General Information on Philosophy

Philosophy in the Realm of Culture

Having defined the specifics of philosophy as such, let us now examine its place within the broader cultural milieu. Undoubtedly, philosophy is an integral part of culture; however, it does not merely coexist with other components. Its position resembles a vertical cross-section of culture, permeating it from top to bottom, traversing all its layers and strata. This is because there is nothing in human actions, and thus in the phenomena of culture, that does not fall under the critical scrutiny of philosophy. Philosophy is organically interested in everything that manifests the human spirit and results from human endeavor. Furthermore, cultural phenomena, so to speak, are drawn towards philosophy, seeking its discerning gaze to affirm their significance within the balance of human activities. Other cultural phenomena gravitate towards philosophy and its assistance, as philosophy itself engages in the beneficial search for everyday meaning. It seeks and discovers the foundational principles and some universal forms of understanding culture as a whole. Such universal forms are categories— the most general concepts, the content and interrelations of which are rigorously explored by philosophy. The network of philosophical categories can be presented as a meta-language of culture, providing a means for culture to achieve self-awareness and self-expression. Through philosophical language, culture manifests itself to the people and humanity at large.

The relationship between philosophy and culture was vividly articulated by the German philosopher Hegel in the 19th century: "An enlightened nation without metaphysics (read: philosophy) is akin to a temple that is richly adorned yet devoid of a sanctuary." To continue Hegel's analogy of philosophy as a temple, one might even assert that philosophy completes culture, and culture without philosophy resembles a temple without a dome. This holds true for the individual as well; a person who has not embraced philosophy cannot be deemed fully cultured.

The role of philosophy within culture is often specified through the functions it "performs." Let us highlight some of these functions. In relation to cultural phenomena, philosophy investigates their ontological problems, thus fulfilling an ontological function. For instance, regarding language or law, philosophy can provide general conclusions about them as socio-cultural phenomena, indicating their place among other social phenomena. This does not imply that only professional philosophers can engage with the overarching issues of language and law. Jurists and linguists also participate; however, any jurist or linguist aspiring to the theoretical heights of their discipline becomes a philosopher in their own right.

Philosophy also evaluates manifestations of culture through the lens of value theory, thus performing an axiological function. The law, too, possesses a value dimension in the civilizational progress of humanity. The invention of law has civilized human relationships, preventing a regression into savagery. Consequently, legal norms have acquired significant value.

Moreover, philosophy reveals the foundations of knowledge, clarifying the conditions for an adequate reproduction of the world and exploring general questions concerning truth, thereby fulfilling a gnoseological function. One can also point to the critical function of philosophy within culture. When it comes to critique, this does not necessarily entail a targeted search for flaws within a specific cultural domain. For a long time, the term "critique" in philosophy has signified the examination of the limits of various phenomena concerning human cognitive capacities.

Sometimes, the worldview function of philosophy is particularly emphasized. There is some merit to this perspective, even though philosophy itself is characterized as a specific worldview. When discussing the worldview function of philosophy, one refers to its supportive role not only for specialists in philosophy but also for the rest of humanity, who feel an urgent need for general orientation in the world, creating a cohesive complex of attitudes towards existence. Throughout history, hundreds and thousands of young individuals have gravitated toward philosophical schools, most of whom never became professional philosophers nor intended to do so. They sought general inspiration within philosophical doctrines, acquiring arguments in favor of life-affirming orientations. For instance, the teachings of the German idealist classics are considered among the most complex in the entire history of philosophy, a fact that remains true for contemporary readers despite the vast array of interpretative literature available. It should not be assumed that the direct listeners of Fichte's public lectures fully grasped the intricacies of his thought. Quite the opposite. The optimism of Fichte attracted the youth of Europe, as did his faith in the reason of each individual and in the rational structuring of human relationships within society. Hegel, with his incredibly intricate worldview, similarly captivated many. It is clear, for instance, what worldview perspective Hegel imparted to his students in his lectures on the philosophy of history: "He who looks upon the world rationally will find the world looking back at him in the same way; both mutually condition one another." His younger contemporary, Schelling, articulated this even more explicitly to his audience: "Most study philosophy not to become philosophers in turn but to acquire those grand convictions in their interconnectedness, without which neither independent thought nor the dignity of life is possible." Thus, while philosophy itself is an element of spiritual culture, it is rich in its connections with other manifestations of the human spirit, relying on them and serving them while fulfilling various functions.

In concluding our exploration of the relationship between philosophy and culture, we may compare it to another significant cultural phenomenon—science. Is philosophy a science? This question is perhaps the most common and even traditional among students who, against their will, are compelled by their curricula to study philosophical texts. Providing a categorical and unequivocal answer to this question is challenging and carries significant responsibility. Overall, I lean toward the position that, while philosophy represents a certain type of systematized humanistic knowledge, it is not a science in the same vein as the natural sciences, which strive to minimize subjectivity in judgments about natural phenomena and achieve the greatest possible objectivity in knowledge. However, there is some merit in asserting a similarity between science and philosophy, as philosophy at least endeavors to rely on objectively true knowledge obtained by other sciences and seeks to formulate and logically substantiate the most general propositions and principles coherently. In this regard, the base for generalization in philosophy has always been significantly broader than in ordinary science, which solely generalizes scientific experience and experiments. Philosophy adds to this the entirety of human life experience and the richness of the spiritual-practical assimilation of the world.

When we deny the complete identity of philosophy and science, we must note that science ultimately becomes depersonalized. The fragments of knowledge acquired by individual scientists dissolve into the sea of humanity's collective true knowledge, contributing to it. In this vast ocean, individual names either vanish or become mere symbols of human insight into the essence of processes. In contrast, philosophy always retains the personal element, always at the forefront. There is no philosophy as a generality, as there is for instance physics or chemistry. There is only the specific philosophy of a specific author—Plato, Descartes, Hegel, and so forth. Of course, the philosophical doctrines of different thinkers can be interconnected by examining their shared problems, similar arguments, and close worldview conceptions. Nevertheless, the philosophy of each author enters the corpus of world philosophy as a unified whole, systematically, rather than as a separate component, as is often the case in the natural sciences. In this respect, philosophy bears more resemblance to art, where authorship holds eternal significance, characterized by a certain completeness and touching upon the entirety of worldview perception. However, unlike art, philosophy does not rely on artistic imagery but represents a form of rational-reflective consciousness.