Department for Philosophy and Political Theory

Department Description

Philosophical research has always been – and still is – responsive to the problems of the society in which we live. The research activity of the members of the Philosophy and Political Theory Collective is also based on this premise. The researchers of this collective pay special attention to the philosophical conceptions and currents influential in current philosophy (such as Kantianism, utilitarianism, philosophical constructivism, Rawlsianism, democratic liberalism, egalitarianism, capableism, feminism, multiculturalism, realism, etc.) and aim to contribute to the delimitation of solutions to philosophical problems and, in general, to the progress of knowledge, both theoretical and practical. The philosophical questions that are the subject of research cover a wide range of topics, such as: the existential situation of contemporary man, private and public moral norms, social customs, general obligations versus obligations towards those close to him, political values, individual and collective action, reasonableness, knowledge, justification, rationality. One of the main interests that ensures cohesion of the individual contributions of the researchers of the Philosophy and Political Theory Collective is the investigation of the conditions for the achievement of good societies, which would ensure as much as possible and desirable the achievement of all fundamental individual and social values, in the context of the economic, political, cultural and social challenges currently specific to societies with liberal democratic traditions or/and aspirations.

The studies carried out within this group fall into three major areas of research: 1) moral-political philosophy – research on topics such as: the constitution of the subject as a moral person, the genesis and justification of moral obligations, theories of justice, democratic society, trends and methodologies in normative political theory; 2) continental philosophy, with analyses of concepts specific to the existentialist philosophical trend; 3) philosophy of science and epistemology, with an emphasis on the problem of truth, the scientific imaginary, the unity of science, inter- and transdisciplinarity.

ICES-1 PROGRAM: FUNDAMENTAL INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL VALUES

Program Objective: Investigating the content, foundations and limits of fundamental individual and social values ​​(such as justice, truth, freedom, democracy, community, solidarity, stability, utility or the rule of law) and the circumstances, level and prospects of their implementation in Romanian society.

Hypotheses/Premises: The investigation of fundamental individual and social values ​​is a priority task of the humanities (and, at the same time, of the social, political, legal or economic sciences). The correct and complete understanding of these values ​​is both a desirable goal in itself and an indispensable means for achieving other cardinally relevant goals, such as moral behavior, a praiseworthy, fulfilled and flourishing life, adequate social coexistence, etc. None of the fundamental projects of the contemporary world, such as the achievement of “good societies”, sustainable economic growth, sustainable development, the creation of “knowledge-based societies” and/or “information societies”, the consolidation of the European Union or the expansion and intensification of globalization, can be successfully completed without the appropriate interpretation and implementation of values ​​such as justice, equity, freedom, democracy, community, solidarity, stability, tolerance, utility, the rule of law, moral goodness, truth, knowledge, etc.

ICES-1 Research Projects

Periodic Publications

The group publishes, in an attempt to respond to the desiderata of the development of philosophical research and access to knowledge, two international journals available free of charge: Logos & Episteme – An International Journal of Epistemology and Symposion. Theoretical and Applied Inquiries in Philosophy and Social Sciences. Both journals are indexed in EBSCO, ERIH PLUS, PHILOSOPHY DOCUMENTATION CENTER or SCOPUS.

The journal Logos & Episteme publishes research focused on the problem of human knowledge, in all its forms, dimensions and practices. The articles, reviews and discussions published in Logos & Episteme present research in the field of general theory of knowledge, philosophy, methodology and ethics of science, philosophy of logic, metaphilosophy and epistemology. Other contributions can be subsumed under the disciplines: history of science, sociology of knowledge, cognitive psychology and science of knowledge. The journal Symposion publishes articles in the field of social philosophy and related disciplines, such as normative political theory, ethics, social epistemology, philosophy of culture, philosophy of technology, philosophy of economics, philosophy of education and philosophy of law.

The two journals are classified by CNCS, following the evaluation of scientific publications in 2020, in category A (Logos & Episteme), respectively B (Symposion), in the field of Philosophy.

Representative Publications

Books

• Vasile Pleșca, Democracy and its crises, Școala Ardeleană Publishing House, Cluj Napoca, 2021, 148 p. ISBN 978-606-797-787-5.
• Eugen Huzum, Cătălina-Daniela Răducu (ed.), In memoriam Teodor Dima, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2020, 232 p., ISBN 978-973-27-3259-5.
• Ionuț Bârliba, The road to oneself. Kierkegaard and Becoming within the Limits of the Stages of Existence, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University Publishing House of Iași, Iași, 2017, ISBN 978-606-714-365-2.
• Eugen Huzum, Ideal-nonideal. The Philosophy of a Distinction in the Theory of Justice, European Institute, Iași, 2016, 258 p. ISBN 978-606-24-0171-9 (Romanian Academy’s “Vasile Conta” Prize).
• Eugen Huzum, Outside Ethics? Political Philosophy and Moral Principles, European Institute, Iași, 2016, 203 p. ISBN 978-606-24-0170-2.
• Cătălina Daniela Răducu, The Social Construction of Gender, Pro Universitaria, Bucharest, 2016, 208 p. ISBN 978-606-26-0673-2.
• Cătălina Daniela Răducu, Existence and Knowledge. Bertrand Russell between idealism and realism, Lumen Publishing House, Iași, 2016, 264 p. ISBN 978-973-166-440-8.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, The Imaginary: The Construction and Deconstruction of the World, European Institute, Iași, 201 p. ISBN 978-606-24-0147-4.
• Ruxandra Ivan, Vasile Pleșca (coord.), To govern/to be governed. Hypostases of the relationship between state and citizen, PRO Universitaria, Bucharest, 2015, 296 p. ISBN 978-606-26-0343-4.
• Bogdan Olaru, Andrei Holman (coord), Contributions to moral psychology: evaluations of results and new empirical research, Pro Universitaria, Bucharest, 2015, pp. 11-24.
• Cătălina Daniela Răducu, Bogdan Ștefanachi (coord.), Human Security. Contemporary Challenges, Pro Universitaria, Bucharest, 2015, 294 p. ISBN 978-606-26-0340-3.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, The Year 1600: Censorship of the Scientific Imagination at the Beginning of Modernity, European Institute, Iași, 2015, 273 p. ISBN 978-606-24-0141-2 (The “Mircea Florian” Prize of the Romanian Academy).
• Eugen Huzum (coord.), Political Theories and Ideologies, European Institute, Iași, 2013, 230 p. ISBN 978-973-611-948-4.
• Edmund Husserl, Logical Investigations. vol. II, Part II. Research 6: Elements of a Phenomenological Clarification of Knowledge, trans.: Bogdan Olaru, Humanitas, Bucharest, 2013, 348 p.
• Susan Haack, Evidence and Research. A Pragmatic Reconstruction of Epistemology, trans.: Cătălina Daniela Răducu, Lumen Publishing House, Iași, 2012, 424 p.
• Eugen Huzum (ed.), Concepts and Social-Political Theories, European Institute, Iași, 2011, 300 p. ISBN 978-973-611-805-0.
• Vasile Pleșca, Liberalism and Democracy in Contemporary Debates, European Institute, Iași, 2011, 300 p. ISBN 978-973-611-789-3.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin (ed.), The Unity of Science Between Novelty and Tradition, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2011, 259 p. ISBN 978-973-27-2023-3.
• Edmund Husserl, Logical Investigations. vol. II, Part I.  Introduction and Research I, trans.: Bogdan Olaru, Humanitas, Bucharest, 2009, pp. 7-151.
• Bogdan Olaru (ed.), Autonomy, Responsibility, and Health Care: Critical Reflections, Zeta Books, Bucharest, 2008, X+230 p. ISBN 978-973-1997-16-2.
• Bogdan Olaru (ed.), Ethical Controversies in the Age of Biotechnology. Individual Autonomy and Social Responsibility, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University Publishing House of Iași, Iași, 2008, 274 p. ISBN 978-973-703-304-8.
• Edmund Husserl, Logical Researches. vol. I, Prolegomena to Pure Logic, trans.: Bogdan Olaru, Humanitas, Bucharest, 2007, 371 p.
• Bogdan Olaru, The Idea of ​​Rigorous Science. Husserlian Project for the Phenomenological Foundation of Sciences, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University Publishing House of Iași, Iași, 2004. ISBN: 973-703-034-6 (Romanian Academy’s “Constantin Rădulescu Motru” Prize).
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, De imitatione Dei. Cartesian Meditations: Restructuring the Universe from the Human Perspective. Hermeneutic Essay, Paideia, Bucharest, 2003, 174 p. ISBN: 973-596-196-2.

Studies and articles

• Mircea-Bogdan Olaru, “The concept of civic friendship in the philosophy of John Rawls”, Revista de Filosofie, LXVIII, 4, 2021, pp. 395-407, link: http://www.institutuldefilosofie.ro/page.php?123.
• Bogdan Olaru, “Moral equality and the objection to variation”, Annals of the University of Craiova. Philosophy Series, vol. 47, no. 1, 2021, pp. 125-146. https://cis01.central.ucv.ro/analele_universitatii/filosofie/2021/Anale47_1.pdf.
• Vasile Pleșca, “Romanian Liberal Democracy in the Times of the Pandemic”, Political Studies Forum, West University of Timișoara, no. 2, 2021, pp 87-94. https://pfc.uvt.ro/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Articol-Plesca.pdf.
• Dan Gabriel Simbotin, “The E-truth. Changes in the Perception of Truth under the Impact of Cyberspace”, BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, vol. 12, no. 2, 2021, pp. 247-253.https://brain.edusoft.ro/index.php/brain/article/view/1151/1319.
• Ionuț Bârliba, “Freedom, conformism and consumer society”, in Cristian Moisuc, Viorel Țuțui (coord.), Order and Freedom. From Metaphysics to Politics, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University Publishing House of Iași, Iași, 2020, pp. 31-55. ISBN 978-606-714-573-1.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, “Self-imagined Inertia and the Construction of Consciousness Cleavages”, BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, vol. 11, no. 1, suppl. 1, 2020, pp. 57-69.https://www.edusoft.ro/brain/index.php/brain/article/view/1004.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, “Migration: conceptual delimitation and archetypal images”, Philologica Jassyensia, vol. XVI, no. 2 (32), 2020, pp. 305-315.https://www.philologica-jassyensia.ro/upload/XVI_2_SIMBOTIN.pdf.
• Ionuț Bârliba, “Moral Vision, Outrage and the Contextual Understanding of Values”, Meta: Research in Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, and Practical Philosophy, vol. XI, no. 2, 2019, pp. 756-781.http://www.metajournal.org//articles_pdf/756-781-barliba-meta-2019-no2-rev1.pdf.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, “Self-awareness and EU Citizenship. The Complexity of Developing and Assimilating a Concept”, International Journal of Philosophy and Social Values, vol. 2, no. 1, 2019, pp. 31-41.https://revistas.ucp.pt/index.php/philosophyandsocialvalues/article/view/3181.
• Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin, “Migration and Personal Identity. A General Perspective Regarding the Impact of Emigration on European Security”, in Vihren Bouzov (coord.), International Security and Development Policies in Bulgaria and on the Balkans, IVIS Publishing House, Veliko Târnovo, 2019, pp. 58-66.
• Bogdan Olaru, “Bypassing Morality through Conventional and Unconventional Forms of Moral Enhancement”, in Emilian Mihailov, Tenzin Wangmo, Victoria Federiuc, Bernice Elger (coord.), Autonomy and Wellbeing in Bioethics: European Perspectives, De Gruyter Open, Berlin, 2018, pp. 11-22. ISBN 978-3-11-057120-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/9783110571219-003.
• Vasile Pleșca, “Iliberalism and antiliberalism in the contemporary political regime in Romania”, in Emanuel Copilaș (coord.), The resurgence of non-democratic ideologies in contemporary Romania: a volume dedicated to professor Michael Shafir on his 75th birthday, Tritonic Publishing House, Bucharest, 2018. ISBN 978-973-125-740-2.
• Ionuț Bârliba, “Religious authenticity in Kierkegaard’s and Nae Ionescu’s philosophy”, Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia, Issue 2, July 2017. https://www.publicacoesfacfil.pt/product.php?id_product=1016.
• Cătălina Daniela Răducu, “Objectification and Sexual Violence: Radical Feminism Revisited”, Ideo: Romanian Journal of Philosophical and Social Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 35-50. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=646962.
• Ionuț Bârliba, “Kierkegaard among Pseudonyms”, Annals of the University of Craiova. Series: Philosophy, vol. 38, no. 2, 2016, pp. 60-70. http://cis01.ucv.ro/analele_universitatii/filosofie/2016/Contents38_2.pdf.
• Bogdan Olaru, “Is a constructivism free from factual considerations possible? The controversy between John Rawls and G.A. Cohen regarding the status of the principles of justice”, Revista de Filosofie, vol. LXIII, no. 5, 2016, pp. 113-128, https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=752027.
• Ionuț Bârliba, “Søren Kierkegaard’s Repetition. Existence in Motion”, Symposion: Theoretical and Applied Inquiries in Philosophy and Social Sciences, Issue 1, July, 2014, pp. 23-49.http://symposion.acadiasi.ro/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014.1.1.barliba2.pdf.
• Eugen Huzum, “On the basis of the principle of fundamental human equality”, Transilvania, vol. 42, no. 3, 2013, pp. 1-7.
• Eugen Huzum, “God, the Constitution and the imperative of neutrality. A critical analysis of the idea of ​​revising the Constitution in a Christian sense”, in Sorin Bocancea (coord.), The Constitution of Romania. Essential Opinions for the Fundamental Law, European Institute, Iași, 2013.
• Bogdan Olaru, “Inequalities in access to health care. A comparison between Romania and the European Union”, Romanian Journal of Bioethics, vol. 11, no. 1, 201, pp. 111-122.
• Eugen Huzum, “What is egalitarianism”, Transilvania, vol. 41, no. 2, 2012, pp. 79-85.
• Eugen Huzum, “The Feasibility Problem in the Theory of Social Justice”, Sfera Politicii, vol. 171, no. 5, 2012, pp. 124-135.
• Eugen Huzum, “Justice and (the Limits of) Other Social Values: A Defense of the Primacy of Justice”, in Irina Frasin, Codrin Dinu Vasiliu (ed.), Limits of Knowledge Society, Institutul European, Iași, 2012, pp. 141-152.
• Vasile Pleșca, “Philosophies and Democracy. The Forgotten Discourse of Freedom”, Transilvania, vol. 41, no. 4, 2012, pp. 37-41.
• Eugen Huzum, “Can Luck Egalitarianism be Really Saved by Value Pluralism?”, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai-Philosophia, vol. 56, no. 2, 2011, pp. 41-52.
• Eugen Huzum, “Some obstacles to applying the principle of individual responsibility for illness in the rationing of medical services”, Romanian Journal of Bioethics, vol. 8, no. 2, 2010, pp. 104-113.
• Eugen Huzum, “Is solidarity the priority of justice? Some limits of a community critique of liberalism”, Sfera Politicii, vol. XVIII, no. 8, 2010, pp. 78-84.
• Bogdan Olaru, “Common Morality, Moral Dilemmas, and Hermeneutical Ability”, Romanian Journal of Bioethics, vol. 8, no. 2, 2010, pp. 124-133.
• Vasile Pleșca, “‘Kantians’ versus ‘Hegelians’” in the intellectual disputes of liberalism and liberal democracy”, Sfera Politicii, vol. XVIII, no. 8, 2010, pp 49-54.
• Bogdan Olaru, “The Stem Cell Debate in Romania”, in Jan C. Joerden, Thorsten Moos, Christa Wewetzer (eds.), Stem Cell Research in Europe. Religious, Ethical and Legal Problems, Peter Lang Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 2009 (Studien zur Ethik in Ostmitteleuropa, vol. 13), pp. 171-181.

Periodic Activities

The members of the collective organize annual colloquiums within the Iasi Academic Days (usually in October), participate in colloquiums or conferences organized by research and higher education institutions in the country or abroad. Researchers present the partial and final results of their activity within internal colloquiums and contribute to the activity of scientific associations and organizations (such as the “Romanian Committee for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology”).

The two colloquiums organized by the collective within the Iasi Academic Days are: Philosophical Interrogations and Reflections and Explorations and Interpretations of Politics. The first colloquium is open to contributions from all fields, branches and schools of philosophy, as well as communications from other humanities disciplines that propose ideas, questions, theories or arguments of philosophical relevance for dialogue and debate. Insofar as they intersect with philosophy, interdisciplinary approaches are also welcome. Among the topics addressed over the years are well-known themes of philosophy, such as truth, knowledge, logic, morality, existence, beauty, value and values, mind, language, religious thought and experience, philosophical specificity and methodology, etc. The colloquium Explorations and interpretations of politics is dedicated to the fundamental themes of political thought, as they are treated in the area of ​​political philosophy and political science. The theory of democracy, the theory of rights, ideologies, legitimacy, sovereignty, authority, political participation, political communication, states and constitutions, political institutions and their role in society, political parties and leaders, voting theory, the theory of powers in the state are, without exhausting them, themes that are the subject of debates at the colloquiums that take place annually. Approaches from the perspective of other related fields, such as political sociology or political economy, are also welcome.

Projects with Extrabudgetary Funding

1) Migration and identity in the Romanian cultural space. Multidisciplinary approach, code: PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0116 (project member: Dan Sîmbotin)

2) Democratic consolidation versus autocratization. The evolution of Romanian democracy from the moment of accession to the European Union to the present, code: GAR-UM- 2019- XII-3.1-7 (responsible: Vasile Pleșca)

3) The concept of existential authenticity and the challenges of contemporary post-modern society, code: GAR-UM-2019-XII-3.1-6 (responsible: Ionuț Bârliba)

4) Ethics and the non-human world. Ethical foundations for rethinking the human-nature relationship, code: GAR-UM- 2019- XII-3.1-9 (project member: Ionuț Bârliba)

5) Innovation and development in the structuring and representation of knowledge through doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships (IDSRC – doc postdoc), code: POSDRU/159/1.5/S/133675 (period of implementation: 2014-2015; project manager: Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin).

6) Promoting equal opportunities in university and academic careers for women in Romania, code: POSDRU/144/6.3/S/127928, (period of implementation: 2014-2015; target group manager: Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin)

7) Knowledge-based society – research, debates, perspectives, code: POSDRU/89/1.5/S/56815, (period of implementation: 2010-2013; assistant manager, scholarship tutor, scientific activity coordinator: Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin)

8) Equity, responsibility, solidarity. The demands of moral reconstruction in post-accession Romanian society, code: CNCSIS ID_1997 (period of implementation: 2009-2011; responsible: Bogdan Olaru)

9) The politics of recognition and social justice: multiculturalism versus distributive justice?, code: GAR-246-2007-2008 (period of implementation: 2007-2008; responsible: Eugen Huzum)

10) Reconsidering the issue of truth under the impact of new theories regarding the unity of science, Grant of the Romanian Academy (period of implementation: 2007-2008; responsible: Dan Gabriel Sîmbotin)

11) Biopolitics. Directions, principles, techniques for managing the effects of biotechnology on human life”, code: CNCSIS ID_193 (period of implementation: 2006-2007; responsible: Bogdan Olaru)

12) Autonomy and responsibility. How to determine the limits of self-determination?, project funded by the DAAD Foundation (period of implementation: May-July 2006, host institution: “Forschungsinstitut für Philosophie Hannover”; responsible: Bogdan Olaru).

13) The technification of our everyday life. An analysis of the forms of acceptance for the use of new technologies with a focus on biotechnology, project funded by the Kommerzbank Foundation (Germany) (period of implementation: Oct. 2004 – May 2005, host institution: “Forschungsinstitut für Philosophie Hannover”; responsible: Bogdan Olaru).

14) Postmodernism in Contemporary Epistemology, Grant of the Romanian Academy (period of implementation: 2002-2003; responsible: Vasile Pleșca)

Partnerships

The researchers of the collective collaborate, based on agreements made through the Iași Branch of the Romanian Academy, with:

1) University of Bucharest, Faculty of Philosophy, Research Center in Applied Ethics,

2) “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați,

3) “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu and

4) Technical University of Cluj-Napoca – North University Center of Baia Mare.

The object of the collaboration agreements with these academic institutions is the development of education and research-development-innovation services and actions to promote and increase the visibility of their results, the development of technological information services and technology transfer, the organization of workshops, conferences and other events of interest.