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Gábor
Ferge
RESPONSIBLE EDITOR
ABOUT
THIS DOUBLE VOLUME
 fter
having published Volume II of our periodical (fasc. 1-4, 1992),
now we come forward with a double volume (III-IV, 1993-94,
fasc. 1-4) which is composed of the manuscripts arrived at
our editorial office in the last two years. When selecting
the material of this double volume, we were led by the same
viewpoints as we were in compiling the two volumes published
earlier. We gave place first of all to texts of purely
philosophical content. Our primary aim was to publish
works of Hungarian authors written in this sphere of subjects
in Hungarian or in some other great western language. Even
despite the large extent of our periodical, there are many
who are going to gain place only in our next volume. On their
part, we ask for understanding. Our periodical is, for several
authors, the only forum representing pure philosophical culture
which allows for being weighed before the eyes of the wide
world.
Our basic subject
matters remained unchanged: Our periodical is focused on classical
European thought, especially on the actuality and actualization
of the imperishable doctrines of ancient Greek and Latin authors.
And, on the question and power of today's practicableness
of their moderate and therefore competent principles. This
means, at the same time, the involvement of our national-historical
presence (Dasein) in the international domain of science,
in an authentic and original way. With regard to this, we
consider as a model the Greeks' marvelous endurance in their
national-historical struggle against the Persians which they
experienced as the antagonism between small and big, so to
say, between the cosmos (order) and the chaos, and which,
as the organizing power of will, brought science into being.
The scientific organizing power, however, born from the fight
for survival, came to be the property of every nation through
the spirit of the Latins. Science owes its being to the idea
of human self-restriction and moderateness.
This ancient
humanism, the essential digest of which is philosophy, permeating
the whole of human paideia and culture, is what our periodical
wishes to make sound. Hence, the purely philosophical character
of our periodical does not mean that we do not welcome writings
dealing with the philosophical concept and theory of literature,
arts or politics; namely, it is philosophy that is destined
- owing to its ancient, Greek character - to study the questions
what literature, what the arts and what
politics are. So, our periodical is naturally connected in
its subjects to the trend of present western thinking which
is most aimed at maintaining humanist tradition, i.e. the
hermeneutical school, the foundations of which were laid down
by Martin Heidegger and started by Hans-Georg Gadamer. To
him, the latter, who, as the founding member of the SOCIETAS
PHILOSOPHIA CLASSICA, publisher of our periodical, the Existentia,
had our welfare always at his heart, we, on this occasion,
wish to express our gratitude.
In our column
called
ΔΙΑΤΡΙΒΗ
we collected essays of major size, which are, on the
one hand, dealing with the doctrines of some ancient philosopher
and, at the same time, promote the actualization of his teachings
and works. Such writings are going to come next here which
obviously prove the stimulating power of the ancient common
foundations of universal and national scientific thinking.
The leading study,
entitled Zeno of Elea / Az eleai Zénón
(which is published in our periodical beside the Hungarian,
in the English version, too), is written by the academican
ÁRPÁD SZABÓ. This grand essay deals in
detail with the famous paradoxes expressing the doctrinal
position of this Greek philosopher and mathematician, furthermore,
those real historic linking points on the basis of which it
can be formulated. On this basis the author ponders over the
image of Zeno, largely widespread by today, which is, however,
strongly dependent on Plato. However, he deals deeply not
only with the origins and history of Zeno's thoughts but even
with their subsequent life. By doing so, he draws a comprehensive
picture of Zeno in a correct manner, and in such an easily
intelligible form which does not only describe but conjures
up to us the mystery
(ἀπορία)
of the great Greek sage legitimate in the history
of philosophy.
ULRICH HOYER
in his study entitled Classical philosophy of nature and
modern physics (Klassische Naturphilosophie und moderne Physik)
confronts the general theory of relativity and other modern
conceptions belonging to the sphere of theoretical physics
with the ideas of classical natural philosophy. By his comparative
analysis he reaches the conclusion that by today the findings
of classical natural philosophy are not only out-done data
of the past in the history of science but facts which are
the tasks of the future even in the understanding of modern
physics. However, these tasks are faced not merely by modern
physics, but also by historiography, owing to the methodological
basic features lying in the philosophical background of today's
dominant scientific attitudes.
ISTVÁN
M. FEHÉR in his essay Heidegger and Kant - Heidegger
and democracy (Heidegger und Kant - Heidegger und Demokratie)
draws a parallel between Heidegger's discourse on The notion
of time (Der Begriff der Zeit) with a latent reference
to Kant, and a subject cumbersome from political aspects,
namely, Heidegger's relationship to democracy. The author
who is the Hungarian translator of Heidegger's lecture (M.
Heidegger: The notion of time, The self-revelation of the
German university, The rectorate /Az idõ fogalma, A
német egyetem önmegnyilvánulása,
A rektorátus. Budapest: Kossuth 1992), discloses
such interrelations from the deepest layers of the Heideggerian
work which render Heidegger's then partly affiliation more
understandable. However, the author is not willing to force
a decision in this all-important question, but using a documentary
method and a great apparatus of commentaries, taking into
account the standpoint of the rest of Heideggerian researches,
makes more shaded the political role taken in an era when
the Heideggerian fundamental ontology was understood yet as
a "pre-science" (Vorwissenschaft), which
is - in the words of Heidegger - hidden behind the claim of
the historically realized "sham liberalism" and
"national renaissance".
ISTVÁN
M. FEHÉR in his paper Introduction into philosophy
as a philosophical problem (Einleitung in die Philosophie
als philosophisches Problem), studying a passage of the
preface of Hegel's "Phenomenology of the spirit"
determines its "hermeneutical situation" ("hermeneutische
Situation" - the author, following Heidegger, works
with this notion of acquiring knowledge). Then, he puts the
question: how far this position conforms to the opinion grown
traditional in the history of philosophy, according to which
this famous work of Hegel is an "introduction into philosophy".
The author approaches not from the customary Sitz im Leben
but by a careful thematical analysis of the work, studies
its preface as the self-interpretation of an "introduction".
So, the position of the "introduction" in the light of
the passage of the preface witnesses to the Hegelian dialogical-hermeneutical
(dialogisch-hermeneutisch) opinion, indicated by the
way of using the dialectic pairs of notions the knower/the
philosopher - the beginner/the student. Finally, the author
makes it verisimilar that the role of Hegel's introduction
has to be recorded as a practical teaching and not as a philosophical
theory of introduction.
The study of
GÁBOR FERGE entitled Every book has its own fate
(Habent sua fata libelli) is not a detailed history of
writing and books, merely wishes to call attention to the
question, how far, during the long course of history, the
art of typography inspired by the use of written records,
has been able to maintain the human character of books. He
examines merely from a few "anachronistic" philosophical viewpoints,
how, from time to time, the fate of the book developed, and
how far man was able to estimate what the book takes away
and what it gives.
ROLF KÜHN,
in his paper entitled Outside of time and original time
(Zeitekstanse und ursprüngliche Zeit), repeatedly
raises the ancient question, as to how we do experience time?
("Wie erleben wir Zeit?") In his investigations, stressing
the phenomenological description of how (wie), makes
new findings linked to the Husserlian "problem of live presence"
("zum Problem der lebendigen Gegenwart"). The author
tries to outdo the notion of phenomenology's father perceiving
presence as "pure now" by pointing to the multi-layer character
of the re-presentation (Re-präsentation: Wie-
und Vergegenwärtigung). Then, he critically presents
the modern conceptions of time's forms of appearance; among
them, also that one of Heidegger, which in his opinion, repeats
the difficulties of Kant's schematism.
WALTER B. GULICK
in his essay entitled Art, identity, and redemption in
Nietzsche's philosophical development assumes that the
philosophical development of Nietzsche was parallel with the
changes in his mental state. He, for instance, points out
wittily that Nietzsche's work, The birth of Tragedy,
is not only the title of his first book, but, as the rebirth
of tragedy, also the personal tragedy of Nietzsche.
MIKLÓS
VETÕ, in his essay under the title Mythology and
negative philosophy according to Schelling (Mythologie et
philosophie negative selon Schelling) calls attention
to the fact that, with Schelling, pure rational philosophy
corresponds to negative philosophy, and mythology to positive
philosophy. The author thinks that the basis of this is while
in the background of negative philosophy the discipline of
logical necessity, and in that of positive philosophy the
discipline of historical liberty take place.
ANDRÁS
GAUSZ's paper, on The birth of German idealism (A német
idealizmus születése) is the second, finishing
part of his essay examining the spiritual conditions of German
progress. The first part appeared in an earlier volume of
our periodical (Existentia, II. 1992/1-4, pp. 185-220).
In this part the author gathers the foundations of German
idealism from Kant's criticism. In our next volume both parts
will appear in English, too.
Finally, our
column of essays contains the study of BALÁZS MEZEI,
entitled The three movements and the idea of the "good"
(A három mozgás és a jó ideája),
which is the first Hungarian presentation of Jan Patocka's
philosophy. The paper focuses on the motion philosophy of
the Czech phenomenologist, reckoning with its sources (Aristotle,
Husserl).
*
In our column
called
ΣΧΟΛΗ
we publish materials of lectures held and workshops conducted
at the universities of Hungary.
At this place,
however, we first of all would like to congratulate the great
Hungarian poet and literary scholar, the 90-years old DEZSÕ
KERESZTURY, five late poems of whom we present here.
The attunement of these poems represents the message of this
old-scientist in the inexorable contrast between speaking
and silence. Stillness is already needed... (Csend kell
már...)
ALAN SOBLE's
lecture entitled Union and concern was held on April
24, 1992, in the framework of a course of lectures organized
by the Department of Philosophy of the Budapest Technical
University; its Hungarian version already appeared (Athenaeum
II/2, 1994, pp.55-99); here we publish the original English
version. In this monumental essay of his, the professor of
philosophy of the University of New-Orleans points out that
love as a physical, psychological, or spiritual union
of two human beings who, by this, create the new entity
of we, represents a concept of unity which,
though it was confesses by many in history, is still improper,
since concern is missing from it. The author's investigations
comprehend a huge domain: in addition to Plato, Aristotle
and Saint Paul, it extends even to modern thinking, and in
the majority contains the intensive criticism of the conception
of love as unity.
ISTVÁN
M. FEHÉR's lecture of great success, entitled To
the spiritual roots of Karl Rahner. Heidegger and 20th-century
theology (Karl Rahner szellemi gyökereihez. Heidegger
és a XX. századi teológia), was held
in the headquarters of the Szeged Committee of the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences, at the memorial session on the occasion
of the 10th anniversary of Karl Rahner's death. The author
looks at Rahner palpably from the aspect of Heidegger, and
this urges him to take a new insight. The study successfully
points out that the effect between Heidegger and 20th-century
theology were mutual, what is more, it proves how inspiringly
theology acted on the young philosopher.
The successful
activities of NIELS ÖFFENBERGER,
guest professor at the Philosophy Department of the "Janus
Pannonius" University of Pécs, and of the circle of
students developed in his seminary in Hungary, is proven by
the following studies: The theory of negation of the strictly
particular statements based on the quality of four values
and The theory of opposition by taking into account the
strictly particular declarations in accordance with the quality
of four values (A szigorúan partikuláris állítások
tagadásának elmélete a négyértékûség
alapján; and Az oppozíció elmélete
a szigorúan partikuláris kijelentések
tekintetbevételével a négyértékûségnek
megfelelõen) The former one is the work of the
famous Aristotelian researcher of Münster himself, and
the latter one is a work elaborated in common with his students
in Hungary. Both papers are dealing with a special but highly
significant sphere of research in Aristotelian logic; namely,
with the importance of the four values of truth introduced
by Aristotle, what can be brought in connection not only with
the notion of syllogistic conclusion, but with the logical
square, too.
Finally, we also
present here the experiment of BALÁSZ MEZEI, assistant
lecturer in the Departmenr for the History of Philosophy of
the Miskolc University, the title of which is Cogitations
on the nature of philosophy (Tépelõdések
a filozófia természetérõl)
which contains profound systematic considerations about the
nature of philosophy.
*
Under the title
ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΙΣ
i.e. in the column of translations we first of all publish
the Hungarian translations of the classics, but we do not
refuse to present also essays on the literary genre of translation
or studies about the nature of it.
We just now publish
Plato's famous dialogue the Phaedo, in the translation
of ÁRPÁD SZABÓ, in Hungarian and Greek
languages. The translator not only appends notes to his work
of translation, but provides it with an introduction, too.
The title of this is: The soul and the ideas (A lélek
és az ideák) and it is indeed an introduction,
i.e. of such a literary genre. In it, the author guides us,
with a marvelous didactic sense, along the path of soul's
immortality, down to Hades and back from it. We wish to assist
the Reader in imagining immortality by showing Greek illustrations
of it, and by making vividly descriptive the content of the
dialogue. The matter of the pictorial appendix was collected
by professor JÁNOS GYÖRGY SZILÁGYI. We
do thank him for having done it.
In this column
the Reader may find still more papers from the sphere of the
theory and techniques of translation, the common subject of
which is "Heidegger, the untranslatable"; ISTVÁN M.
FEHÉR: Translatableness of philosophic texts and
the philosophical problem of their translation: the case of
Heidegger (Übersetzbarkeit philosophischer Texte und
philosophische Probleme ihrer Übersetzung: Der Fall Heidegger),
and TOM ROCKMORE: Heidegger, translation and history of
philosophy (Heidegger, Übersetzen und Philosophiegeschichte).
*
In our column
ΚΡΙΤΙΚΗ
every paper is bilingual, Hungarian and English or German,
furthermore, French. This is the room given to criticisms,
reviews, informations, commemorations and bibliographies,
in order that our Readers abroad should be informed about
the situation of Hungarian philosophical culture.
The book-review
of our periodical is written by LÁSZLÓ VEKERDI
on the philosophical textbook written by Árpád
Szabó/Gábor Ferge: Introduction to philosophy
for Gymnasiums (Bevezetés
a filozófiába. Gimnáziumok számára).
The reviewer points out primarily the fact that this textbook
is the first one which gives an overall picture of philosophy
in an interesting manner, emphasizing its didactic positiveness.
Stresses, at the same time, its lively connection with the
subjects creating the gist of education of gymnasiums in Hungary,
namely with Hungarian language and literature, and mathematics.
This is what can make the students conscious of philosophy's
integration, task and place between literature and mathematics.
Finally, the review calls attention to the deep humanistic
attitude of this textbook.
In his commemoration
of Tamás Nyíri entitled Fragments in memory
of Tamás Nyíri (Emlékforgácsok
Nyíri Tamásról), ISTVÁN M.
FEHÉR bids farewell with touching words to the national-liberal
theologian who died on July 21, 1994. He does not delimit
himself to a dry, indifferent presentation of the life-work,
but enlivens the period of their lives when they were working
shoulder to shoulder for the renaissance of philosophy in
Hungary.
BALÁSZ
MEZEI, in his analyzing evaluation entitled The Brentano-School
and Hungarian thinking (A Brentano-iskola és a magyar
gondolkodás) gives a report about the international
conference on Brentano held between May 1-3, 1993, in Budapest.
Finally, we present
to the Reader the Hungarian bibliographies of three philosophers:
The first one is the work of SZABOLCS FERENCZI, who, in addition
to the bibliography entitled Bibliography of the Hungarian
Aristotelian literature between 1925 and 1992 (Bibliográfia
1925-tõl 1992-ig a magyar vonatkozású
Aristotelés-irodalomról), prepared even
the Information on modern Hungarian history of Aristotelian
research (Tájékoztató a magyar vonatkozású
modern Aristotelés-kutatástörténetrõl),
a systematic summary of professional literature that serves
as an introduction to the bibliography. In his analysis he
follows up the receptions on Aristotle of the philosophical
schools in Hungary, and, by pondering over them, assists the
orientation in the literature. This is followed by the Bibliography
of Hungarian literature on Camus (Bibliográfia a magyar
vonatkozású Camus-irodalomról / Camus
en Hongrois et sur la Hongrie) compiled by NOÉMI
SALY and by the Hungarian literature on Nietzsche (A magyar
vonatkozású Nietzsche-irodalom / Nietzsche in
Ungarn) written by SÁNDOR LACZKÓ.
*
Starting with
this volume, publishing our periodical has been taken on by
the SOCIETAS PHILOSOPHIA CLASSICA (A Klasszikus Filozófia
Barátainak Egyesülete), into the line of the humanist
objectives of which now already the publishing of the first
international philosophic periodical founded in Hungary belongs,
too. We ask our readers to kindly support this only Hungarian
forum of cultivating the tradition of classical philosophy.
Hac mente petimus
auxilium et benevolum subsidium omnimum doctorum et eruditorum
ad renovandam Hungaricae philosophiam.
Budapest, early
in November 1994.
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