Issue #1, 2014
PROBLEMS OF ECOLOGY, EDUCATION, ECOLOGICAL CULTURE, EARTH SCIENCES
Environmental Impasse and Theorization of Education
The paper puts the main emphasis on the environmental (ecological) reflection and its criterion. Reflexive self-organization in the environmental assessment process, or significant event of the phenomenon is seen as a necessary condition for the adequacy of followup from an environmental point of view. But it does not guarantee reliability in the exclusion of incorrect solutions for the environment. As a reliable foundation the introduction of higher ontological criteria and inclusion of the principle of adequate human universe is considered. Therefore, the development of educational projects and programs should take into account the individual\\\'s ability to self-reflective in accordance with the requirements of ontological criteria in all typical situations making important decisions.
Contemporary problems are fragmented by public policies, academic formats, mass-media headlines and market-place interests; unsustainable paradigms of growth, power, wealth, work and freedom are embedded into the cultural, social, political and economic institutions. An ecosystemic approach is posited along the four dimensions of being in the world (intimate, interactive, social and biophysical) to define and deal with the problems of difficult settlement or solution in our times, encompassing culture, education, politics, economics, ethics, environment and the quality of life.
How to Measure the Path to a Dignified Life and an Unencumbered Human Development
Today we are faced with a huge number of international indicators and indices in the humanities, but they are scattered and do not indicate the main factor — is there the conditions for dignified life and free development of a person. The authors have developed an integrative composite index of conditions of dignified life and free development on the example of the Russia and several other countries.
Ecological Deontology and Issues of Implementation Ideas of the Environmental Ethic
This article shows the moral basis of ecological deontology. Author illustrates that the main task of ecological deontology is: study of prerequisites, problems of formation the ecological duty and responsibility under the influence of environmental knowledge and ethical ideas. In general, ecological deontology is represented like one of ways of solving current global problems.
Ecological Anthropology: at the Junction of the Sciences (on Current Directions of Development)
The article suggests the author\'s view on the future development of modern anthropology. An attempt was made to reflect on the role of environmental, interspecific, social, human information interactions with the environment. Uncovered four cases of such interactions: in evolutionary historical development; the psychological interaction of human and natural objects; socio-environmental interaction in education; information and environmental online communication.
Ecological Culture in the Information Society: New Challenges of Education
The article analyzes the problem of cultural adaptation of «information flows» in relation to the educational sphere to solve the problems of formation of ecological culture of personality in the modern information society.
Virtual World of Nature and Environmental Ethics to the Living Entities
In the context of the research of the development of the ecological culture of personality in the conditions of information society the positive and negative aspects of sinking children into the virtual peace of nature; the influence of informatization on the process of interiorization by the growing up generations of the values of the ecological ethics are examined.
MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Health of Contemporary Person: Ecological Aspects
In the article highlights the problems of significance of the ecological factors in formation of health of contemporary person. Theoretical results are justified by empirical researches data.
HUMANITARIAN SCIENCES
Design-projection in Civilizational Dynamics: Methodological Aspects
The Paper substantiates the role of reflective culture of development tools and techniques in the design methodology of the design projection. Designer becomes a participant of civilizational dynamics, including in one or the other type of reflexive self-organization, using certain tools, techniques, painting and ontological value systems. On this background, environmental settings are implemented and installed, and design projects are generated, being adequate to nature, society, socio-natural systems.
Transition to Sustainable Development: Cultural Grounds
The article reveals the meaning of culture and its function in the historical process, special attention is given to «the programming function of culture» in the transition of modern society towards sustainable development. In this context, we look at settings of UNESCO on education reforms.
Information and Psychological War in the Context of Reflexive
Nature and characteristics of information-psychological war as a type of war are analyzed in the paper. Preconditions formation of this type of war, confrontation and success factors for winning the war, the specific means to methods of warfare are concidered. The content of the ideal object is revealed in the framework of the system and the metasystem approaches using basic tools and methodology and paradigm of civilizational management. As the material for analysis events in Ukraine are used.
J. von Uexküll\'s Concept of Umwelt and the Prospects of the Ecological Thought
The concept of Umwelt coined in science by Jakob von Uexkуll in under consideration in the article. A certain worldview can be developed on the basis of this concept which is of great significance for the development of the modern ecological universalism and for the elaboration of strategic imperatives of ecological thinking. The research is at the crossroad of four scientific fields: biosemiotics, the theory of complex systems, cognitive science and the theory of ecological thought. The concept of Umwelt as a specific environment to which any biological species or its separate individual is adapted and which is constructed by it, introduced by von Uexküll in 1909, has stimulated an intensive development of biosemiotics in the 20th century. In the modern theory of complex systems, there exist several important notions, such as openness and nonlinear bounds of a system with its environment as well as the notion of autopoiesis (H. Maturana and F. Varela) which has a powerful methodological capacity. In the modern cognitive science, the conception of enactivism (F. Varela and E. Thompson) is under rapid development now. Enactivism signifies building of a cognitive actor into a medium mastered and constructed by it. And in the theory of ecological thought, rules of soft management and of dialogue of a human with nature seem to be the most adequate ones nowadays. The study of the mutual intersection of these disciplinary fields allows us to elaborate a real interdisciplinary platform for demonstration of significance of the concept of Umwelt for the development of the theory of ecology, for the holding a reasonable position in discussions about sustainable development and sustainable futures as well as about the role of education for sustainable development of the world.
Native Language is the Basis of the Moral Code of the Nation
The article considers the fundamental ideas of Russian teachers and thinkers as for importance of the native language in the intellectual, moral and spiritual development of a person; the article reveals richness of the language as a source of wisdom, age-old history and culture of the people.