Abstract

In modern philosophy acquires relevance a problem of confrontation of linguistic and visual practices of philosophical knowledge. Since Antiquity, ways of contemplation are formed as ways of recognition characterized as “ocularcentrism”. In the historical and philosophical prospective “sight” and “vision” are metaphors of thinking. They are considered as internal contemplation, and as a means of establishing human cognitive abilities. It is shown that technology and models of representation in Western culture of thinking are based on practices that appeal to “visualization”. The create a “videological matrix” and make certain common stratagems of visual discourse like metaphors, diagrams, representation, etc. The article emphasizes that “the ocular dictionary” of philosophy represents a wide range of options for visual metaphors that occupy an important place in a number of key philosophical concepts. On the one hand, there are metaphors that appeal to visual perception, visual experience. But on the other hand there is a traditional interpretation of philosophical activity through the prism of visual metaphors. These includes a metaphor of vision, metaphor of light, metaphor of mirror and others. The author highlights a metaphor of vision as a key metaphor of philosophical activity, in which the philosopher is a spectator, contemplating the truth, just as the spectator of a play, sport event or religious mysteries. In antiquity this kind of contemplation was a specific activity, called “theory”. Contemporary studies show that a term “theory” can establish an association between theory as specific activity in social life and a theory as a specific activity of a philosopher. Philosophical theory is an act of “contemplation”, as evidenced by the writings of Plato and Aristotle. “Theory” was also associated with a certain contemplative work, public instruction, pilgrimage. The “theory” was the action, which took place in three steps: leaving home, contemplation, returning home. A contemplation was in the center of theory as an activity. Consequently, the philosophical theory, the article says, is born with cultural practices, the origins of which are located primarily in the social life of ancient Greek. Thus, contemplation as a “theory” is understood as the process of getting information about images, ideas which is transformed into something new in the processes if intellectual activity. Consequently, the visibility immanently contained in the philosophy and describes the philosophical activity, as a way of philosophical research and is associated with philosophical thinking. Activity of a philosopher in the contest of contemplation is essentially a “metaphor of vision”, which acts as a certain type of philosophical activity.