DOI: 10.25136/2409-8728.2017.10.20793

Abstract: The subject of the article is the concept of personal immortality, developed by the British philosopher of the late XIX – early XX century John McTaggart. The analysis focuses on the main metaphysical works of the philosopher: "Some dogmas of religion," "Studies in Hegelian cosmology", "The nature of existence." The study reveals the links of the concept with the principles of idealistic metaphysics, based on a rethinking of Hegel's philosophy. In this context the article deals with the idea of the Absolute reality, the ideas of individuals as a fundamental differentiation of reality, the integrity and perfection of the world. The relationship of the concept of immortality with McTaggart’s understanding of time and eternity is examined. The study allows one to conclude about a certain heuristic potential of McTaggart’s concept. The article highlights the four key arguments of McTaggart  that prove the personal immortality. These are the arguments indicating independence of consciousness from the matter, from the substantiality of personalities, from the illusory nature of time, from the values of asymmetry of the universe. All arguments combine the content that was rejected by modern science and philosophy, as well as promising from the scientific and philosophical perspective.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0757.2017.1.18399

Abstract: The subject of this research is the metaphysics of the English philosopher of the late XIX – early XX century Francis Bradley.  The author examines the relation between metaphysical and special scientific knowledge within the framework of Bradley’s doctrine, particularly the crucial differences between metaphysics and science, which are based on the inherent to Bradley dichotomy of the visual and real, partial and whole, controversial and certain. The concept of the English philosopher correlates with the contemporary trends in development of special sciences and their attempts to create the final, all-encompassing scientific theory, formulate the ultimate explanation of reality. The article subjects to analysis the fundamental metaphysical and logical works of Francis Bradley, as well as the modern scientific and philosophical texts. The conclusion is made that in Bradley’s system, metaphysics plays the role of knowledge that approaches towards the adequate image of the Absolute reality. Special science are capable of expressing the incomplete truths, which are fairly productive within the boundaries of partial cognition of the reality. The attempts to overcome this limitation and solve metaphysical questions using the scientific means, determine the visible, partial, and controversial nature of the scientific knowledge. The provided in the article assessment of the trends in development of modern science underlines the legitimacy of limitations applied by metaphysics of F. Bradley upon the scientific knowledge. The author suggest an alternative to characteristic to Bradley understanding principle of determination of the subject of metaphysics.