataille describes as the ‘Other’ within the self, proposing that authenticity in existence may be achieved through acts of transgression. Additionally, the article reveals the connection between transgression and the phenomenon of ‘guilty pleasure,’ emphasizing the social significance of transgressive acts as violations of prohibitions in the presence of the Other. For the first time, the role of the unconscious in transgression is considered, with transgression being described as foundational to the development of the subject. The author proposes a novel way of conceptualizing the subject, suggesting that individuals can redefine their foundations through acts of transgression. The central role of metanoia – changes in consciousness – is elucidated as a crucial event in transgression and its enabling conditions. Furthermore, the potential application of the concept of transgression to human cognitive development theory is explored. Ultimately, the author concludes that the concept of transgression can be utilized in various ways, underscoring its complexity and heuristic potential within contemporary philosophical discourse.This article presents an analysis of the emergence and development of the concept of transgression in philosophy, particularly in relation to the formation of the subject. The author explores the main factors that contributed to the emergence of this concept. Drawing on the ideas of Georges Bataille and Michel Foucault, the author examines how transgression connects to notions of prohibition, limits, and the sacred. The article delineates the relationship between transgression and fundamental aspects of human existence, such as eroticism and death, suggesting that familiarity with these themes illuminates the discontinuities in human life. It highlights both the continuity and distinctions in the approaches of Bataille and Foucault regarding transgression: for Bataille, it is associated with a temporary lifting of prohibitions, whereas for Foucault, it signifies a definitive overcoming of limits. The author concludes that Bataille’s and Foucault’s approaches can be viewed as two different perspectives: the cultura lanthropological and the ontological. The article also discusses the ‘bestial’ aspect that Bataille describes as the ‘Other’ within the self, proposing that authenticity in existence may be achieved through acts of transgression. Additionally, the article reveals the connection between transgression and the phenomenon of ‘guilty pleasure,’ emphasizing the social significance of transgressive acts as violations of prohibitions in the presence of the Other. For the first time, the role of the unconscious in transgression is considered, with transgression being described as foundational to the development of the subject. The author proposes a novel way of conceptualizing the subject, suggesting that individuals can redefine their foundations through acts of transgression. The central role of metanoia – changes in consciousness – is elucidated as a crucial event in transgression and its enabling conditions. Furthermore, the potential application of the concept of transgression to human cognitive development theory is explored. Ultimately, the author concludes that the concept of transgression can be utilized in various ways, underscoring its complexity and heuristic potential within contemporary philosophical discourse.

This article addresses one of the key textual problems in Empedocles’ legacy: the localization of fragment B 115 D-K, which contains the doctrine of guilt, exile, and the reincarnation of daimon. Challenging the attribution of this fragment to the poem “Purifi cations,” which has been established since Diels, the study offers a new interpretation of it in the context of “Physics.” Based on the analysis of the internal argumentation of Empedocles’ verses, it is proven that the philosopher’s self-presentation as a suffering and guilty daimon in B 115 is logically and substantively incompatible with his image as a revered immortal god in fragment B 112, which traditionally opens the “Purifi cations.” This comparison is a decisive argument against their belonging to the same poem. An analysis of the evidence from ancient authors (Hippolytus, Simplicius, Plutarch) shows that they do not provide clear grounds for attributing B 115, while the data from the Strasbourg papyrus confi rm the presence of the theme of personal guilt and suffering in the fi rst book of Physics. On this basis, it is proposed to consider fragment B 115 as part of an extensive prologue to Physics, where the personal experience of the philosopher-daimon serves as a starting point for the exposition of universal cosmological principles.

It is generally accepted that Lucien Levy-Bruhl not only developed James Frazer’s idea of t wo laws of sympathetic magic by combining them into the law of participation, but also, in opposition to the evolutionary anthropological concept of phylogenetic intellectual development, formulated a sociological concept of a collective drive to seek animistic causality (mystical mentality), which determines the existence of the law of participation. In this article, we will demonstrate the fallacy of the main tenets of Lucien Levy-Bruhl’s concept of mystical mentality.

The aim of the study: (1) to demonstrate the inconsistency of Lucien LevyBruhl’s sociological presupposition regarding the existence of the phenomenon of prelogical thinking; (2) to demonstrate the erroneousness of Lucien LevyBruhl’s interpretation of the contagious magical law.

The objectives of the study are: (1) to demonstrate the inability of the mystical mentality to accommodate the mechanism of transition from the mystical to the logical mentality; (2) to demonstrate the incorrelativity of the tendency to search for animistic causality of the mystical mentality and the law of participation; (3) to demonstrate that the law of participation develops the principle of homeopathic magic, but is not capable of explaining the principle of contagious magic of James Frazer.

The novelty of the study: (1) through the biological deconstruction of Charles Peirce’s semiotics, we will distinguish two modes of indexical association in the form of a motivated (linguistic index) and an unmotivated (epistemological Secondary) index, which will allow us to distinguish between the functions of the contagious aspect of Lucien Levy-Bruhl’s law of participation and the functions of James Frazer’s law of contagious magic; (2) we will present a new principle of the functioning of James Frazer’s contagious magic.

The issue of catharsis, which continues to be a central topic in aesthetics and the philosophy of art, has become particularly significant in the context of contemporary socio-anthropological investigations. Historically associated with the aesthetic experience of tragedy, it transcends the boundaries of a singular artistic work, acquiring the characteristics of social reality – a collective ritual and a mechanism for social regulation. This is the focus of our study. The methodological foundation of our research logic encompasses a historical and philosophical exploration of the conceptualisation of catharsis from ancient times to the present day, a comparative analysis of historical forms of societal catharsis, and an interdisciplinary perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on the anthropological approach, which aids in unravelling the origins of cathartic practices and elucidating the essence of human existence within the framework of social integration processes. The objective of this paper is to delve into the intricate nature of social catharsis, a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing emotional release, intellectual enlightenment, and spiritual transformation, which serve as catalysts for heightened social engagement. In exploring the historical evolution of this concept, particularly in ancient Greece, two distinct levels of interpretation emerge: emotional catharsis and intellectual catharsis. Through an examination of various manifestations from ancient origins to contemporary secular forms, such as the trial of Socrates, medieval carnivals, religious rituals, theater performances, and media events, we aim to uncover both universal and distinctive features of social catharsis. R. Girard’s mimetic theory, which views catharsis as a ritualistic form of sacrifi ce, serves as a focal point for our analysis. Additionally, R. Schwager’s insights contribute to the consolidation of the hypothesis that the primary function of social catharsis lies in liberating individuals from collective feelings of guilt. Catharsis, which was originally linked to religious and ritualistic practices, has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis in contemporary secular society. However, it continues to serve the functions of social control, psychological relief, and aesthetic enjoyment.

Nowadays, audiovisual content can be manipulated quickly and convincingly using generative artificial intelligence. So-called deepfakes are created, i.e. images, videos, and audio tracks that look or sound as if people did or said something they never did or said. The author notes that deepfakes cause serious problems for political and public discourse, undermine trust in information content and political institutions, thereby contributing to the polarization of society and the weakening of social cohesion. At the same time, deepfake technologies offer exciting prospects for new forms of historical and political education and creative expression. The entertainment industry is experimenting with deepfakes to reduce production costs and create innovative effects. In the advertising industry, the use of deepfake technologies allows the creation of virtual influencers and opens up new possibilities for personalized, including socio-political, interaction. The author concludes that there is a need to respond to the challenges posed by deepfakes, but also to seize the opportunities they offer. Achieving a positive outcome requires the combined efforts of various social, political, and institutional actors. Policymakers can play an important role by developing appropriate regulatory proposals at the national and international levels, in particular to regulate the activities of large social media operators. However, the networks themselves, through self-regulation, can also take responsibility and help prevent the use of deepfakes for criminal or unethical purposes. Developers can improve deepfake detection and AI-generated content labeling technologies, and media outlets can use effective fact-checking tools. In addition, a literate civil society is needed that, given the media reality altered by deepfakes, is particularly critical of media content whose origin and veracity have not been verified by credible media organizations.

This article proposes a socio-philosophical study of the phenomenon of ‘common-law marriage’ (cohabitation) as a vehicle of individualist ideology, employing the following methodologies: historical, logical, systemic, and comparative analysis. A comparison of ‘common-law’ and offi cial (civil) marriages reveals signifi cant differences.

Official civil marriage begins with free consent and a mutual promise. A stamp in the passport serves as confirmation of this step. The constant characteristics of marriage are: an initial focus on a long-term relationship and the creation of a new community of people in the form of a family (the social unit of society). It has been revealed that ‘common-law marriage (cohabitation)’, viewed as a stage before or as a substitute for official marriage, is based on the priority of personal freedom and the possibility of an easy breakup, which creates a foundation for insecurity in the relationship and can serve as an exclusion of responsibility to the partner. In a ‘common-law marriage,’ there is no initial commitment to a long-term relationship, no commitment to creating a ‘we’ community, and no commitment to having children as a natural development of marriage, as a prerequisite for the consanguineous relay of generations, linking the past with the future through the present. It is argued that a ‘common-law marriage’ does not lead to the creation of a full-fl edged family, but rather a parafamily. The fundamental idea of  a ‘common-law marriage’ is freedom as the right to self-realization, independence, and choice. A ‘common-law marriage’ supposedly provides the allure of an “open door” in relationships. This fl awed understanding of freedom ignores its inextricable link with responsibility. The focus on the short-term nature of a ‘common-law marriage,’ with the possibility of abandoning a partner, can foster a superficial, consumerist attitude toward that partner, contributing to social atomization and a reduction in the fertile age of marital relationships.

The results of this study can be used to develop measures to prevent the negative consequences associated with the increasing number of common-law marriages and may be useful for developing public policies aimed at supporting families, including implementing family-related social projects and developing educational programs and materials on family topics.

The new wave of globalization, driven by technological and technical progress, has affected absolutely all areas: manufacturing, the labor market, financial and economic relations, and education. The equalization and unification of educational standards and the increasing availability of international higher education programs have contributed to an increase in the number of students who can study or continue their education not in their home country, but abroad. As a result, in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, international educational migration acquired new characteristics. The authors notes that over the past ten years, the education sector has been undergoing global changes. By these changes, the authors understands not only the migration of students and teachers in the classical sense, but also the digital migration of students from classrooms to digital educational and entertainment resources, platforms, and various internet portals. Globalization is currently one of the key trends in the development and expansion of the global economy.

The authors of the article examines the concept of digital migration in education as a consequence of globalization. In addition, it examines the concept of digital mobility in education and provides a comparative analysis between traditional methods in education and new, predominantly digital methods in education.

This article addresses one of the key textual problems in Empedocles’ legacy: the localization of fragment B 115 D-K, which contains the doctrine of guilt, exile, and the reincarnation of daimon. Challenging the attribution of this fragment to the poem “Purifications,” which has been established since Diels, the study offers a new interpretation of it in the context of “Physics.” Based on the analysis of the internal argumentation of Empedocles’ verses, it is proven that the philosopher’s self-presentation as a suffering and guilty daimon in B 115 is logically and substantively incompatible with his image as a revered immortal god in fragment B 112, which traditionally opens the “Purifi cations.” This comparison is a decisive argument against their belonging to the same poem. An analysis of the evidence from ancient authors (Hippolytus, Simplicius, Plutarch) shows that they do not provide clear grounds for attributing B 115, while the data from the Strasbourg papyrus confi rm the presence of the theme of personal guilt and suffering in the fi rst book of Physics. On this basis, it is proposed to consider fragment B 115 as part of an extensive prologue to Physics, where the personal experience of the philosopher-daimon serves as a starting point for the exposition of universal cosmological principles.

The article is devoted to a philosophical analysis of social communications transformation in the context of universal digitalization, which means active integration of information technologies into all spheres of society. The relevance of the research is due to the signifi cant changes that this process causes in social relations, identity structures, and the very nature of interpersonal interaction. The present study aims to identify changes in traditional social communications during the transition to their digital variations. Namely, how digital technologies have changed the ways of communication, including both advantages (speed, the ability to communicate remotely) and disadvantages (loss of non-verbal signals, superfi ciality, misunderstanding). A comparative analysis was chosen as the methodological basis of the study, which makes it possible to identify key differences between traditional and digital communication practices. The work uses a three-level strategy that includes theoretical-conceptual, structural-functional and critical-refl ective dimensions, which ensures the depth and complexity of the approach. As a result of the research, the characteristics of modern digital communication practices have been identifi ed, which include technological mediation, simulation, global connectivity, asynchrony, and algorithmic determination. Their features are the hybridization of language, the clipization of content, and multiplicity, which together generate a fundamentally ambivalent nature of social consequences. The key theoretical result is the thesis about the synergetic relationship of these characteristics forming a self-reinforcing system. It is this consistency that explains the stability and paradoxical nature of the new communicative reality, where empowerment is inseparable from new vulnerabilities. The obtained result allowed us to comprehend the evolutionary changes in social communications in the context of active digitalization of society. As a result, the study interprets this transformation as a transition from existential meeting communication to instrumental operation communication. Conclusions. The study not only demonstrates signifi cant changes in social communications under the infl uence of digital technologies, but also reveals the urgent need for further study of the social effects and consequences of this transformation, as well as the development of philosophical and anthropological foundations for preserving the authenticity of dialogue in the digital environment.

The paper describes and discusses the phenomenon of imputed consciousness which manifests itself during a dialogue between a person and a large language model. The essence of the phenomenon lies in the fact that the electronic interlocutor is subjectively perceived as a ‘quasi-human’, and people’s emotional reactions during the dialogue with it do not differ from reactions to the responses of a living interlocutor. A possible scenario of the mass penetration of AI agents into everyday life, subjectively perceived by people as beings endowed with consciousness and emotional life, is discussed. Using literary works as examples, the author demonstrates that the phenomenon of imputed consciousness is primarily an ethical issue and raises the question of philosophical reconnaissance of a possible future, without which humanity will find itself unprepared for it.

Under the slogans of “enhancement” and “obvious” economic benefits, artificial intelligence is being introduced into all spheres of life. Legitimate questions arise about the impact of this process on humans and its risks. What happens to human thinking when we delegate thought to the opaque logic of AI? How is this process exploited by digital capital? Drawing on empirical research from 2023–2026, the author introduces the concept of “alienation of thinking” and identifies its mechanisms: statistical normalization, language unification, sycophancy, and cognitive rent. These mechanisms, in turn, form an algorithmic monoculture, making non-standard thinking statistically improbable. The proposed three-level model of alienation – at the symbolic, reflexive, and social levels – describes the process through which a person loses independent thought. In the economic dimension of the process, it is shown that the crisis of subjectivity is not a side effect of technological adoption, but a regular, systemic result of platform capitalism, which requires a predictable, manageable user. As a way to preserve subjectivity, the concept of co-autonomy is proposed: maintaining linguistic diversity, restoring reflexive control, and designing a dialogical environment.

The article analyzes science as a specific way of overcoming uncertainty, understood as a fundamental condition for the emergence of meaning, consciousness, and cognitive activity. Uncertainty is treated as a limiting state that precedes forms of distinction and structuring of experience and serves as a source of semantic structures and cognitive orientations. The methodological framework is based on the philosophy of orientation, which interprets cognition as a process of making distinctions within uncertainty, as well as on ideas from phenomenology, cybernetics, and systems theory that allow analysis of the relationship between individual experience and social forms of knowledge organization. It is shown that the act of distinction, described by George Spencer-Brown as a basic operation of thinking, underlies the formation of orientations structuring both individual consciousness and social reality. On this basis, a distinction is drawn between cognition and science: cognition is understood as an internal process of dealing with uncertainty, whereas science is interpreted as an institutionalized form of producing and verifying knowledge within society. Scientific knowledge is considered as a result of communicative processes that stabilize meanings.

Particular attention is paid to the concept of the observer, the distinction between natural and transcendental attitudes, and the role of self-reference and autopoiesis in social systems. The relationship between individual experience and social structures of knowledge is examined, and the interaction of individual and communicative levels of cognition is analyzed. The article concludes that science represents the most systematically organized way of overcoming uncertainty, ensuring the production of knowledge within global society.

This article presents a historical and sociological analysis of the theory of Distortion – a scientifc phenomenon that emerged in the 1990s at Tver State Technical University. The focus is not on the scientific validity of the theory, but on its function as a cultural indicator reflecting the core intellectual orientations, survival strategies, and epistemological anxieties of Russian science in the post-Soviet period. The authors interpret Distortion as a “mirror” of its era: it embodies attempts to overcome the crisis of paradigms, the fragmentation of knowledge, and the loss of methodological unity through the construction of universal synthetic frameworks.

Drawing on a body of monographs, dissertations, materials from the international seminar “DISTORTION – AROUND US,” and official documents produced by members of the “Tver School of Distortion,” the study employs the case study method to examine this school as a representative example of how a regional scientific community adapted to systemic crisis.

The theory evolved in two stages: fi rst as a local concept in soil mechanics (mid-1990s), then as a paradigm claiming universality, extending into physics, economics, biology, and even sacred geometry (2000s–2010s). Its genesis stems from three sources: the Soviet engineering tradition, Western nonlinear paradigms (synergetics, catastrophe theory, fractal geometry), and a philosophical-esoteric discourse (“golden ratio,” “Crystal of Life,” “Seed of Life”).

The authors identify three components of the school’s adaptive strategy: first, the creation of an internal canon of monographs forming a closed system of mutual citations; second, the strategic use of a state prize as a narrative of practical utility; third, the presentation of the theory at major international book fairs as a means of cultivating an image of international visibility.

The central conclusion is that Distortion is not a marginal curiosity but a symptomatic phenomenon of post-Soviet scientific culture. It illustrates how scientific communities based in regional universities construct autonomous knowledge worlds oriented toward internal coherence, symbolic capital, and corporate solidarity. Its historical value lies not in empirical productivity, but in its capacity to reflect the defi ning features of its era: the aspiration toward “grand theories,” hypertrophied interdisciplinarity, methodological syncretism, and the search for new epistemic foundations amid crisis.