Heuristics as a cognitive function

The study conceptualizes science fiction as heuristics. To implement this conceptualization, a hybrid definition of science fiction is proposed: science fiction is a kind of fiction whose works can be characterized by secondary artistic conventionality, cognitive estrangement, and test of an intellectual idea or fantastic assumption. As an operational characterization of heuristics, V. Spiridonov’s concept of heuristics is used. Science fiction can be considered as a kind of heuristics under specific conditions, for example, when science fiction work contains the reflected-out heuristics or when heuristics are brought as science fiction work to stimulate the intuitive flash of the thought or insight. However, science fiction can only be regarded as heuristics with certain reservations: science fiction primarily solves artistic problems while heuristics primarily solve cognitive problems: and they can function independently of each other. But it shows that a heuristic function can be attributed to science fiction to solute a problem or to gain a piece of new knowledge (to make a discovery) in an intellectually and creative way.

THE ROLE OF LITERARY CULTURE AND FICTIONAL DISCOURSE IN THE GENESIS OF THE MODERN PUBLIC SPHERE

The paper is devoted to the study of the role of fictional discourse and literary culture in the formation process of the Modern public sphere. It is proved that this sphere was rooted in the genesis structures, which were represented by the following oppositions of the literary field: author’s production – mass consumption, closed and open fields of artistic production, self-reference and other-reference, signified and signifier. The dynamic structure of fictional discourse allowed to maintain the unity of the human, who was not determined by birth, but constructed himself. The permanent identification and the interpretations conflict became the content of the communication of the public circles of the Modern society (table conversations, clubs, salons and magazines). The institutionalization apogee of the literary field was the formation of literary culture – the content of education of the English model of the university, which balanced between the Scylla of the canon and Charybdis unification of industrial society.

IN SEARCH OF LITERARY SOURCES OF DIALOGUE «DE CONSOLATIONE PHILOSOPHIAE» BY SEVERIN BOETHIUS

The paper examines the literature basic of Severin Boethius work «The Consolation of Philosophy». The author starts with the historical context of the appearance of the text and then goes to consider its variety of literary genres and forms. Main of them are satura Menippea, consolation, protreptic, soliloquy and dialogue. Textual and conceptual analyses have relieved the connection between Boethius’s «The Consolation» and the works of other famous authors of Antiquity among them there are Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Cicero, and St. Augustine. As a connoisseur of Antiquity, Boethius uses literature to explain his philosophical ideas. In addition, the author of the article suggests an analytical review of the image of the Lade Philosophy in «Consolation». The genealogy of this literary character refers to the Greek mythology, Plato’s «Symposium» and «Crito» dialogues, Martianus Capella’s work «On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury» and Augustine’s the literary image of St. Monika. The article reconstructs an epistemological methodology of Boethius’s Neoplatonic dialogue that consists of five stages and describes a therapeutic role of philosophy in the traditions of Plato and Stoics. The essence of this role is a mind therapy. Philosophy teaches us to see the world as a whole, to describe it in clear notions and judgments. According to the text of «Consolation», Boethius takes us to make an intellectual Neoplatonic climbing from practical (ethic) to theoretical (metaphysic) philosophy – from vita activa to vita speculativa. The main aim or the top of this Neoplatonic meditation is a contemplative life or reminding own Ego. The great ideas of this work have the significant influence on Medieval and Renaissance philosophy and literature.

THE FREEDOM AND THE HAPPINESS OF MAN IN WORKS OF MYCHAIL KOTZIUBYNSKYJ

The interpretation of freedom and happiness as existential problems of personality in the works of M. Kotsyubynsky is considered. Freedom is closely linked to happiness - this is understood by the lyrical heroes of the writer’s works. Freedom is also a value for every hero of his works, because he writed about mercenaries and serfs. The works emphasize that freedom is associated with real life, and only a free life can make a person’s happiness. Lyrical heroes of M. Kotsyubynsky’s works are, first of all, strong personalities, ready to fight for freedom at the cost of their own lives. Sense of human dignity and sacrifice of the characters in the name of freedom and happiness are impressed. Real freedom and happiness associated with it are felt only in the bosom of nature, in close connection with it in the novel “Intermezzo”.

THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE LIFE WORLD IN THE SOVIET AND POST-SOVIET LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN

The article examines the transformation of the image of the life world, reflected in the problematics and value system of significant works of literature for children of the Soviet and post-Soviet period (on the example of Ukrainian and Russian literature). It is shown that literature for children quite clearly reflects the cultural and social environment, which allows the text to be dated to within a decade, but the best works go beyond their immediate context, which allows them to function in fundamentally new social conditions. The study of books that have an enduring popularity even after the country and society where they were created, have ceased to be, demonstrate remarkable vitality. Studying of the complex of ideas and values that underlie these texts can be helpful for better understanding of the axiological constants that can survive political, social and ideological transformations. Other important theme is the transformation of the reception of a text, were some layers of meaning can be actualized, and some – ignored, whether consciously or subconsciously. The study of selective reception of the text according to the dominant cultural paradigm can also have culturological value. Soviet literature for children cannot be evaluated only as a product of a conservative totalitarian society. It was constantly transformed, which led to the fact that the date of writing the text can almost always be set to the nearest decade. The study of these differences helps to see more clearly the trends of cultural change on a civilizational and global scale. Another aspect is the understanding of Ukrainian literature for children, which was formed within the general Soviet paradigm, although it has always had its own uniqueness. With the disintegration of the Union, and especially with the political events of recent years, Ukrainian literature has clearly separated from Russian in terms of both topics and guidelines. It is worth tracing which tendencies are common to both literatures, which are global, and which are peculiar only to our culture. It is also worth researching the comparison of modern Ukrainian literature with other cultural traditions, both to learn from the experience and to assert the uniqueness of their own art and their own world of life.

Double light cone of Alexander Kirilyuk

Review by: Kyryliuk OS Reports and articles. 1977-2020: anniversary collection scientific works to the 70th anniversary of prof. OS Kirilyuk. Kyiv-Odessa, 2021. 776 p .; Kirilyuk Alexander Sergeevich. Biobibliographic index: to the 70th anniversary of his birth. Kyiv-Odessa, 2020. 216 p.

LITERARY TEMPTATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

The article examines the features of literature that are attractive for philosophy. Literary temptations are diverse: from special literary means of expression to a literary style of thinking, from posing common human problems to special ways of representing the world, from studying literary phenomena to following them. The differences between philosophy and literature took shape in antiquity. Philosophy posed a question and gave a reasoned answer, while literature described an interesting adventure. Further evolution has accumulated many differences in means, and in goals, and in perception. But from time to time philosophy and literature interacted. Philosophy sometimes analyzed literature like Heidegger, occasionally used a literary style like Nietzsche. But literature has repeatedly posed philosophical problems like Dostoevsky. Of particular attractiveness are: 1. the comprehensibility and accessibility of the literary language, 2. the emotional impact of literature as the creation of a special experience of the read, 3. a narrative way of representing the world. The desire for clarity has led to the emergence of encyclopedias, various propaedeutics, simplified courses in philosophy and other new forms of organization and presentation of knowledge. The example of children’s literature led to the emergence of philosophy for children. A personal emotional attitude to the text can be a sufficient basis for the scientific work of a humanist. A philosopher always needs rational foundations, but the subject of research could also be asked by literary emotions. Narrative has proved to be an impressive temptation for philosophy. For a long time, it was studied only within the framework of literary theory. From there he came to philosophy. Under the influence of philosophy, the narrative turned into a paradigm for the methodology of humanitarian knowledge. Literary temptations of philosophy gave positive results: discussions were stimulated, interesting concepts were put forward, if philosophy remained philosophy.

MIKHAIL FREIDENBERG AND HIS FAMILY: THE ODESSA TRACE IN RUSSIAN CULTURE

Research traditions that have developed in relation to certain cultural phenomena are often limited by the framework of national cultures, the specifics of the studied personality and its creative activity. At the same time, the cultural and social demands underlying these studies do not actually imply the conversion of the identified cultural values from one national (cultural) tradition to another. Thus, it is unlikely that representatives of border territories, as well as territories that had actual ex-territoriality and freedom to choose cultural identification, can give in to an unambiguous definition of cultural identity. Odessa was good example of it. Here the marginality of the frontier cultural zone created its own unique cultural topos, with its “mixed” identity, for which the territorial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic boundaries were not absolute, were mobile, created conditions for the formation of seemingly contradictory ideas about the “eastern West”, about “imperial Jewishness”, “Jewish Russianity”, etc. For the Jewish citizen of Odessa, the national (Jewish) or imperial (Russian) component played a great role. The internal contradictions that exist in these identification models were either resolved in favor of one of the models, or removed due to the local identification model provided by the immediate environment, which we called the environment. In this article, we would like to show this environmental influence through the personality of Mikhail Filippovich Freidenberg, who is known to historians of science and technology as an inventor, but little known to literary historician (mainly as the father of Olga Mikhailovna Freidenberg and the uncle of Boris Leonidovich Pasternak). In our opinion, the description of the artistic and journalistic, as well as satirical works of Mikhail Freidenberg deserves attention. With his name, the intellectual environment of Odessa at the end of the XIX century takes on a holistic appearance, at the same time exposing the problem of “intellectual crowding” of the imperial province. The phenomenon of the environment is conceptualized by the example of the family of Mikhail Freidenberg and relations with relatives, as well as by describing the influence of this environment on Russian culture in the late XIX – first half of the XX century through the formation of the personalities of Olga Freidenberg and Boris Pasternak. It is important to overcome disciplinary boundaries and show how the environment promotes the realization of creative opportunities and how it sets these opportunities. We do it based on the available biographical data, memoirs, diaries and other documents.

LOGIC AND POETRY: THE CONTIGUITY OF THE CREATIVE WORLDS OF N. A. VASILIEV IN THE BACKGROUND OF LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES

The complexity of the structure and the varieties of the shades of the theme of the relationship between scientific and artistic creativity presented by us in the article the amazing “destiny of ideas” within the framework of modern – non-classical (non-aristotelian) logic. Nikolai Alexandrovich Vasiliev (1880-1940) was a versatile personality, but two aspects of his work deserve special attention – the poetry in the style of symbolism, which he was engaged in his youth, and the logical studies that allow him to be considered one of the founders of non-classical logic. Despite the difference in the degree of significance of the N. Vasiliev’s poetic and logical heritage, it is easy to see that it is in the poetry that the future logical ideas are first formed. The otherworld, the imaginary worlds are a characteristic feature of the poetry of symbolism. The creative collision of N. Vasiliev lies in the fact that in his case the poet anticipates logician. In the article “Logic and Metalogic” he declares that the classical (aristotelian) logic is not the only one, that the types of reasoning and argumentation, that is, the logical systems depend on the different preconditions. These preconditions are associated with those diverse worlds, with those different realities on which the reasoning is superimposed. The cognitive construct playing the role of “reality” loses its the status of the invariant for various logics, it can vary, which does not mean the loss of the unity of the foundations of rationality, on the contrary, it is the acquisition of the arsenal of the intellectual tools with rich possibilities for constructing a variety of rational interpretations. The life of N. Vasiliev turned out to be full of the unfinished projects, the troubles, because of its inconsistency, it looks tragic. But it was the logical ideas ahead of their time, among which the idea of the possibility strictly logically, and therefore non-contradictory to think contradictory worlds, gave N. Vasiliev the “registrate in eternity”.

LONELINESS AND DESPAIR OF A PERSON IN VASYL STEFANYK’S NOVELS

Vasyl Stafanyk entered into Ukrainian literature XIX – XX century as a master of the short story, where he emotionally passionately violates the existential problems of an individual person, lost in a world indifferent to him, of which he is forced to make certain decisions and take responsibility for his choices. The artist’s special attention is drawn to the loneliness of man, which often causes him despair and confusion. In particular, this is reflected in Stefanyk’s short stories on the lives of rural workers. The writer knew well the Ukrainian village, the problems of the peasants. There was already a gradual departure of the rural community from the collective responsibility for the fate of each of its members, which deepened the alienation, created a sense of abandonment, in his time. For example, the village and the community are calmly watching the decline of Anton’s farm – the hero of Stefanyk’s short story «Blue Book». In this short story, the cry of the soul of a once wealthy owner, who was unlucky, who in despair drinks the whole farm. In his drunken bravado there is sadness, rage and hopelessness, deep despair – Anton feels that everyone is indifferent to his grief, there is no compassion in his home community. Such loneliness, alienation and despair of man, indifference of others permeate the pages and short stories «Paliy». Its protagonist, old Fedor, worked all his life for the rich Andriy Kurochka, lost his strength and health on his farm, and is now forced to beg from strangers. The thought of this hurts Fedor’s aching soul, he goes mad with loneliness, deeply offends his human indifference. In despair, deeply offended, lonely in his grief, Fedor sets fire to the hen’s barn, taking revenge on him for his mutilated life. The lyrical hero of V. Stefanyk’s short story «My Word» chooses a different way of reacting to unfavorable life circumstances from the previous character. It is the confession of a lonely, abandoned man in a world indifferent to the fate of everyone. Detached from his native land, the hero of the novel doesn’t find peace and joy in the new world. His longing comrades, who agreed with this new world, don’t understand him. So, abandoned by them, he builds himself a world of his own imagination, in which he is comfortable and where he truly lives, hoping to find happiness. Accordingly, the author of the short story convinces that everyone is lonely and doomed to fight for their happiness, and therefore responsible for their choices. Very often Vasyl Stefanyk addresses the topic of lonely old age, when adult children become busy with their worries and do not need their parents, as, for example, in the short story «Angel», where old Tymchykha, feeling unnecessary for children, prepares for death as a salvation from loneliness. The writer raises a similar theme of loneliness of old parents with living children in such short stories as, in particular, «Sama samisinka», which depicts a gruesome picture of the death of a helpless mother left to fend for her children who went to work. The other side of lonely old age depicts the image of old Maxim, who can’t forget his dead sons. A lone widower who sent two sons to fight for Ukraine, he complains about his fate, rages in the field at work, shouts at the horses. At the same time, in despair, Maxim doesn’t accept any sympathy from neighbors, proudly carries his loneliness and despair, lamenting the whole world. He is disgusted by everything around him, he lives only by memories of the past, when his sons and wife were alive, when life was raging in his house. Thus, as we can see, many of Vasyl Stefanyk’s short stories are imbued with existential problems of man concerning the negative nature of human existence. Among them the loneliness and despair of the person in difficult life situations are especially penetratingly considered by the writer.