Exercises:

I. Comprehension Questions.

1. What is ontology as a branch of philosophy concerned with?

2. What is the subject matter of epistemology?

3. What is the significant peculiarity of the understanding of being?

4. What is the main theme of ontology nowadays?

II. Word Study.

1. Find synonyms in the text to the following words:

basic	being
consequently	from... to
now	textbook
the arts	theory of knowledge
to be concentrated	to be connected with
to let

2. Match the term to the definition:

a. ontology	the central or most important quality of a thing, the real or inner nature of a thing, by which it can be recognized or put into a class
b. epistemology	the act of experience of knowing including consciousness of things and judgement about them
c. essence	the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence
d. cognition	the branch of philosophy inquiring into the essence, principles and forms of cognition
e. the Humanities	studies such as ancient and contemporary literature, history, etc.

3. Learn the pronunciation and remember the following words:

being /ˈbi:ɪŋ/, n	cognition /kɒgˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, n
criterion (pl -a) /kraɪˈtɪərɪən/, n	daily routine /ˈdeɪlɪruˈti:n/, phr
dawn /dɔ:n/, n	epistemology /ɪˌpɪstɪˈmɒləʤɪ/, n
essence /ˈes(ə)ns/, n	intelligible /ɪnˈtelɪʤɪb(ə)l/, a
interpretation /ɪˌntə:prɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n/, n	manual /ˈmænjʊəl/, a
meaning /ˈmi:nɪŋ/, n	ontology /ɒnˈtɒləʤɪ/, n
permanent /ˈpə:mənənt/, a	the Humanities /hju: ˈmænɪtɪz/, n
thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/, n	to be engaged in /ɪnˈgeɪʤd/, n
to comprehend /ˌkɒmprɪˈhend/, vt	worthy of note /ˈwə:ðɪ/, a

III. Questions for Discussion:

a. Why do you think Ontology and Theory of Knowledge are included in the subjects of all departments of the Faculty (except the Department of Conflict Management)?

b. Why in your opinion has the emphasis in the comprehension of being and other philosophical categories been shifted onto the “life world” of man?

Department of Logic

The history of the present Department of Logic dates back to August 1944. Professor S. I. Povarnin was the first to be invited to teach logic. Before 1947, instruction in logic at the Faculty was given by the teaching staff of the “Section of Logic” comprised by the representatives of the Department of History of Philosophy and the Department of Dialectical and Historical Materialism. In 1947 the Department started functioning as a regular establishment. Such eminent scholars as Professors P. N. Pipunyurov, A. V. Savinov, A. I. Popov, I. Y. Chupakhin, A. M. Plotnikov, I. N. Brodsky, and O. F. Serebryannikov taught at the Department of Logic.

Since 1962 the Department has provided in-depth training of undergraduates in logic and cybernetics. Between 1965 and 1995 more than 200 students graduated from this Department.

In 1990 the Department began to hold regular scientific conferences “Modern Logic: Problems of Theory, History and Application in Science” with both Russian and foreign scholars participating. Materials of these conferences are published and also presented on the Internet (http://www.logics.spb.ru). Members of the highly qualified teaching staff carry out a considerable amount of research work, and take part in publishing the international electronic journal “Argumentation. Interpretation. Rhetoric” (http://www.argumentation.ru). They also give systematic and scholarly instruction and direct research groups under the guidance of Head of Department, Associated Professor A. I. Migunov.

Basic and optional courses offered at the Department include “Logic”, “Introduction into Cybernetics”, “Introduction into Constructive Logic”, “Introduction into Symbolic Logic”, “Temporal Logic”, “History of Logic”, “Aristotelian Logic”, “Logic and Phenomenology”, “Logical Semantics”, “Mathematical Logic”, “Basics of Rhetoric and Theory of Argumentation”, “Scholastic Logic”, “Theory of Natural Deduction”, “Theory of Logical Deduction”.

Among the publications of the teaching staff one ought to mention the works of I. N. Brodsky (Elementary Introduction into Mathematical Logic, 1964; Issues of Dialectics and Logic, 1964; Negativity of Proposition, 1973), O. F. Serebryannikov (Heuristic Principles and Logical Calculations, 1970; Issues of Dialectics and Logic, 1971), A. V. Savinov (Logical Laws of Thinking, 1958; Issues of Logic, 1959; Issues of Logic, 1960), I. Y. Chupakin (Issues of the Theory of Notion, 1961; Methodological Issues of the Theory of Notion, 1973). Recent publications include “Basics of the Logical Knowledge” (V. I. Kobzar, 1999), “Collection of Problems and Exercises in Logic” (L. G. Tonoyan, 1999), “Logical-Philosophical Studies” (L. G. Tonoyan, 2000), “Edmund Husserl and His “Cartesian Reflections” (Y. A. Slinin, 1998).