Latvian Academy of Sciences

INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIOLOGY

Akademijas laukums 1, Riga, LV 1940
Tel.: (371) 7229208. Fax: (371) 7210806
E-mail: FSI@ac.lza.lv

Director Dr.habil.phil. M. KULE, Full mem. LAS
Chair of the Scientific Council Dr.phil. E. BUCENIECE

The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology was founded on 1 January 1991. It continues activities of the Institute of Philosophy and Law which existed from 1981 to 1991 within the framework of the Latvian Academy of Scienes.

The main activities of the Institute are scientific studies, preparation of publications, organization of conferences, as well as educational work in Master's studies and Doctoral studies in the speciality of philosophy and sociology.

Main Areas of Research

• History of philosophical, cultural, and religious ideas in Latvia, study of the Latvian national cultural identity and the national processes (E. Buceniece, A. Priedite, S. Krumina, N. Gills, E. Vebers, I. Dribins, I. Apine, Cor.mem. LAS; S. Kovalcuka, and others).
• History of the Western philosophy and studies of the contemporary European philosophical trends (phenomenology, analytical philosophy, psychoanalysis, axiology, philosophical anthropology, feminism, post-modernism) and translations of philosophical texts (M. Kule, Full mem. LAS; L. Cuhina, J. Vejs, V. Zarins, Cor.mem. LAS; I. Suvajevs, A. Zunde, E. Freiberga, V. Vevere, E. Buceniece), Latvian translations of Old Greek philosophical texts (M. Vecvagars).
• Analysis of the social structure of the society: changes of the social structure in Latvia, regional development, labour market, sociological characteristics of families and women, oral history, political sociology (A. Tabuns, T. Tisenkopfs, R. Rungule, I. Trapenciere, M. Asmane, I. Koroleva, M. Zirnite, B. Bela, et al.).

Scholars of the Institute are engaged in scientific co-operation with the World Phenomenological Research Institute in the USA, the Phenomenological Research Centre of the Florida Atlantic University, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the British Academy and the Department of Religious Studies of the Wales University, the Society of Freud in Vienna, the ESA research committee "Biography and Society", the UNESCO MOST programme, the Department of Social Policy of Helsinki University, the European Commission programme for co-operation with the Central and East-European countries, the Stanford University, the Sociology Department of Tampere University and Sociology Department of Uppsala University, the Russian Academic Group in the USA, and others.

In 1996 the scholars of the Institute presented 34 reports at international conferences and seminars. In 1996 the Institute organized in Riga an international conference "Formation Processes of a Political Nation in the Baltic States", several international and Latvian-scale seminars have been organized, including: "Memory, Narrative, Identity", "Life Story Latvia-96", "Family Life and Conditions in the Baltic States", "Youth in the Contemporary Latvia's Social and Cultural Processes", "Problems of Forming Latvian Identity", "Latvian Studies" "Semiotic View on Culture", "Social Aspects of Balanced Agriculture", "Political Nation and Ethnopolitical Strategy in Latvia". The Institute has also participated in organizing the conferences "Dr. M. Luther, his Theology and Latvian Society" and "Situation of Person in Latvia. The 1990s."

In 1996 the following books were published: Suvajevs I. Psychoanalysis and Art of Life. Riga: IPS; Cuhina L. Man in Religious Philosophy. Riga: Zvaigzne ABC (in Russian); Kule M. and Kulis R. Philosophy. Riga: Burtnieks (in December 1996, the authors of this book received the Spidola Prize, the highest approval of Latvian Culture Fundation); Markovs V. Introduction into Metaphilosophy. Theatre of Conscience. Riga: IPS (in Russian); Vejs J. Version on Wittgenstein. Riga: Petergailis; Dialogue Between Christianity and Secularism in Latvia. European Academy of Sciences and Arts, vol. 15, N VI; Nietzsche F. Beyond Salary and Compensation. Riga: Liktenstasti (translated from German); Freud Z. Future of an Illusion. Riga: Intelekts (translated from German).

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Last update: 01-12-2005 18:54:01