Philosophy as Modern Systematically Rationalized Worldview

Abstract

Introduction. The article criticizes the traditional (outdated) definition of philosophy, which was generally accepted in the philosophy of the Soviet period. Methods. The study is based on logical, historical, system-integrative methods. Results. Criticism of understanding philosophy as a science of the most general laws of the development of nature, society and thought is given. There are three methodological mistakes in this definition: the first mistake is that philosophy does not always act as science alone, and sometimes as art or ideology, and always as a worldview; the second one, philosophy studies not only the laws of development, but the laws governing the functioning of integrated systems; the third, in the absence of concretization of the types of thinking existing in the forms of: 1) the thinking of a concrete person (individual) and 2) collective thinking (i.e., the form of public consciousness). A new, authors’ definition is proposed: philosophy is a system-rationalized worldview, expressed in the form of the most general concepts about the structure, functioning and development of nature, society and human thinking. Discussion and Conclusion. In conclusion, the main philosophical functions of philosophy are distinguished: 1) informative; 2) humanistic; 3) cultural and educational; 4) axiological. The main methodological functions: 1) heuristic; 2) coordinating; 3) sub-coordinating; 4) integrating; 5) logical and epistemological. In addition, auxiliary functions include: 1) transcending; 2) aesthetic; 3) ideological and others. A detailed schematic overview of the main sections and fields of modern philosophical knowledge is given.