Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2344

Beauty as an idea that can be developed and realized: A historical comparative study of Schiller’s aesthetics

by Xiangfei Bao

Forum for Philosophical Studies, Vol.3, No.1, 2025;

Schiller’s work is deeply rooted in Western philosophical traditions and significantly influences the evolution of aesthetics in the nineteenth century. Despite its foundational role, Schiller’s writings exhibit a lack of precision and systematic structure. This paper employs a historical-comparative approach to examine Schiller’s aesthetics in relation to other philosophical perspectives. By re-evaluating and interpreting classical texts, the study aims to provide a comprehensive clarification of Schiller’s aesthetic theory. Schiller conceptualizes beauty as an idea, yet this conception diverges from the notions advanced by Plato and Kant. He reconfigures the relationship between beauty and perfection, suggesting a return to Baumgarten’s principles. In Schiller’s view, perfect beauty encompasses its own reality, thereby addressing and surpassing the subjectivity and abstraction found in Kantian aesthetics. Furthermore, Schiller explores the origin and development of freedom, positing that freedom evolves through its awakening and growth, thereby demonstrating the realizability of beauty and the full potential of human nature.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1659

Hitting or being right

by Cristián Pérez García

Forum for Philosophical Studies, Vol.2, No.1, 2024;

In this paper, we study Gettier’s problem based on some recent bibliography and new research advances. First, we set the terms of the discussion and expose the core of the problem. Many disputes on this topic are rooted in misapprehensions of the concept of knowledge. Therefore, we give the most common definition of knowledge and show its structure. Then we look at Gettier’s two cases and propose a new example that helps us clarify the nature of the problem. We use a case of induction because it gathers all the epistemological problems together so that its solution may be considered a complete one. Finally, incorporating recent advances in epistemology, we propose a solution to Gettier’s problem. Some situations that fit in the common definition of knowledge do not seem to also fit under the word “knowledge.” Through the study of a hypothetical case, in this article we shall propose a solution to this dissonance.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1403

Leaders (non-faculty) in higher education: A phenomenological study on understanding their role

by Saravanan Sathiyaseelan

Forum for Philosophical Studies, Vol.2, No.1, 2024;

The higher education fraternity associates itself closely to academia; the environment or community concerned with the pursuit of research and education. Unsurprisingly, the faculty receive more attention in areas surrounding higher education. However, recent days are seeing vast evolutions in the higher education landscape, beginning with an escalating interest in a seamless and capable administration to support, strengthen and elevate both research and education goals to greater heights. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine fifteen leaders (non-faculty) working in mid-senior level positions in a university in Singapore to understand their role. The findings evidently proved that leaders (non-faculty) are facilitators and enablers who perform and complete their tasks by facilitating activities, processes, events, and interactions (to and for both students and faculty), and enabling an activity or implementing a policy. Furthermore, the findings reinforced the importance of such leadership within the higher education sector, especially at a time universities explore new strategies to diversify and gain competitive advantage in a challenging environment marked by globalization, technological disruptions, unpredictable demand, and changing student needs.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 1386

A systematic design for AI-centered innovation management network by Marxist epistemology

by Qing Luo, Hexiu Cao

Forum for Philosophical Studies, Vol.2, No.1, 2024;

By building AI-centered innovation management systems, innovative countries and organizations can optimize management processes, stimulate creativity, and accelerate product and service innovation cycles. AI-centered innovation management finds market in China. The application of Marxist Epistemology is applicable in breeding innovation knowledge, especially in defining AI-centered networks to guide innovation management, focusing on providing innovation conditions and the development of innovation relations. Furthermore, systematic entity of contradictions design is critical for AI-centered innovation management networks, unifying the systematic functions and structure by integrating AI into innovation management effectively.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 2836

Qualitative research: Understanding its underlying philosophies

by Adelina Asmawi, Md. Saiful Alam

Forum for Philosophical Studies, Vol.2, No.1, 2024;

In the realm of research, it is emphasized that research must be grounded in a clearly stated research philosophy and set out early in the research process. It is significant because research philosophy enables researchers to promote clarity and decisions about the research design and guide them in identifying a suitable design. Therefore, understanding the underlying philosophies of qualitative research is crucial for researchers, especially those who are just starting their journey in this field. This paper aims to provide beginning researchers with a basis for the development of key philosophical understandings related to qualitative research. A descriptive analysis of the philosophies of ontology and epistemology and the subsets of philosophies under these two umbrella terms is presented as an introduction to the philosophical foundation of qualitative research. The paper serves as a basis for novice researchers to distinctively identify the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research and as a resource that enables and guides them towards designing and conducting qualitative studies.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 452

Exploring the impact of response option sequences/order on survey rating scale responses

by Hamed  Taherdoost

Forum for Philosophical Studies, Vol.1, No.1, 2023;

In the realm of survey data quality, inaccuracies and nonresponses pose significant challenges. One significant factor affecting this is the order in which response options are presented, leading to what is known as response order effects. This research delves into the extensive studies conducted on how the sequence of answer options influences respondents’ ratings in survey questions. Specifically, we focus on analyzing previous research to understand how the arrangement of scale points on a rating scale impacts the cognitive processes and reaction strategies of respondents. By synthesizing existing studies, this investigation aims to provide insights into the critical role that presentation sequence plays in shaping survey outcomes, thereby offering valuable perspectives for enhancing data quality in future survey designs.