Abstract: The subject of this research is the city and its images, which change and transform the urban aesthetics as whole by being transmitting in media environment. A city image, facing certain environment, suggests a subjective vision and subjective feeling from the city on one hand, and on the other hand some projects on urban environment planning overall meet certain objective tasks, while the manipulation of proportions is subject to the ideas of utilitarianism and perception of the world that reveals itself in separate components, as well as in totality of these elements, which produce the field for interpretations and expansion of this world perception. Methodological analysis represents a combination of historicism with the principles of descriptive aesthetics, portraying the entire cultural block that applies and collocates the layers of various historical eras. The ideas of hermeneutics and semiotics would also be relevant in such context. The work examines the problem of cultural transformations, which interfusing each other, change the initial image. The author traces the works of well-known philosophers and aestheticians in the field of urban studies, who reviewed the changes in urban environment throughout various brinks of the centuries. The new paradigm includes the digital elements replacing the “documentation”. The conclusion is made that the image of a modern city correlates with the digital space, being involved into the media game that captivates the society.

Keywords: art, media, photography, architecture, image, urban studies, aesthetics, culture, philosophy, perception

Abstract: This article attempts to respond to the critical assessments of Aristotle’s anthropological views. The ancient thinker is characterizes as a philosopher who stayed aside from comprehension of the problem of a human. On one hand, the multiplicity of discussed by Aristotle anthropological plots is impressive. On the other hand, he views a human as a natural creature, not expressing interest to the inner, introspective world of the human subjectivity. The representative of so-called nonclassical anthropology, assign to Aristotle the role of leader of the traditional anthropology that is deprived of the existential dimension. The author applies the method of historicism, placing Aristotle’s ideas into the context of ancient era. The article also analyzes the nonclassical philosophical anthropology, which allows implementing the method of comparative juxtaposition of the anthropological ideas. Fragmentary submersions into the texts of the ancient thinker were not accompanied by the attempt of integral comprehension of Aristotle’s views on human, his nature and essences, correlation between the reason and unreason, as well as connection between the corporeal and spiritual processes. Such approach towards the anthropological doctrine of Aristotle is also common to the Western literature. The scientific novelty of this work consists in the desire to give assessment to the anthropological doctrine of Aristotle as the leader of classical anthropology.

Keywords: Nature, Body, Soul, Unreason, Reason, Classical anthropology, Human essence, Human nature, Human, Philosophical anthropology

Abstract: The article is devoted to the analysis of one of the examples of rethinking of the ancient models held in the middle of the XVII century. In particular, based on the example we have discussed, the article demonstrates how in the beginning of the so-called "New Time" took place the transition from "discovery" Cosmos towards its "design”, including "historical" ("previous" or "previously known") models. The article also describes in what distorted way, at times in reconstruction of the previously existed models, by significant achievements of the Greek analytical thought in the XVII century, the basic principles of the depiction of Cosmos formulated by the philosophers of the V –II BC  could be interweaved. The article applies a comparative analysis of the sources related to the subject of research, as well as critical analysis of the previously published works of the Russian and foreign scientists. The author conducts the analysis of the accepted within the history of science interpretation of A. Cellarius’ "Ptolemaic system of the world", which leans on the detailed study of its fragments, for compliance with the basic principles of the models of Cosmos recorded in the written sources. The main conclusion of the article lies in the fact that the examined interpretation of "Ptolemaic system of the world", in essence, does not manifest as image that illustrates the system of Ptolemy's world, but rather represents the synthetic image created in the middle of the XVII century, based on the free imaginative interpretation of ancient sources on one hand, and on the other – the baroque aesthetics. As a result, A. Cellarius’ "Ptolemaic system of the world" becomes a distinct symbol that had completely lost connection with the originally formed by K. Ptolemy image of the world.

Keywords: planetary spheres, model of the world, epistemological turn, Almagest, Ontology of Science, Existential Cosmos, geocentric model, Ptolemy's Cosmos, Science of New time, New World

Abstract: This article examines the phenomenon of sacrifice from the perspective of philosophical anthropology. The author highlights two main lines in the sacrifice theories: pragmatics of a sacrifice and apophaticism of a sacrifice. The pragmatics of a sacrifice includes the theory that reveal its practical positive sense, namely: social, biological, economic, psychological, and political. The apophaticism of a sacrifice pertains to its anthropological perspective that suggests referring to an invisible side of the world. Analyzing both strategies, the author answers to the questions about the meaning of sacrificing, correlation between faith and ritual, gift and sacrifice, as well as disappearance of blood sacrifices. The work leans on the philosophical-anthropological methods, in other words, accepts the message that a person is not an element of population, which he seems to be prior to biology, not an element of society, which he is for sociology, but rather a free creature that is not determined from without. In the author’s opinion, the phenomenon of sacrifice lies in the foundation of anthropogenesis and sociogenesis. The conclusion is made that the ritual of sacrificing is the cornerstone of the anthropological structure set by the cult. A blood sacrifice represents the point of the primary interdiction that constitutes consciousness.

Keywords: Eucharist, Religion, Cult, Mystery, Ritual, Consciousness, Anthropology, Exchange, Gift, Sacrifice

Abstract: This article suggest the analysis of the selected chapters of G. G. Shpet’s work “Wisdom or Reason”, which goal lies in demarcation of the three groups of arguments that the Russian thinker proposed as a substantiation of the ability of philosophy as a “clear knowledge”, as well as their assessment from the perspective of the modern perceptions about the specificity of philosophical knowledge. The first two groups associated with Shpet’s proximity to the phenomenological movements and his ideas about the place of philosophy in the world culture, can be considered “subjective”, certainly personal preferences of the author. The conclusion on the consistency of Shpet’s concept stands on the evaluation of the arguments that are addressed in the article as “universal”, independent from the circumstances of time and choice of the author. The article highlights the closeness the shared by Shpet concept of phenomenological philosophy with the principles of Hegelian “Phenomenology of Spirit”, which in the era of accomplishment of the classical European philosophy, manifested as the foundation for philosophy as a “clear knowledge” (“System of sciences”). The author also reveals the differences of the two concepts of phenomenology, which make it impossible for Shpet to return to the initial ideal of philosophy and encourage admitting the important role of the extratheoretical components of the philosophy (“wisdom”).

Keywords: history of European culture, wisdom, hermeneutics, phenomenology, nature of philosophy, Shpet, Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, consciousness, subject

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the relevant question of modern civilization – the interpersonal communication. The problem of interrelationship of “I” and “You” acquired its philosophical understanding in European philosophy of the early XX century. However, the philosophical heritage of Russian thinkers remained unclaimed until present day. The doctrine of the Russian philosopher Semyon Lyudvigovich Frank was one of the original versions for resolving the problem of correlation between the single personality and spiritual integrity of the society. The article reveals the philosophical-methodological value of the category of “us”, conducts analysis of various layers of social life, as well as demonstrates the antinomic nature of interrelationship between “I”, “you”, and “us”. The authors also determine the differences between the external and internal layers of social relations, reveal the ethical meaning of social interaction, and provide philosophical analysis of the ambivalence of communication alongside the multiplicity of types of the highlighted by S. L. Frank types of human communication. The work applies axiological analysis that allows identifying the value peculiarities of the Russian philosopher upon the key factors of the problem of communication. The authors underline the crucial differences between the European and Russian traditions of analysis of the problem of communication, and note that there is a need for the integral and extensive philosophical examination of such complicated phenomenon, which will consider the synthesis of a distinct Western and Eastern experience of the analysis of problem of communication, as well as the imperative specificity of achievements of the Russian philosophy of communication that are relevant and require further research.

Keywords: antinomic monodualism, problem of communication , S. L. Frank, conciliarity, interpersonal communication, Russian philosophy, communication, personality, mutual understanding, cooperation

Abstract:   The object of this article is the phenomenon of fashion, while the subject is fashion as a social phenomenon. Fashion is presented in various aspects – as a social institution; as a factor of prestige, social differentiation and identification; as an instruments of alleviation of social inequalities; as a phenomenon that forms the image and worldview orientations. The author examines the contradictory nature of fashion, impact of the specificity of social processes and social structure upon the evolution of fashion trends, as well as traces the inclusivity, variability, and consistence of fashion, its place and role in the consumer society. The methodological basis of the article consists in ontological and gnoseological principles of dialectics, which allowed revealing the complicated nature of fashion. The scientific novelty lies in the analysis of fashion as a social phenomenon in the context of requirements of the consumer society, which “makes” fashion an extremely relevant phenomenon. The author specifies the vision of fashion as a factor of social differentiation, an instrument that mitigates the risks of social polarization. The role of fashion in formation of illusions of social equality is being examined.  

Keywords: social layer, symbolic consumption, social group, identification, differentiation, prestige, individual fashion, fashion, image, unification

Abstract: The subject of this research is one of the aspects of the modern discussion about human enhancement - the difference between human enhancement and medical treatment. Biomedical interventions are already used today to improve the physical abilities, to aestheticize the body and appearance, to enhance intellectual abilities and harmonize emotional life, etc. The boundary between human enhancement and medical treatment (as the adoption of preventive health promotion measures) is implicit. The purpose of the article is to show that there is a significant difference between medical treatment and human enhancement, and to determine the basis for carrying out this distinction. The author concludes that the foundation that allows differentiating the medical treatment from human enhancement consists in the generic range of normal functioning of the human body.

Keywords: moderate human enhancement, bioconservatism, posthuman, transhumanism, specific range of normal functioning, human nature, medical treatment, Human enhancement, humanitarian expertise, NBIC-technologies

Abstract: This article examines such socio-ontological formation as the virtual social capital. This formation is presented as the condition for existence, creation and target structuring of the foundations of the future information society. The author reviews the functions and value that is realized by the virtual social capital in the process of social informatization and virtualization. The article analyzes the properties and characteristics of the virtual social capital, as well as its differences from the traditional economic, social, and cultural capital. The forms and varieties of its existence have also been determined. The research applies the social-constructivist methodology based on the concept of social fields of P. Bourdieu alongside the theory of social communication of G. Innis, M. McLuhan and M. Castells. The main result of the study consist in the theoretical comprehensive socio-ontological representation of the virtual social capital within the structure of social communicative systems. This, in turn, allows demonstrating its place and role in the process of establishment of the future informational society, as well as highlight the prospects of formation and development of the information culture.

Keywords: virtualization, informatization, constructivism, social communication, social ontology, Information society, virtual social capital, polyontism , transhumanism, social evolution

Abstract: The object of study in this article is the intellectual activity of creating pictures of the world, or as it is also called "ontological design" in the professional jargon of philosophy. The subject of research is the features of aesthetic ontologies and mental procedures for their creation.The author examines in detail aspects such topics as "ontological work" with its four procedures: simplification through generalization, humanizing the world, the formation of the ontological scheme and objectification. Particular attention is paid to the identification of the features of the ontological processes in art and a typology of aesthetic ontologies. The main findings of the study include the following. The author has revealed similarities of ontological construction procedures. A special contribution of the author's research topics is the development of typology of aesthetic ontologies: realistic, perfectionistic, naturalistic, emancipatory and escapist. The novelty of the study consists in analysis of the specificity of the procedures of creative structuring of reality: artistic taste, radical subjectivation, creative inspiration, and formation of the secondary reality.

Keywords: artistic taste, objectification, formation of ontological scheme, humanization of the world, simplification through generalization, ontological structuring, aesthetic ontologies, radical subjectivation, creative inspiration, formation of secondary reality