This article explores Edgar Morin's contribution to our understanding of the nature of being human and its implications for our understanding of, and approach to, the future. The notions of being, self, and community are addressed in terms of a planetary "community of destiny," and the processes of natural and social evolution.

The article is devoted to the study of the philosophy of the common cause of N.F. Fedorov (1829–1903). The ideas related to the active-historical function of humanity in the world ontology are the subject of analytical attention. The method of meaningful analysis re­veals the main intentions of cosmosophy, aimed at the implementation of the project for the comprehensive regulation of nature and for the ontological transformation of the world. A semantic disclosure of a number of systemic categories of the (...) philosophy of cosmism is proposed and the fundamental concept of unrelatedness is explicated. It is noted that projectivism that draws a sharp line between cosmosophy and contemplative cosmic views is a carrier methodological principle of the cosmosophical paradigm. Fe­dorov’s teaching is characterized as an axiological system of supramoralism, aimed at changing the spontaneous natural order, transforming the empirical being. Based on this, it is concluded that Fedorov’s teaching can be defined as a cultural-evolutionary deonto­logy, postulating the need for a conscious stage of the global evolutionary process. It is noted that the axiomatics of the philosophy of cosmism is based on the traditions of the Orthodox creed. At the same time, it is the projective attitude to the world that makes it possible to realize the historical potential of Christianity as a “living religion” that synthesizes science, art and creed. Supramoralism proposes a project of creative eschato­logy, opposed to the passive expectation of a history catastrophic break. Cosmosophy af­firms the imperative of a real apocatastasis, requiring the physical resurrection of all gen­erations of dead people. It is concluded that the target historiosophical vector of cosmism determines the transition of an adult society into a god-like state. (shrink)

The need to find clarity concerning (1) the relationship between scientific and religious cosmological discourses and (2) the imagining of a space where various religions could meet in fruitful conciliation as far as (1) is concerned, formed the basis of the article. The aim of the article was to investigate the relevance of Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga (5th CE, Pali compendium of Theravāda Buddhism) with regard to the above problems. The methodology employed involved clarifying the historical context of the Visuddhimagga ; understanding (...) the subjective intentions of Buddhaghosa and extrapolating non-emphasised but promising underlying tendencies in his magnum opus, conducive to a perspective of ultimate, universal peace as far as Cosmos, all of humanity and its various religious discourses are concerned. The reading of the Visuddhimagga revealed a mythology of many deities, tolerated but demoted to a status lower than that of enlightened humans; the denial of a Creator God; no notion of an analogia entis between humans and a living Cosmos, nor any tendency towards pantheism and a commitment to the ideal of universal happiness for all beings. The main conclusion was that Theravāda Buddhism (and, to a lesser extent, Christian theology) could be extended towards the notion of a living, evolving Cosmos, appearing from and disappearing into non-substantial silence. It is not claimed that Buddhaghosa succeeded in achieving a great cosmology. It remains an unrealised possibility, latently possible as an extension of Theravāda. Contribution: The contribution of the article is that it uncovers deeply hidden lines in Buddhism (and Christianity) that are emerging and converging. ‘Theo-logy’, re-interpreted as mystical ‘cosmo-sophy’, would not amount to a cynical debunking or irresponsible annexation of Buddhaghosa for utterly unthinkable ends, but as a topic worthy of investigation. The article is part of work in progress. (shrink)