Subject and function of philosophy

Before turning to the question of what constitutes the subject of philosophy as a science, you should understand that such a thing actually.Without this understanding of the approach to the definition of the object of philosophy is simply meaningless, because the breadth of scientific interest in the framework of philosophical knowledge is practically limitless.Another reason for this approach is that before you consider the object, you must have a clear idea of ​​the object of scientific knowledge.

object of any science, it follows from the term itself, is always objective, that is, his being is not determined by the desire or preference of a particular researcher - subject of scientific knowledge.Quite often you can find judgments that in view of the breadth of the field in the philosophy of the cognitive subject and object are identical.However, this approach should be recognized as unproductive because precisely because of this breadth of scientific interest in this science is blurred, become uncertain.

Based on the historical conflicts of philosophical knowledge and thinking, the philosophy of the subject can be considered the entire objective reality, spiritual and social reality in which the human being, including the man himself.

In contrast to the object, the subject of any science is always subjective, that is, its existence is mediated by the scientific interest in the subject of knowledge - the researcher.He chooses which part of the object (objective reality) is of scientific interest for him, and then, in fact, formed the subject of science.With respect to philosophical knowledge, the subject of science is determined by the structure of science, its trends, trends, doctrines and theories.This, by the way, appears one of the laws of the philosophical philosophy - dialectical communication research subject and structure of scientific knowledge.In the simplest and most generalized form and function of the philosophy of the subject can be determined as follows.

as its subject, you can specify the most general laws of the genesis of forms of being material and spiritual world, as well as their eksplitsiruemye images ratsionaliziruemye human consciousness.

historically formed philosophical trends have caused particular subject area within each direction.For example, the existentialists, from the great Heidegger believed that the object and function of philosophy is to know the meaning of the individual - existence, which serves not only the semantic justification man as such, but of all things around us.According to a different approach to the issue positivists.Even Auguste Comte argued that the object and function of philosophy should be formed from the needs of society, explain and formulate laws and tendencies of human existence.This is predetermined by the fact that Comte considered not only the founder of the philosophical school of positivism, but also the founder of the science of sociology.But since Karl Popper the positivist definition of what is an object and function of philosophy, have changed significantly.Here we see the transition to the analysis of the scientific picture of the world, is produced here and the main methodological criteria of this analysis - the principle of verifiability knowledge complemented by the principle of falsification.

Based on the interdependence that links the concept of the object, structure and function of philosophy, to define its functions only in the broadest form.Typically, these include:

  • methodological, that is the philosophy of the unit generates knowledge and provides its universal methods for use in various fields of human activity;
  • general scientific lies in the fact that it is in the framework of philosophical knowledge are the basic theory and the categories used in knowledge;
  • involves consideration of the social function of society within the framework of philosophical knowledge as a single integrity;
  • legal and regulatory lies in the fact that it produces a philosophy of criteria evaluation activity in various spheres of human existence;
  • worldview, speaks for itself, it provides the formation of types of thought and behavior based solely on theoretical attitudes and laws.

should be noted that according to the list you can not limit the list of functions performed by the philosophy in our life.They can be split up, and it is possible to formulate a new, no less important, but indirect historical process.

Science philosophy, its object and functions directly determine the structure of philosophical knowledge, which also is not a dogma, and is constantly expanding with the accumulation of new scientific facts of society.In addition, the development of philosophy, accompanied by a steady shift in focus of scientific interest to some problems, so we can observe the phenomenon comes to the fore various philosophical issues at different times.This phenomenon also has a direct impact on the content of the range of issues that are the subject of philosophy as a science.