On the Nature of Philosophical Reflection

Abstract

The paper attempts at characterizing of the peculiar nature of the philosopher’s activity from the viewpoint of interrelation of such notions as ‘problem’ and ‘context’. A problem emerges outside a previously formed theory and, therefore, requires transcending the limits of a given subject realm. A philosopher is bound to give a problem wider horizon than the one in which it is typically regarded as scientific, religious or commonplace problem. That is how the problem gets contextualized. The social and cultural interpretation of a given phenomenon, however, points in its own turn towards a transition from the possible plurality of meanings to a limited number of these in reality, so any contextualization amounts to a localization. A context proves to be not something given objectively, but rather a product of constructive activity which can and has to be subjected to critique. As a result, a problem and its context appear to be the two extremities on the axis of philosophical reflection.