Publication Details

Abstract

Methodological problems of the analysis of non-positi.vistic trends in non-Marxian philosophy require a more exact determination of the conception of irrationalism which uses to be applied in an inadequate way, as for instance for every recognition of irrational components in human life. The author characterizes irrationalism as a tendency in modern philosophy which considers reality as something outside human consciousness, reality as a phenomenous part of the existence, as a genuine, qualitatively differentiated, integral and mobile reality from the cognizance of which we are deviated and lead far off by rational cognizance, while an immediate cognizance (instinct, intuition, feeling) allows us to comprehend this genuine existence. In this type of philosophy lie concealed some real philosophical problems, the problem of reality, new problems of cognizance, and the problem of practice. Hence we cannot evaluate this philosophy only by asking whether it pronounces itself for or against reason, neither can we evaluate it by asking to what extent it comes nearer to Marxian solution or whether it deviates from Marxian solution. A decisive criterion is the analysis of what did actually happen to this philosophy in tre course of the history of thought. It can be revealed from the analysis of Czech irrationalistic philosophy (Vorovka, Hoppe), and from the philosophy of the Masaryk school (Masaryk, Rádi, Hromádka) that these trends were actually contributing to the origin of philosophical culture In our country. It is not enough to deny this tradition; it must be objectively evaluated (besides others also the philosophy and sociology of T. G. Masaryk), and overcome it, Non-positivistic philosophy in our country cannot be considered as a foreign, non-Czech philosophy. Non-positivistic (and, for that matter, irrationalistic) philosophy cannot be evaluated without differentiation as a degrading line of non-Marxian philosophy since it obtains different meanings, and also because this philosophical trends, too, keep concealed and are preparing certain possibilities for transition to Marxism, particularly for their being concerned with problems of metaphysics, dialectics, man, culture, history and praxis.