Seminars of the Eastern Philosophies Researchers Society, Ukraine

"Ukrainians are dying for European values." In 2022 this is a headline in all news media:  For Russia and its allied countries it is good news, because they want to destroy the European values by bombing Ukraine. In the European Union and its friends, it is a call to support Ukraine to safeguard the values of cooperation, integrity and sovereignty. The related practical challenges are global food supply and national self-sufficiency, energy resilience and shift to renewable resources, security and defense of the critical infrastructure. The strength of Europe are scientists, researchers and developers which endeavor to make the prevailing technological approach complete by adding the knowledge of wholeness, which alone can overcome the hazards of fragmented knowledge. Seeing the diversity of the world from a holistic perspective and thereby promoting cooperation, integration, and sovereignty is traditionally called Eastern philosophy and the true aim of Oriental study. The treasures of the East are the remnants of ancient cultures, which still preserve time tested, complete knowledge of life, the world is in need of. (B. Zeiger, Editor, 8. June 2022)

In 2006 the Eastern Philosophies Researchers Society has been founded by Yuriy Zavhorodniy at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine(NASU) in the Sector of History of Eastern Philosophy(research interests: Indian philosophy , reception of Indian philosophy in Ukraine and the world, and the traditional culture) together with Sergii Kapranov,(PhD in Philosophy, research interests: religion and philosophy of Japan and China ) and supported by Anastasia Strelkova (Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, research interests: Buddhist philosophy, philosophy of Zen and culture of Japan). and Oleg Yarosh,( PhD in Philosophy, Head of the Sector of History of Eastern Philosophy, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy): Further permanent members of the Society are Oleksandr Kikhno,( PhD in Philosophy). Kateryna Malakhova (PhD in Philosophy).Anna Ilyina (PhD in Fine Arts)).

The seminar sessions held by the Eastern Philosophies Researchers Society take place in the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine at the last Thursday every month (except July, August and December) . All the seminars topics since 2006 are available at an Achieve website .http://www.tdsf.kiev.ua/en/seminar_list.php.

In November 2018 the seminar received the award at the All-Ukrainian contest of philosophical startups for "development of a fundamentally new  branch of philosophical studies in Ukraine". The Organizers of the contest are H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Philosophical Foundation, the Academy of Public Administration of Ukraine and the N.V. Panina Sociological Center.

Summing up the results of activity of the seminar it is to be noted that most attention was given to buddhological topics. Second place by number of sessions occupies Indian philosophy (the sessions dedicated to this tradition focused on such topics as the origins of Indian philosophy, history of studies and philosophically significant problematics of Rigveda and Upanishad, philosophy of bhakti, spiritual tradition of Veerashaiva). 

Selection from the list of scientific reports

General theoretical

  1. «What (and How) is Understood by the Eastern Philosophies» (session ІІ, May 23, 2006) – discussion.

  2. «The Vocabulary of Concepts and Terms of the Eastern Philosophies: the Problems of Translation and Understanding» (session ІІІ, June 27, 2006) – discussion.

  3. «Concerning the Question of Subject and Object in the East Asian Philosophy» (session XХIX, April 28, 2009) – speaker S.V. Kapranov, PhD in Philosophy, Senior Research Fellow, A.Yu. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of NASU.

  4. «Philosophy in the System of Traditional Eastern Thought» (session XLIІ, September 28, 2010) – speakers: О.А. Yarosh, A.Yu. Strelkova, S.V. Kapranov, Yu.Yu. Zavhorodniy.

Indian philosophy:

  1. «The Isha Upanishad in the Context of Historico-Philosophical Research» (session VІІ, February 2, 2007) – speaker O. Romanenko, 2nd year student of the National University of «Kyiv-Mohyla Academy».

  2. «Philosophically Significant Ideas in the Isha Upanishad» (session XIX (additional), March 11, 2008) – speaker Oleksandr Romanenko, student of M.A. program in Philosophy, National University of «Kyiv-Mohyla Academy».

  3. «What Is to Be Understood by the Indian Philosophy? Reflections about the Starting Point» (session XХVІІІ, March 31, 2009) – speaker Yu. Zavhorodniy, PhD in Philosophy, post-doctoral degree candidate, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  4. «Bhakti: Origins, Typology, Philosophy» (session XХX, May 26, 2009) – speaker Ya.R. Dzhoy, independent researcher.

  5. «Problems of Actuality of Classical Indian Philosophy in the Present» (session XХXVІ, January 26, 2010) – speaker: Ya.V. Lubyvyy, Doctor in Philosophy, Principal Research Fellow, Department of History of Foreign Philosophy of the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  6. «Katha Upanishad Translated by Pavlo Ritter (1933): Katha Upanishad among Upanishads, Motivation of Choice of the Text and Specifics of Translation» (session XLVІ, February 22, 2011) – speaker Yu.Yu. Zavhorodniy, PhD in Philosophy, post-doctoral degree candidate, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  7. «References to the Upaniṣads in Ukraine: 1840–1910s. Orest Novytsky (1806–1884), Oleksiy Kozlov (1831–1901), Volodymyr Lesevych (1837–1905), Oleksiy Gilyarov (1855–1938), Ivan Franko (1856–1916)» (session XХXVІІ, February 23, 2010) – speaker Yu. Zavhorodniy, PhD in Philosophy, post-doctoral degree candidate, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  8. «Indian Spiritual Tradition of Veerashaiva» (session LVII, March 27, 2012) – speaker Yu. Kravchenko, independent researcher.

  9. «Rigveda Hymn Х.129: the Specifics of Translation and Interpretation (D. Ovsyanyko-Kulykovskyy, O. Kozlov, L. Ukrainka, P. Ritter, M. Kalynovych)» (session LIX, May 29, 2012) – speaker: Yu. Zavhorodniy, PhD in Philosophy, Research Fellow, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

Discussion of conferences and other scientific events:

  1. «Discussion of the Results of the International Scientific Conference «The Fourth Torchinov Readings», «The Figure of Evgeny Torchinov (1956–2003) in the Oriental Studies» (session VІІІ, February 27, 2007) – discussion.

  2. «World Philosophy Congress (Delhi, December 2006)» (session XІІ, June 26, 2007) – speaker O. Gomilko, PhD in Philosophy, Senior Research Fellow of the Department of Philosophy of Culture, Ethics and Aesthetics of the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  3. «IV International Scientific Conference "Tsyrendorzhiev Readings – 2008. Tibetan Civilization And Nomadic Peoples of Eurasia: Cross-Cultural Contacts". Kyiv, 26-27th of September 2008, ІІ International Scientific Conference "Mystic and Esoteric Movements in Theory and Practice.(History. Psychology. Philosophy)". Saint Petersburg, 23–24th of October 2008» (session XXІV, November 11, 2008) – discussion.

  4. «About the Results of Work of the First Year of Summer School in Islamic Studies supported by HESP ReSET"» (session LІ, September 27, 2011) – speaker Oleg Yarosh, PhD in Philosophy, Head of the Sector of History of Eastern Philosophy of the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  5. «About Research Training at the Institute of India and Central Asia of Leipzig University, 17.10–15.12.2011 (Leipzig University) and about Participation in the Global Buddhist Congregation, 27–30.11.2011 (Delhi)» (session LV, January 31, 2012) – speaker Yu. Zavhorodniy, PhD in Philosophy, Research Fellow, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

Other:

  1. «Elements of Shamanic Beliefs of the Peoples of the South of Ukraine» (session VІІ, February 2, 2007) – speaker A. Shabashov, PhD in History, professor of the Department of Archaeology and Ethnography, Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University.

  2. «Problems of Teaching the Philosophies of East in Ukraine (round table)» (session X, April 24, 2007).

  3. «Two "Eternities" of Ancient Egyptians» (session XІ, May 29, 2007) – speaker M. Tarasenko, PhD in History, Research Fellow A.Yu. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of NASU.

  4. «Globalization of Gandhism (based on the Materials of Conference, India, 13-19.11.2007)» (session XVIІІ, February 26, 2008) – speaker О. Bordilovska, PhD in History, post-doctoral degree candidate, Institute of International Relations Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

  5. Session dedicated to the 130th Anniversary of Birth of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (1877–1947) – Eminent Historian of Art, Buddhologist, Researcher of Indian Thought (session XX, ХXІІ, March 25, 2008 and July 1, 2008) – discussion.

  6. «Cases of Thinking: Piatigorsky and Heidegger» (session XXІІІ, September 30, 2008) – speaker Dmitriy Metilka, independent researcher (Zaporizhia).

  7. «Sri Aurobindo Ghosh and Teilhard de Chardin: Comparison of Two Paradigms of Evolutionary Process» (session XLVIІ, March 29, 2011) – speaker O.V. Kikhno, PhD in Philosophy, Senior Research Fellow, H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.

  8. «Nishida Kitarō (1870–1945): East-Asian and European Culture in the Formation of Personality of Philosopher» (session LVI, February 28, 2012) – speaker S. Kapranov, PhD in Philosophy, Senior Research Fellow of the A.Yu. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of NASU, Research Fellow of the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of NASU.