The scientist’s dignity as a path to the truth

Abstract

The article is devoted to the 90th anniversary of Academy member Vladislav Alexandrovich Lectorsky, his scientific views and personal qualities. On the basis of acquaintance with his works and many years of personal communication, an attempt is made to comprehend the reasons and conditions for the fruitful life in science, which allowed him to become a universally recognized classic of Russian philosophy during his lifetime and a recognized worldwide authority in the field of epistemology and philosophy of science. The mechanism of interaction of scientific inclinations and interests with personal inclinations and ethical principles of a scientist, which determined the choice of life path and direction of scientific research, is considered. There is a tendency to expand the scope of research from special problems of the theory of knowledge to generalizing concepts of philosophical epistemology, philosophy of consciousness, philosophical anthropology, encompassing cognition, man and culture in a holistic worldview system. There is a pronounced social orientation of epistemological research. The way of formation of a scientist’s personality and his civic position in the process of solving research tasks is shown – from the analysis of cognition as an end in itself to the application of the concepts and principles developed in this process to the philosophical understanding of a person, his place and destiny in a modern transforming society, the protection of rationality and humanism as values of civilization. The talent of V.A. Lektorsky as an organizer of science, who worked for a long time as the head of the theory of knowledge department and editor-in-chief of the journal “Voprosy filosofii”, the current professor and dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of GAUGN and editor-in-chief of the journal “Philosophy of Science and Technology” is noted. It is shown how the theoretical concepts of tolerance, critical thinking, and humanism developed by him are at the same time practical principles of his own life. This is the sign of a real philosopher, not just a researcher in the field of philosophy.