Dialectics and Materialism in Classical Marxism and in Evald Ilyenkov’s Thought Koryakovtsev Andrey The ideas of the Soviet philosopher Evald Ilyenkov reached their zenith only in the post-Soviet era, popularized by scholars such as R.R. Vakhitov, G.V. Lobastov, S.N. Mareev, A.D. Maidansky, L.K. Naumenko, Yu.V. Pushchaev, among others. Contemporary Ilyenkov’s researchers widely acclaim his contributions, underscoring their significance in the development of 20th century Soviet/Russian philosophy. In this context, Konstantin Lyubutin’s critical assessments stand out. While acknowledging that Ilyenkov “rediscovered” the dialectical method in Karl Marx’s philosophy – freeing from the oversimplifications of the Stalinist school – Lyubutin highlights resulting contradictions. Ilyenkov’s theory of the ideal, which counters the reduction of human thinking to psychological processes, remains popular today. Its persistence suggests that Marxism as such has not been entirely discarded by societal consciousness – and, consequently, neither have dialectics and materialism. However, in this context, this very relevance raises pressing questions about their nature, interrelation, and applicability to contemporary scholarly challenges – a concern implicit in Lyubutin’s critique of Ilyenkov’s alleged oversight of key Marxian comments on dialectics. Ilyenkov’s framework remains incomplete, particularly regarding the connection between dialectics and materialism. In order to delineate the gap between Ilyenkov’s dialectical theory and Marx’s methodological conception, we examine their connection in classical Marxism. Drawing on Ludwig Feuerbach and Karl Marx, we clarify how materialism should be reframed to become dialectical and what conception of dialectics corresponds to its materialist understanding. We have answered the questions: why the so-called ‘Hegelian method’ should be distinguished from dialectics; and where we should find the roots of Friedrich Engels noted contradiction between the dialectical method and Hegel’s philosophical system. We have also revealed key divergences between Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their understanding of dialectics. As a result, we come to the conclusion that the identity of logic, dialectics and theory of cognition – invoked by Vladimir Lenin and foundational to Ilyenkov’s “epistemological” version of Marxism – avoids deviating from Marx’s ‘practical materialism’ when interpreted as an identity within the sociohistorical subject, understood as ‘individuals producing in society’ (Marx). Therefore, this Lenin’s proposition aligns with Marx’s doctrine if only supplemented by socio-historical anthropology. Keywords: dialectics; materialism; classical Marxism; Soviet Marxism; Evald Ilyenkov; Georg W.F. Hegel; Ludwig Feuerbach Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Representations of Philosophical Problems of Artificial Intelligence in Popular Culture Biricheva Ekaterina The future of high technologies seems to be constructed at the intersection of scientific progress, the agendas of various socio-political actors, and public consciousness perception. Undoubtedly, as a dominant global trend, artificial intelligence (AI) is extensively reflected in popular culture, which in turn shapes collective expectations and concerns about AI’s future development and implementation. While scholarly discourse has thoroughly examined the representation of AI, less attention has been paid to how philosophical questions concerning its advancement are portrayed. Meanwhile, it is this philosophical background that determines AI conceptualization, its status relative to humans, ethical implications, and the broader axiological dimensions of its use for good or harm. This study seeks to analyze the representations of the most fundamental philosophical inquiries concerning AI’s nature, its typology, modes of existence, cognitive particularities, and its role in the “Human – World” relationship as depicted in widely consumed visual media, including films, video games, memes, anime, manga. Methodologically, the research systematizes the presentation of philosophical challenges in AI development and their human interpretation by examining a diverse corpus of contemporary popular culture. Through hermeneutic analysis, we classify and compare AI archetypes, scrutinize their onto-epistemological foundations, propose evaluate criteria for AI characters’ “humanity”, and discuss their cognitive capacities. Given the urgency of sociotechnical and ethical concerns tied to AI’s rapid evolution, this study concludes that addressing these issues meaningfully requires grounding them in AI’s fundamental philosophical and onto-epistemological dimensions. A rigorous understanding of these aspects informs the ethical, legal and social status of AI, thereby establishing a normative framework for regulating human interaction with intelligent systems – contingent on their design, operational autonomy, functional scope, and degree of “humanity”. Keywords: artificial intelligence; ontology of artificial intelligence; image of artificial intelligence; concept of artificial intelligence; development and implementation of artificial intelligence; robot; android; digitalization of consciousness; popular culture; public consciousness Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Akim Volynsky and Vladimir Solovyov: A Conflict of Idealisms in Russian Thought Matveychev Oleg The study analyzes the public polemic between two prominent figures of the Russian religious-philosophical renaissance – Vladimir Solovyov and Akim Volynsky – a conflict that, despite its limited treatment in Russian philosophical historiography, exerted significant influence on the fundamentals of Russian humanistic thought. The article examines the reasons that prompted their continuous debate, which stemmed from both subjective animosity and objective disagreements on key issues including the revival of philosophical idealism, the Jewish question and the moral implications of war. Volynsky sharply criticized Solovyov’s mysticism and philosophical inconsistencies. He contested Solovyov’s characterization of “extreme materialism” as an intrinsic feature of Jewish mentality (countering that it was, in fact, marked by “extreme idealism”), as well as his assertions regarding the progressive and moral nature of wars and the inevitable expansion of state influence in society. Furthermore, Volynsky dismissed Solovyov’s idealism as disingenuous, denouncing him as bourgeois, and little more than a mediocre publicist. Through an assessment of both thinkers’ arguments, the author demonstrates the imbalance in Volynsky’s critique, attributing its unfairness to his superficial engagement with Solovyov’s philosophy – and with German classical idealism more broadly – as well as his reliance on a reductive, Platonic interpretative framework. The study concludes that Volynsky’s polemical stance was ultimately undermined by these methodological limitations. Keywords: history of philosophy; Russian philosophy; Russian religious and philosophical renaissance; Silver Age of Russian culture; idealism; materialism; Vladimir Solovyov; Akim Volynsky Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Human Rights in the Context of Civilizational Diversity: Societal Origins of the Crisis Pankevich Natalia The article examinees contemporary challenges facing the human rights system, demonstrating that the ongoing crisis has led to the instrumentalization of human rights within geopolitical confrontations, and has generated tensions between their normative framework and other fundamental principles of the global order, including state sovereignty. The result is the increasing de-universalization of the human rights system. Furthermore, the most profound conflict exists at the civilizational level, where fundamentally different anthropological and socio-political premises for the formation of political entities collide – even the very conception of the state becomes a contested variable. The study analyzes the civilizational dimension of the human rights conflict through the lens of three paradigmatic models: the Anglo-American model where rights are perceived as individual negative liberties constraining governmental power; the Continental-European model, with rights framed within social solidarity and an encompassing state unity; and the Chinese model, which is a collectivist interpretation of rights with state dominance. These models exhibit profound differences in their axiological and anthropological foundations – rooted in distinct historical trajectories – and sustain divergent conceptions of the relationships between the individual, the collective, and the state. These disparities shape the substantive content, normative preferences, and enforcement mechanisms of human rights system. Thus, the crisis of human rights universalism unfolds not merely as an institutional incompatibility, but as a clash for underlying value systems. The prospects for a universal human rights framework in its current form are constrained by these civilizational differences, making a global substantive consensus unlikely. Keywords: human rights; universalism; civilizational model; state sovereignty; social solidarity; freedoms; international norms; national identity; cultural differences Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Stalin’s Ideological Turn of the 1930s Through the Eyes of Contemporaries: Nikolai Ustrialov & Vasily Shulgin Nikandrov Aleksey “Stalin’s turn” – or, more precisely, the political, cultural and ideological shift of the 1930s under Joseph Stalin – refers to a series of policy and ideological changes implemented by Soviet leadership, marking a transition from internationalism to statism, or state-centrism, and patriotism. A significant contribution to scholarship on this topic can be found in the works by Nikolai Ustryalov and his conception of National Bolshevism. This study demonstrates that statism and a national orientation in Soviet politics were central to Ustrialov’s political thought beginning in the 1920s. His National Bolshevik ideas became deeply embedded in Soviet political ideology from its early stages and effectively shaped the policies of the Soviet leadership. The author argues that Ustrialov not only influenced, but actively contributed to the formation of “Stalin’s turn”. In contrast, Vasily Shulgin’s journalistic writings present a sharply divergent perspective on the soviet state and its policies. The article critically examines Shulgin’s early-1920s works, which, despite certain alignments with Ustrialov’s assessments – particularly regarding the Bolsheviks as the inheritors of imperial Russia’s state traditions – ultimately reveal profound ideological incompatibility. This opposition is especially evident in Shulgin’s later writings, including his critiques of the Soviet Constitution of 1936. The study concludes that while both Nikolai Ustrialov and Vasily Shulgin sought to serve Russia, their interpretations of nationalism diverged fundamentally, leading to opposing political and intellectual trajectories. Keywords: USSR; “Stalin’s turn” of the 1930s; Marxism; internationalism; nationalism; National Bolshevism; Joseph Stalin; Nikolai Ustrialov; Vasily Shulgin Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Comfortable Urban Environment Programs in Russia: Prospects for Reducing Environmental Damage with the Development of Citizen Feedback IT Systems Makarov Andrey , Golubenko Olga Contemporary programs aimed at enhancing urban environment in Russia have seen substantial development, with significant budgetary allocations – including federal funds – directed toward these initiatives. Numerous projects have been implemented, accompanied by evolving regulatory frameworks and the adoption of legal norms. However, both in regulation and execution, insufficient attention has been given to ecosystem preservation, resulting into considerable environmental harm, and, in some cases, public opposition to urban improvement projects. This article examines challenges in two important domains – the maintenance of urban areas and the enhancement of large natural spaces, including urban forests and rivers. For major ecosystems, particularly forests, the prevailing emphasis on intensive redevelopment should shift toward a preserving-oriented approach, with ecological protection being the key priority. Weakening of recent regulatory necessitates a renewed discussion on legal guarantees for these ecosystems, which should permit construction only under exceptional circumstances. In addition to that, heightened protections against the pollution and clogging of urban water bodies to ensure the reasonable use of water resources must be enforced. Regarding urban area maintenance, the following regulatory improvements are proposed: 1) stricter standards for de-icing agents should be adopted with more environmentally friendly methods being favored, especially in parks and public squares; 2) excessive foliage removal degrades soil and harms trees; collection should be restricted only to roadsides, excluding natural zones; 3) the trend toward parterre lawns (a term imported from American and British discourses) has reduced biodiversity, harmed insects and birds, and simplified urban landscapes. Their use should be limited to select areas, with a broader emphasis on preserving urban meadows and floral diversity; 4) reducing non-essential pruning would alleviate ecological disruption. In general, to minimize environmental damage, broader institutional reforms are needed, e.g. addressing soft budget constraints, amplifying input of local community along with expert recommendations of environmentalists, and strengthening municipal democracy. Enhanced digital platforms for citizens’ feedback on environmental and urban improvement issues would play a pivotal role in advancing these goals. Keywords: comfortable urban environment; urban improvement; local democracy; ecology; ecosystems; urban forests; urban rivers; IT systems Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Meaning-Making in Law and Modern Legal Historiography Gorban Vladimir One of the fundamental challenges in delimiting the scope of philosophy – and especially the philosophy of law – lies in the constraints imposed by its own intellectual tradition and the potential for developing new conceptual frameworks for meaning-making. The future evolution of legal philosophy, as well as the broader theoretical foundations of legal knowledge, largely depends on the capacity to understand the dynamic nature of rationality and to critically analyze the alterity of diverse legal cultures. Claims to universality and rationality within the European tradition of legal philosophy deserve skepticism; while it may articulate its own presuppositions, it cannot serve as an absolute justificatory framework, nor can it assume the role of a demiurge. Categorical and logical frameworks vary significantly across different intellectual traditions, manifesting in historically and culturally specific modes of reasoning. In the domain of political and legal historiography, this function becomes instrumental in exposing conceptual fault lines – revealing and critically reassessing false, distorted and falsified trajectories of meaningmaking. Simultaneously, legal historiography serves as a vital tool for uncovering the historical and cultural dimensions embedded in varied semantic logic. Finally, non-semiotic approaches to language – given their intrinsic connection to semantic formation in law – emerge as methodologically promising for legal scholarship. Keywords: semantic analysis; the boundaries of the philosophy of law; the otherness of legal culture; the history of political and legal thought; legal historiography; philosophy of law; language and logic of legal meanings Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
The Historical School of Law: Reflection of Ideas in Russian Criminal Law (Part Three) Malikov Sergey , Chuchaev Aleksandr This article extends the study of the historical and comparative trend in Russian criminal law doctrine2, with two principal objectives: 1) to reintroduce the scholarly contributions of 19th century legal thinkers into scientific discourse, and 2) to elucidate the defining characteristics of the theoretical legacy left by several key figures in Russian diachronic comparative legal studies – including both scholars and judicial practitioners – alongside the historical-comparative methodologies they developed for analyzing legal sources. The study aims to trace the evolution of the historical-comparative approach within Russian criminal law theory, highlighting the significance of the 19th century compilations of legislative acts, legal customs and judicial practice, as fundamental elements of diachronic comparative legal research. The article provides concise biographical sketches and examines the criminal law perspectives of prominent comparative scholars like A.N. Popov, N.D. Ivanishev, N.I. Lange, Ya.I. Barshev, A.M. Bogdanovsky, V.A. Linovsky, E.S. Tobin and N.V. Kalachov. Their work is distinguished by its reliance on original Russian and foreign legal documents and legal sources. Our key findings include: 1) The 19th century saw the historical-comparative study of Russian criminal law develop along two trajectories: a) the systematic examination and classification by lineage and content; b) the compilation, publication and scholarly refinement of legal source material – i.e. statutes, customs, and judicial precedents – as a normative framework for diachronic comparison. 2) Alexander N. Popov pioneered the systematic classification of Russkaya Pravda (lit. Rus’ Truth) provisions based on their subject matter, demonstrating the connection between its penal norms and the pre-existing system of monetary sanctions. 3) Nikolai D. Ivanishev was the first in Russian criminal law scholarship to trace the roots of the Slavic tradition in diachronic comparative studies revealing the essence of Slavic legal thought; 4) Nikolai I. Lange’s works reflect the general conceptual provisions of the Savigny school with the historical-comparative jurisprudence of Russian criminal law. His analyses advance substantive debates on the origins and nature of the Russkaya Pravda, while also introducing the concept of a person subject to law, particularly the victim of offences against honor and dignity. 5) Yakov I. Barshev addressed criminal law issues only once at the ceremonial meeting of Moscow University, yet his speech included a cogent argument for employing the historical-comparative method in criminal legal scholarship. 6) Alexander M. Bogdanovsky conceptualized punishment as both physical suffering and moral deprivation, framing it as a necessary and rational consequence of crime – a form of retributive justice aimed at upholding legal and ethical order; 7) Vladimir A. Linovsky underscored the indigenous origins of the Sobornoye Ulozheniye (lit. Council Code of 1649), which became the cornerstone of the 17th century Russian legislation. 8) Ewald S. Tobin proposed an initiative periodization of criminal legislation, while Nikolai V. Kalachov developed a comprehensive methodology for a juridical sources analysis, establishing principles for textual and grammatical interpretation of criminal statutes. Keywords: historical school of law; historical school of Russian criminal law; historicalcomparative approach; Alexander N. Popov; Nikolai D. Ivanishev; Nikolai I. Lange; Yakov I. Barshev; Alexander M. Bogdanovsky; Vladimir A. Linovsky; Ewald S. Tobin; Nikolai V. Kalachov; scholarly legacy; contemporary diachronic comparative studies Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Traditional Values and Morality in International Law: An Analysis of Political and International Judicial Practice Balakaev Viktor In contemporary international law, states’ efforts to protect historically rooted societal values – often termed “traditional values” – are understandable, representing a response to the increasing universalization of legal standards. While some states perceive these trends as a threat to national interests and hybrid security, justifiable or not, they continue to employ diverse mechanisms to protect their interests, traditional values, and national identity – sometimes at the expense of fulfilling international obligations. A notable manifestation of this tension is a state’s refusal to implement an international court decision that conflicts with its national constitution. Since these mechanisms operate within a dialogical international legal framework, international bodies respond to their use – sometimes more sharply, sometimes more cautiously. To maintain their roles as active participants in global governance, states must refine their approaches to reconciling national imperatives with international legal commitments, avoiding direct confrontation. This study examines how international bodies react when states introduce “traditional values” – as well as societal morality and ethics – within international legal discourse. The analysis traces these reactions on both political and jurisdictional levels. At the political level, it explores the evolution of the concept of traditional values in the UN Human Rights Council debates and legal response to treaty reservations grounded in such values. At the jurisdictional level, it analyzes how the concept of traditional values appears in practice, particularly in international proceedings. This research examines three cases considered by UN human rights treaty bodies where parties invoked value-based arguments. Findings indicate that such arguments currently lack substantive influence on outcomes, not due to inherent weakness, but because of inconsistent methodological framing by states. The author identifies specific reasons for the skepticism of political and quasi-judicial international bodies towards these claims. Ultimately, this research offers insights for refining the invocation of traditional values and moral arguments in international legal practice, thereby strengthening the protection of national interests. Keywords: human rights; international human rights law; Human Rights Council; Human Rights Committee; Committee on the Rights of the Child; reasoning and argumentation; reasoning in international court; traditional values; morality and ethics Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
Human Rights as a Politico-Ideological Construct versus Scientific Theory: Historiographical Dimensions Vasilev Anton , Pechatnova Yulia The article presents a critical analysis of the status of human rights as a self-sufficient scientific theory. Given that human rights primarily constitute a political and ideological construct emerging from a specific European historical context, the question arises as to whether rational scientific foundations underpin the broader framework of human rights ideas. The study addresses the historiographical challenge of constructing reliable and verifiable politico-legal knowledge by examining a complex of factors behind the conception, evolutionary development, and semantic content of human rights discourse. The authors provide extensive arguments highlighting the theoretical and methodological vulnerabilities in applying this framework. Key critiques include the tension between civilizational pluralism, and the clash of universal versus local values, leading to sociocultural barriers in adopting the Eurocentric human rights model; the misuse of human rights as a tool for political pressure; the bourgeois undertones of the concept, primarily tied to the defense of private property. Despite these criticisms, the authors acknowledge the positive contributions of human rights theory in fostering the humanization of European political and legal thought, and its enduring practical relevance. However, they emphasize the need for its reconceptualization through a civilizational lens. The article pays particular attention to the distinctiveness of the Russian human rights tradition, rooted in the principles of solidarity, collective rights protection, national-cultural dialogue, and the balance between rights and duties, - contrasting with Western economized legal paradigms. The conclusion underscores the necessity of advancing human rights discourse in alignment with of socio-cultural diversity and unique civilizational experiences. Keywords: human rights; ideologization of law; civilizational approach; historiography; philosophy of law Download article TPL_IPL_ARTICLE_PDF
