Skhid

The African Inversion of Global Christianity: Religious Studies and Philosophical-Historical Aspects

2026-04-02T10:46:14+03:00

This study is interdisciplinary in nature, integrating religious studies, political philosophy, and African studies. Drawing on Louis Hartz's concepts of the "transplanted ideology" and the "freezing of ideological fragments," the article analyses the African "fragment" of Christianity that emerged free from European feudal traditions, the church-state conflict, and the secular critique of the Enlightenment. These conditions gave rise to an epistemologically autonomous religious system representing a distinct type of Christian modernity. Unlike European Christianity, which underwent a millennium of institutionalisation, the Reformation, and secularisation, African Christianity developed in conditions where these processes either did not occur at all or unfolded in a radically different sequence and configuration, producing the conditions for inversion — a new and syncretic variety of Christianity. Similar processes have taken place in other regions of the world, giving rise to Asian-syncretic, sub-Saharan, and Latin American variants of global Christianity. While Christianity is experiencing a crisis in Europe that is reflected in political processes, interest in the religion is, on the contrary, growing beyond the European continent, albeit in its autonomous and polycentric form. This shift marks a displacement of the centre of Christianity from Europe to the Global South, where approximately 70% of all Christians now reside. The most rapid growth in the number of Christians across all denominations is occurring in Africa. These findings were presented at the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), held in Seoul in October 2025. The study establishes that among the key reasons for the rapid growth of Christianity in Africa are its decentralisation, polycentrism, its separation from the historical memory shaped within the framework of European collective memory, and its paradoxical combination of tradition and modernity.

Philosophical and religious aspects of the commodity fetishism (based on the digital economy)

2026-04-01T21:54:00+03:00

This article is devoted to a philosophical and religious analysis of the phenomenon of commodity fetishism in the digital economy. It draws on Georg Simmel's philosophy of money, Karl Marx's concept of commodity fetishism, Max Weber's idea of the “disenchantment of the world,” Mircea Eliade's dichotomy of the sacred and the profane, Walter Benjamin's concept of the “aura” of art, and critical approaches. Max Weber's concept of commodity fetishism, the idea of “disenchantment of the world,” Mircea Eliade's dichotomy of the sacred and the profane, Walter Benjamin's concept of the “aura” of art, as well as the critical approaches of Roland Barthes and Jean Baudrillard to the mythologies of mass culture, this article explores how market relations reproduce the structures of religious consciousness. It is demonstrated that the fetishization of goods in the digital environment is associated with the sacralization of value, which is based on a collective belief in the “magical” power of money, brands, and digital objects. Particular attention is paid to NFTs as a prime example of a digital fetish that combines economic, cultural, and quasi-religious dimensions. It is demonstrated that in 2020–2021, NFTs functioned as an economic, cultural, and technological fetish. Digital code and artificial scarcity endowed tokens with an “aura” of uniqueness and the promise of belonging to elite communities. At the same time, mass replication, speculative expectations, and imitation practices of cargo cult induced oversupply and a crisis of trust. Declining trade volumes and a sharp drop in prices demonstrate the process of demythologization. The magical status of the token is fading, and NFTs are returning to the status of an ordinary risky asset.

The Paradox of Hope in Liquid Modernity: Social Transformations and the Value Space of Contemporary Europe

2026-04-01T21:04:18+03:00

This article examines Ernst Bloch's radical transformation of hope from its theological to its secular-utopian form through a distinctly socio-philosophical lens. Beginning with an analysis of how Augustinian-Thomistic hope functioned as an ideological mechanism that deferred justice to an otherworldly realm while stabilizing earthly hierarchies, the article traces the crisis of transcendent hope in modernity and identifies Martin Luther's dialectic of the hidden God (deus absconditus) as the crucial conceptual bridge to Bloch's philosophy. Bloch's ontology of the Not-Yet relocates hope within immanent, material processes, distinguishing between anticipatory "waking dreams" (Tagträume) that orient toward real possibilities and compensatory fantasies that defer transformation. The article explores Bloch's concept of concrete utopia – grounded in actual historical tendencies through docta spes (educated hope) – and its influence on liberation theology and social movements of the 1960s-70s. Critical examination reveals three fundamental challenges: the fragmentation of the revolutionary subject after 1989, the totalitarian dangers when utopian hope hardens into ideology, and the theodicy problem of sustaining hope without metaphysical guarantees. Contemporary analysis demonstrates how late capitalism colonizes futurity itself, yet new movements – from climate justice to solidarity economies – practice prefigurative politics that embody Blochian hope as democratic praxis. The article argues that Bloch is not simply overcoming but radically inheriting Christian eschatology's messianic structure, relocating it from transcendence to immanence, from divine grace to collective human agency, creating a hope adequate to our post-religious yet deeply utopian-needing age.

Digital Inclusion and Social Justice in the Modern Society: the Role of Public-Private Partnerships

2026-04-01T20:03:36+03:00

The article examines the prerequisites and relevance of the emergence of digital inclusion and social equality. The main opportunities that digitalization provides for various interested groups including society in general are indicated creating the basis for digital inclusion in society. Digital inclusion is considered as the ability to consume digital services due to their accessibility and the corresponding level of digital literacy. It is noted that the reverse process of digital inclusion is the digital divide which is characterized as uneven access to the Internet and digital tools, differences in digital literacy and infrastructural limitations in access to various digital opportunities. All this causes a digital divide, social inequality, and does not allow creating conditions for social justice. While digital inclusion provides opportunities for different segments of the population to fully participate in the labor market, gain knowledge and master skills, regardless of age and profession, increase the efficiency of production, business and management processes through their automation and robotization, etc. The development of digital inclusion and social justice is facilitated by the creation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) which we define as cooperation between public and private bodies to improve the quality of life of the population and increase the level of well-being. The directions of PPP digitalization and the consequences that it has for the population and the state as a whole are identified. It is noted that PPP plays a significant role in the development of an inclusive society and social justice as it achieves a significant social effect for society. This is justified, among other things, by the opportunities that PPP provides in the development of digital public infrastructure, namely the expansion of Internet accessibility, the development of payment systems, personal identification, etc. PPPs can also focus on the implementation of public services that become possible for implementation with financial, technical or expert support from the private sector. One of the greatest values of PPPs is in the development of digital educational projects or providing remote access to educational platforms. This increases digital inclusion and contributes to a more equitable social distribution.

Institutional Strategies for Regulating Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Ukrainian Experience

2026-03-31T22:26:23+03:00

This article examines the process of integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into Ukraine’s educational ecosystem during 2025–2026. Drawing on a comparative analysis of regulatory frameworks and academic integrity codes at leading universities – including Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University, and O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, the study identifies four key institutional strategies for AI regulation: from strict control and ethical barriers to practical utility and full academic freedom.
The analysis reveals a sociological phenomenon of “dual reality,” characterised by a gap between the latent mass use of technology by over 80% of students and the official discourse of higher education institutions, where only 26% of respondents are willing to openly declare their use of AI. At the same time, the study presents the GAIDeT methodological model (Generative AI, Author, Input, Declaration, Ethics, Transparency) as a validated instrument for ensuring academic integrity and legitimising the use of AI in the research process.
The study establishes that shifting from a paradigm of “strict oversight” to a model of transparent partnership ensures the sustainable development of Ukrainian higher education in the context of global digital competition and the renewal of the educational environment. The research concludes that this approach becomes a catalyst for transforming the role of the teacher – from a transmitter of knowledge to a moderator of intellectual inquiry, while preserving the uniqueness and inviolability of human creative agency.

Soft skills in social and humanities education of the digital age: philosophical and educational dimension

2026-03-31T22:10:21+03:00

The article offers a philosophical and educational analysis of the phenomenon of soft skills within the context of socio-humanitarian education in the digital age. The relevance of the study is determined by the profound transformations of the contemporary educational space driven by digitalization, globalization processes, and changes in the nature of social and professional interaction. The paper substantiates the thesis that soft skills cannot be reduced to a set of applied or purely instrumental competencies oriented exclusively toward labor market demands. Instead, they are conceptualized as a multidimensional socio-cultural phenomenon associated with the formation of humanitarian rationality, value-based reflection, ethical responsibility, and the capacity for reflective communication. The study demonstrates that under conditions of the digital transformation of education, there is a growing need to reconsider the role of socio-humanitarian knowledge as a space for the development of critical thinking, communicative competence, emotional intelligence, empathy, and moral sensitivity. Socio-humanitarian disciplines are viewed as a key resource for shaping responsible agency among higher education students, enabling reflexive interaction in contexts of digital communication, information overload, and increasing ethical challenges. The methodological framework of the research is grounded in philosophical and educational analysis, interdisciplinary and axiological approaches, as well as empirical research methods aimed at identifying the potential of socio-humanitarian disciplines in fostering soft skills among higher education students. Based on theoretical reflection and empirical findings, the article substantiates the significance of socio-humanitarian education as a determining factor in the development of social maturity, professional adaptability, and the capacity for responsible participation in public life within a digital society. The study concludes by emphasizing the necessity of integrating a philosophical and value-oriented dimension into contemporary higher education practices of soft skills development.

Revolutionary Changes in the University of the Information Society: Cultural Strategies for Equal Opportunities

2026-03-31T21:58:28+03:00

The article provides a socio-philosophical analysis of the transformation of the university as an open scientific and educational space in the context of liquid modernity and digitalization. It is substantiated that contemporary changes represent not merely a crisis of the classical Humboldtian model, but its historical transformation into forms of networked and multidisciplinary knowledge organization. The author proves that the digitalization of education takes on the features of an epistemological and cultural-communicative revolution, which fundamentally alters the culture of cognition, the roles of teachers and students, and the very ontology of the university space. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the human lifeworld (Lebenswelt): the study analyzes how digitalization reshapes the structures of experience, communication, and meaning-making, creating a hybrid educational reality. The ambivalent nature of these changes is revealed: from new opportunities for democratization and inclusion (based on the experience of leading world universities) to the risks of "techno-systemic colonization," the deepening digital divide, and the instrumentalization of knowledge through efficiency metrics. The concept of academic freedom is reimagined as a dynamic balance between autonomy and responsibility. The article concludes with the necessity of forming new educational strategies capable of ensuring the existential integrity of the individual in a situation of ontological instability within the information society.

Spirituality, Justice, and Humanism in Human Existence: the Digital Discourse of War

2026-03-31T20:07:38+03:00

The article offers a comprehensive socio-philosophical analysis of the transformation of the discourse of spirituality, justice, and humanism in Ukraine under the influence of full-scale war and digitalization. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to understand how the fundamental values of human existence are being reinterpreted in the context of an existential crisis and "liquid modernity" (Z. Bauman), where traditional hierarchies give way to networked forms of communication, a defining feature of the information society. The research hypothesis is that war acts as a catalyst, shifting the discourse of spirituality, justice, and humanism from static hierarchical models to dynamic networked practices, where linguistic means, metaphorical models, and rhetorical strategies become key tools for constructing collective identity, legitimizing resistance, and forming an inclusive value space. The theoretical framework synthesizes Z. Bauman's concept of "liquid modernity," M. Castells' theory of the network society, J. Habermas' post-secular approach, and critical discourse analysis (N. Fairclough, T. van Dijk). The methodology combines secondary analysis of sociological data with discourse analysis of the digital content of Ukrainian denominations, as presented in authoritative media and scholarly research. The results reveal profound transformations: a shift from hierarchical to networked communication models, a reinterpretation of key values, the activation of metaphorical arsenals, and the emergence of inclusive linguistic strategies. Significant risks are identified: the digital divide, the tension between the universalism of humanism and the demonization of the enemy, and the threat of politicizing value discourse. The conclusions argue that the prospects for post-war development will depend on the ability of public institutions to develop inclusive dialogue strategies, preserving value pluralism in the conditions of the information society. The Ukrainian experience emerges as a representative model of the transformation of the discourse of fundamental values in the context of global instability.

Religion as a Field of Civilizational Conflict: Ukrainian National Self-Identification and the Ideology of the ‘Russian World’ in the Context of War

2026-03-18T14:20:35+02:00

This article analyses religion as a field of civilisational conflict in the context of the confrontation between Ukrainian national self-identification and the ideology of the ‘russian world’ against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The study focuses on the interplay of religious narratives, geopolitical strategies and nation-building processes that shape the contemporary transformation of Ukraine’s religious landscape. It is pointed out that religion acts not only as a spiritual phenomenon, but also as an important factor in symbolic mobilisation, the legitimisation of political claims, and the formation of collective identity.

This article analyses the concept of the ‘russian world’ as an ethno-ideological model of religious nationalism, combining imperial, messianic and civilisational narratives aimed at undermining Ukrainian statehood and cultural and spiritual agency. At the same time, it examines the role of Ukrainian churches in the processes of social consolidation, strengthening humanitarian security and the formation of a modern civic nation. Particular attention is paid to the establishment of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, its rivalry with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the transformations of religious identity in the context of war.

It is emphasised that the religious sphere has become an important arena for rethinking historical narratives, social solidarity and moral responsibility. The events of the war have acted as a catalyst for institutional and ideological changes of a long-term nature. The conclusions note that religion is increasingly being integrated into security and humanitarian discourse, playing a key role in strengthening national identity and the resilience of Ukrainian society.

Transformation of Historical Memory and Identity: the Reception of Paul Ricoeur’s Philosophy

2026-03-13T11:26:34+02:00

The article is devoted to the study of the interaction between memory and identity in the philosophy of P. Ricoeur. It clarifies the content of the concepts of "memory," "identity," "narrative," and "narrative identity," which are fundamental to the philosopher's original conceptual framework. Within the scope of investigating the outlined issues, the author analyzes the interpretation of memory and the mechanisms of memorization, and examines historical knowledge and its representation in consciousness as a tool for analyzing the interconnection between memory and history. The study also considers the concept of "narrative identity" introduced into scientific discourse and the role of narrative in P. Ricoeur's oeuvre. The author emphasizes that if memory is a representation of history, then narrative identity emerges as a foundational property of self-knowledge and the self-determination of the individual. From this follows the main characteristic of historical memory: it is the result of a complex dialectical interaction between individual and collective narratives, shared memory, and personal experiences. The contradictory nature of such interaction lies in the fact that this process creates both opportunities for self-awareness and a basis for distor-tions. Since memory is subjective, it can serve as both a source of continuity and a cause of the disruption of self-consciousness, where traumatic memories destroy the integrity of narrative and identity.

Artificial intelligence as a factor in the transformation of contemporary cognitive practices in the digital age

2026-03-10T17:36:37+02:00

In the present article, a philosophical analysis is carried out of the transformation of epistemic practices in the contemporary digital age, driven by the development of artificial intelligence (AI). The study explains the need for philosophical inquiry “in advance,” since the pace of technological improvement of AI systems is so rapid that philosophical reflection on these processes often occurs with a certain delay. Moreover, the question of the role of AI in cognitive activity cannot be considered separately from the philosophical problem of its potential epistemic agency. The article analyzes the main contemporary approaches to the possibility of reducing thinking to computational functions, which brings artificial intelligent systems closer to “natural intelligence”.
The theoretical basis of the study includes a wide range of conceptual developments, from the ideas of A. Turing to the phenomenological realism of T. Nagel, the biological naturalism of John Searle, and the Dennett’s functionalism. In addition, through the perspective of epistemic structural realism, the study distinguishes the problem of “AI self-consciousness” from its role in the production of new knowledge through the detection of stable correlational patterns that can be identified by AI systems independently, without the participation of a human researcher.
The article also examines models of “human–AI” interaction, both purely instrumental ones and those in which AI systems are delegated a leading role in the research process. Furthermore, the study highlights risks, associated with the “epistemic opacity” of complex neural networks (the black-box problem), as well as the possibility of generating “chimeric entities” that may potentially distort research results. At the same time, the article emphasizes that the identification of correlations in large data sets is not sufficient for the formation of a full scientific theory. This requires a complex path from the intuitive formulation of a hypothesis to its support by empirical data, as well as recognition by the scientific community. The study concludes that despite their high computational power, AI systems cannot replace the human researcher in matters of goal-setting, creative inquiry, and the acceptance of epistemic responsibility for the results of knowledge production.

Spiritual Self-Improvement as a Factor of Value Stability in the Rapidly Changing Modern World

2026-03-08T20:14:38+02:00

The article is devoted to a comprehensive philosophical and anthropological study of spiritual self-improvement as a fundamental factor in the formation of value stability in the conditions of “fluid modernity.” The relevance of the topic is determined by the profound crisis of meaning in consumer society and the challenges of the digital age, which lead to the fragmentation of human consciousness and the relativization of moral ideals. The author argues that in conditions of global instability and military crises in Ukraine, external restructuring of life without transformation of the inner spiritual essence of a person is not capable of ensuring the desired results for the sustainable development of society. The study reveals the anthropological dimension of self-realization, where a person appears as a spiritual and existential basis of being, striving for the realization of supra-personal meanings. The author argues that true self-realization in the 21st century is a challenge that requires the individual to search for higher meanings (the tradition of seeking God), which become the foundation for subjective autonomy. Particular attention is paid to the mechanism of achieving anthropological integrity—the harmonious unity of spirit, soul, and body, which acts as a reliable “immunity” against manipulative technologies and the market logic of “utility.” The role of traditional spiritual practices, in particular Hesychasm and asceticism, which in Ukrainian spiritual culture are considered as means of self-realization and the formation of an internal foundation of values, is highlighted. It has been proven that spiritual self-improvement has a distinct social effect: a spiritually mature personality moves from the model of a passive consumer to the ethics of co-creation and active citizenship. This ensures the transformation of social interaction—from pragmatic calculation to the ethics of “love for one's neighbor,” which is a guarantee of real inclusion and social justice. The results of the study show that the integration of individual and collective spiritual practices is an important basis for the systemic cultural resilience of the Ukrainian people. The author emphasizes the strategic role of spiritual improvement in strengthening national identity and ensuring the post-traumatic growth of society in conditions of military crisis.

Political resilience through voting cohesion in the information age

2026-03-07T19:24:00+02:00

The article examines the challenge of ensuring the political resilience of democratic systems in the information age. The author analyzes the transformation of electoral processes driven by pervasive digitalization, framing electronic voting (e-voting) not merely as a technical instrument but as a strategic mechanism for fostering political cohesion and inclusivity. It is emphasized that the virtualization of the political sphere necessitates a clear understanding of new interaction algorithms among all stakeholders.
The study elucidates the dualistic nature of e-voting, contrasting its potential to enhance civic engagement and the risks of social polarization and vulnerability to digital threats, particularly disinformation. Specific attention is devoted to safeguarding democratic integrity against the erosion of social cohesion amidst global turbulence. The relevance of the research is further amplified by the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine which creates an urgent need to modernize electoral legislation and establish inclusive conditions for political participation across all population strata. Applying a case study method (referring to the experiences of Estonia, France, Sweden, and Switzerland) and the elements of SWOT analysis, the author integrates European digital transformation practices with the challenges the Ukrainian state institutions are facing. The findings substantiate the necessity of a comprehensive approach to implementing e-voting in Ukraine, encompassing legislative reform, the development of secure technological infrastructure (leveraging the Diia ecosystem), and the implementation of strategies to advance digital literacy and public trust.

sendwishonline.com Group Cards That Make Every Message Feel Personal, Wherever You Are

2026-03-02T07:51:39+02:00

Review of the Monograph

2026-02-16T10:33:13+02:00

Review of the Monograph by O. Kudlai: "The Government of the Ukrainian People's Republic: Institutional Establishment and Main Activities (1917–1918)" - Scientific Editor: V. Verstiuk. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of History of Ukraine. Kyiv: Institute of History of Ukraine, 2025. 580 p.

Freedom and Justice between Humanism and Posthumanism: Existential Cultural Aspects

2026-02-16T10:23:21+02:00

The article analyzes the profound social transformations of the late 2010s–2020s triggered by the simultaneous action of several irreversible processes: the mass adoption of neural interfaces and genome editing, the total algorithmization of behavior management, the collapse of the anthropocentric climate model, and the transformation of platform capitalism into the dominant form of labor and exchange organization. These processes are destroying the foundation of the modern social contract, which was built on the figure of the sovereign, bodily bounded, rational individual as the sole legitimate bearer of rights, freedoms, and moral responsibility.
In a world where a significant portion of social decisions is made by opaque algorithms, consciousness can be distributed between the biological brain and cloud servers, and spe-cies boundaries become a matter of designer choice, the traditional categories of freedom and justice lose their regulatory power. Freedom - whether understood as negative protection of privacy or positive self-determination - ceases to function in a reality where the subject is originally distributed. Justice as equality among autonomous individuals and the fair distribu-tion of resources becomes meaningless when the social network includes actors lacking classical subjectivity (AI, genetically modified organisms, climatic hyperobjects) yet possessing real agency and vulnerability.
Justice is undergoing a transition from a distributive model to an ontological one: its task is no longer the distribution of goods among already-existing subjects but the maintenance of the viability of the entire expanded network, including future generations, algorithms, ecosystems, and the climate. Four dominant collective affects of the current social transformations have been identified: ontological anxiety over the loss of the human center, euphoria of mor-phological freedom, zoetic guilt toward the nonhuman, and the strange calm of flat ontology, when humanity ceases to be the measure of all things.
The research findings have direct practical relevance for understanding and managing on-going social transformations, creating a foundation for an affirmative politics of immanence capable of overcoming the dichotomy between reactionary bio-conservatism and uncritical techno-accelerationism.

Ethics of documenting cultural losses as a manifestation of memory dispositif in the context of armed conflict

2025-12-31T14:18:05+02:00

The article is devoted to the analysis of the ethics of documenting cultural losses as a local manifestation of a memory dispositif in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Based on contemporary approaches in the philosophy of memory and the theory of dispositif, the study offers a conceptual framing of the notion "memory dispositif" and argues for the need to highlight the ethics of documentation as an important component of this configuration. The article argues that documentation in the context of war goes beyond technical or procedural action and functions as a complex networked practice within which meanings, regimes of truth, and the documentarian’s agency are formed. This perspective allows us to interpret the documentation of cultural losses as an element of the cultural heritage protection system, which in modern conditions acquires a new security dimension and is integrated into state policy to counter genocide, memory erasure, and information manipulation.
The inquiry is grounded in viewing memory as a dynamic dispositif, where documentation functions not as passive recording, but as a process of forming meanings, responsibility, and agency. In this logic, the ethics of documentation is defined as a concept that encompasses the normative, epistemic, and ontological dimensions of the documentarian's activity. The ethics of documentation is set apart from the ethics of archiving and the ethics of testimony, highlighting that it addresses the prearchival phase of document creation and the documentarian’s mediation between trauma, fact, and social interpretations. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of contemporary Ukrainian practices of documenting cultural losses (in particular, the activities of HeMo and the Crimean Institute for Strategic Studies), which form an interconnected network of knowledge production, legal legitimation, and ethical interaction with communities. The Crimean material (the demolition of the Kosh-Kuyu I settlement and the Kirk-Azizler necropolis) is considered as a test case that most clearly demonstrates how a memory dispositif works: here, the documentarian finds himself at the intersection of colonial practices of displacement, legal invisibility, and ethical responsibility for giving voice back to cultural objects.
The article also analyzes the "Roadmap" for interagency cooperation as the materialization of a memory dispositive – a network infrastructure within which power structures, knowledge regimes, and ethical practices circulate The findings reveal that documentation, in this configuration, is not a merely technical act but an ethical and discursive practice within which regimes of truth, norms of loss legitimization, and the documentarian’s subjectification take shape.
The authors conclude that the ethics of documentation operates as a localized manifestation of a memory dispositive – one in which cultural loss is transformed into a socially significant fact, and the documentarian assumes the role of an ethical subject responsible for shaping collective regimes of memory under wartime conditions.

Losses of cultural heritage in Kyiv region as a result of the Russian invasion: mechanisms of cultural self–defense

2025-12-31T13:42:51+02:00

The article examines the scale of losses of immovable cultural heritage in Kyiv region as a result of the Russian invasion and identifies mechanisms of cultural self–defense. The main types and kinds of losses of cultural monuments are outlined, practices of their protection are analyzed; cooperation of state authorities, public activists, the scientific community and international organizations in searching for mechanisms of cultural heritage preservation is studied; prospects for post–war restoration of cultural objects are determined. The UNESCO World Heritage List and cultural heritage objects in Ukraine, particularly in Kyiv, inscribed on it according to the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage are analyzed. The UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage objects is also examined, three of which are located in Kyiv. The national list of cultural heritage monuments of national and local significance in Kyiv region and Kyiv, inscribed in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine, is also analyzed, and cultural objects in Kyiv region that were damaged or destroyed to a greater or lesser extent as a result of military actions are identified. Preliminary results of research within the joint interdisciplinary applied research work of the Research Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Department of Regional Studies and Tourism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv “Material and Spiritual Losses of the Population of Ukrainian Polissia as a Result of the Russian–Ukrainian War and Their Overcoming” (2025–2027) are summarized. In particular, preliminary results of work in Kyiv region by the comprehensive Ukrainian studies expedition “Polissia–2025” and practical research by students of the Geography Faculty of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv are taken into account. As a result of expedition research, destruction of immovable cultural heritage in Kyiv region was identified, analytical (before/after) and photographic materials (destroyed/ruined/damaged) of monument destruction were obtained. Joint efforts of state authorities, local self–government, scientists and public activists and international organizations regarding documentation of losses of immovable cultural heritage that occurred as a result of military actions and regarding the use of cultural self–defense mechanisms for future restoration of cultural monuments and tourist attractiveness of Kyiv Polissia are shown.

Epistemological potential of media-philosophical and socio-communicative theories of terrorism: challenges to humanitarian security

2025-12-31T11:48:16+02:00

The article presents a theoretical and epistemological analysis of media-philosophical and socio-communicative theories of terrorism developed by Wolfgang Frindte, Gabriel Weimann, and Brigitte Nacos, with the aim of revealing the mechanisms of media construction of terrorism as a global threat and the role of mass media in shaping public perception of this phenomenon in the context of humanitarian security challenges. It is demonstrated that in the contemporary globalized world terrorism acquires new mediatized forms, forming symbiotic relationships with mass media that amplify the effects of intimidation, propaganda, and the construction of reality through the visualization of violence, repetition of messages, and symbolic codes of fear.

In particular, W. Frindte’s theory substantiates the interaction between media constructions (Medien-Frames) and individual interpretations (Individual-Frames), in which the media, through dramatization, emotionalization, and framing, shape the perception of terrorism as an inevitable danger, creating illusory correlations (for example, associating Muslims with terrorism) and a self-reinforcing cycle that legitimizes restrictions on democratic freedoms. G. Weimann’s “theatre of terror” theory demonstrates how terrorist acts are planned as symbolic performances designed to maximize media attention, employing communication technologies for propaganda, psychological warfare, and cyberterrorism, thereby generating dilemmas for the media and posing threats to liberal values. B. Nacos’s theory of “mass-mediated terrorism” emphasizes that without media coverage terrorism loses its symbolic power, while the media become a key element in the dissemination of fear, recruitment, propaganda, and the legitimization of actions, as exemplified by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The theories demonstrate that contemporary terrorism functions as a communicative strategy dependent on media influence, with its “effectiveness” measured by informational resonance rather than by the scale of physical violence. It is also established that the media not only transmit information but actively construct images of threat through spectacle, dramatization, and staging, thereby intensifying public fear and challenges to humanitarian security.

Christian religious philanthropy as a spiritual determinant of national resilience under conditions of war

2025-12-31T10:33:04+02:00

The article explores the development of Christian religious philanthropy amidst the full-scale war. Its relevance stems from the fact that religious organizations in contemporary Ukraine serve as key providers of humanitarian assistance, integrating social support with practices of solidarity, mutual aid, and spiritual-moral guidance. The purpose of the study is to identify the essential components of Christian religious philanthropy as a spiritual determinant of national resilience. The methodological framework is based on systemic and comparative approaches, as well as the case-study method; the empirical basis is complemented by a questionnaire survey. The novelty of the research lies in the application of a comprehensive academic perspective to interpreting religious philanthropy as a significant factor contributing to national resilience during wartime and to the broader process of societal recovery in the post-war period. The Conclusions emphasize that Ukrainian legislation enables religious organizations to conduct humanitarian activities directly or through charitable foundations established by them, ensuring transparency, legitimacy, and an adequate level of public trust. Regulatory requirements regarding targeted use of resources and reporting procedures minimize risks of misuse and enhance institutional accountability. Under wartime conditions, religious charity becomes closely intertwined with the protection of human rights, forming an integral element of the state’s humanitarian security. Religious institutions actively support internally displaced persons, families of military personnel, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups, thereby contributing to the realization of fundamental social and humanitarian rights. The survey results confirm the high level of charitable engagement and its considerable support among the population. At the same time, the potential of these initiatives remains predominantly concentrated on one-time forms of assistance, which underscores the need to transition toward systemic philanthropy and to develop strategies for long-term recovery.

Light and Darkness: The Origins of Europe’s Ethical Heritage and the Return to Fundamental Values as a Factor of Spiritual Self-Defense

2025-12-30T18:19:26+02:00

The study of dualistic belief systems in prehistoric and early historical contexts provides a deeper understanding of the roots of contemporary religious and ideological conflicts. Such research helps trace the origins of dichotomies that continue to shape the collective cultural memory of humanity. The relevance of the topic is further reinforced by the growing interest in religious pluralism, intercultural dialogue, and the search for universal spiritual foundations – themes that acquire particular significance in the modern era of globalization and religious diversity. The relevance of the theme of good and evil is driven by a historical and philosophical return to the rethinking of fundamental human values built on the principles of non-violence and humanity, which, in the context of Russia's war against the civilized world, take on the meaning of spiritual self-defense and the basis of human physical survival. The purpose of the article is to clarify the origins, stages of formation, and evolution of dualistic ideas in the religious consciousness of ancient civilizations from the earliest times to the beginning of our era. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines historical-religious, comparative, hermeneutic, and cultural-historical methods. Elements of structural analysis of mythological texts, as well as historical-typological comparison of religious systems, are also applied. The authors trace the historical dynamics of the transition from the mythological opposition of light and darkness to systemic ontological dualism, which formed the basis for the emergence of Gnostic ideologemes. It is shown that the evolution of ideas about good and evil, God and the Devil, demonstrates a gradual transition from the syncretic beliefs of ancient civilizations to complex theological concepts. In Zoroastrianism, the dualism of light and darkness is clearly traced for the first time, which subsequently transforms into the Christian opposition between God and the Devil. Christianity formulated the moral and ethical dimension of dualism, recognizing evil as a consequence of turning away from God's will rather than as an equal force. In an era of global threats and the war that Russia is waging against the European space, it is especially important to realize that violence, aggression, and the devaluation of human life stand on the opposite side of civilization. Such an understanding should unite nations, strengthen moral resilience, and leave no room for the legitimization of evil or the justification of aggression as a "normal" form of interaction.

Socio-philosophical insight into the role of elites in modern military escalation

2025-12-30T17:09:35+02:00

This article focuses on understanding both the nature of the current stage of international tension and security crisis, and their main triggers, the interdependence of all actors of the political process. To this end, the authors of the study consider the role of elites, and, above all, the phenomenon of the cult of the leader as an extreme form of a personalist political regime, which acquires new analytical relevance in the context of mentioned above destructive socio-political practices spread nationally and internationally. The conducted historical and comparative analysis of the preconditions and the institutionalization of the cult of the leader revealed a clear interdependence between the strengthening of the regime of sole power and the decline of the ruling class (political elite), the functions of which are narrowed to the primitive transmission of the leader's will and the constant forced demonstration of their total loyalty and absolute devotion to the leader. Thus, the cult of the leader, sanctioned by such toxic loyalty of the political elite, blocks any manifestations of initiatives dissonant with the leader's will, as well as the autonomy of thinking and subjectivity. As a result, the leader's will acquires the status of an absolute criterion of truth and legitimacy, and his/her decisions and actions are subordinated exclusively to the logic of personalized power, its self-preservation and reproduction regardless state demarcation which opens the way to arbitrariness and justification of any crimes.
Appealing to modern political practices of cults, the authors of the article argue that the loss of subjectivity by the national political elite, its servile nature are among the gravest challenges to international stability and security. The Russian-Ukrainian war vividly illustrates the catastrophic decline of the soft power mightiness and the need for equal use of hard power to control modern growing military trends. Aggressive foreign policy is a natural continuation of unstoppable leader’s lawlessness in home affairs and the international order becomes the object of such leader's arbitrariness and encroachments. Thus, the cult of the leader is a separate and extremely dangerous outcome of the pathology of political elites which goes beyond the domestic political dimension and becomes a factor of global instability, growing conflict factor and has to be discussed by Academia.

Social justice and market economy security under the pressure of humanitarian challenges

2025-12-30T16:51:30+02:00

This article explores the impact of security factors on the balance of justice within the market transformation of contemporary Ukrainian society. The author analyzes theoretical approaches to the category of “justice” as a fundamental criterion for economic system stability and identifies the key drivers of social inequality arising during reform processes. The study demonstrates that economic efficiency is inextricably linked to moral, ethical, and social norms, as the level of justice determines the degree of public trust in state institutions.
Furthermore, the research substantiates that market transformations frequently trigger social disproportions that threaten humanitarian security. The author contends that justice within a market system must encompass not only formal equality of opportunity but also the creation of conditions for human self-actualization and equitable access to resources and social goods. Conversely, corrupt practices and excessive wealth differentiation erode social capital and hinder national development. The article establishes a conceptual dependence between the level of social justice and the resilience of national security, arguing that amidst market reforms, justice serves not only as a moral category but as a strategic tool for minimizing socio-political and economic risks. Finally, the study proves the necessity of integrating humanitarian criteria into state regulatory policy to ensure a balance between economic expediency and the sustainable development of society.

Openness to the Other: ethical dimensions of freedom in wartime conditions

2025-12-30T16:37:44+02:00

This article explores the concept of “Openness to the Other” within the intersection of individual freedom and contemporary political realities at both national and global levels. Drawing upon the philosophical anthropology of M. Scheler and H. Plessner, the existential phenomenology of M. Merleau-Ponty, and M. Buber’s philosophy of dialogue, the study posits that Openness to the Other is not merely a secondary attribute of the subject, but a fundamental ontological condition of “being-in-the-world”. This ontological and ethical dimension serves as a theoretical basis for analyzing the existential mode of Ukrainian society and its relational dynamics with other political actors.
The discourse reveals an ethical paradox: the possibility of remaining open toward an entity that fundamentally repudiates the principle of openness itself. The Russian-Ukrainian war is examined as a collision between the inherent openness of the liberal order and the radical closure of the Russian imperial project. The author contends that the framework of “New Humanism” enables a re-interpretation of freedom as intrinsically bound to humanistic intentionality – specifically, mutuality and ethical responsibility.
Ultimately, the article proposes a reformulated vision of contemporary freedom and agency within the paradigm of New Humanism.

Philosophical reflections on the Russian-Ukrainian war and liberal international order

2025-12-30T16:01:45+02:00

Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, along with previous acts of the annexation of the Ukrainian territories (Crimea, parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblast), posed many questions about the effectiveness and reliability of the liberal international order along with the exact scope of questions but addressed to the current system of the international law as well. Some of these questions are mainly about the support Western countries and other allies give Ukraine. The questions are primarily not about the efficiency and technological part of the process (even though it might be the case for the political turbulence) but how friendly countries put this type of Ukrainian request in their conceptual systems when deciding the best strategy for future actions. The biggest problem is a collective gap in the experience of the Ukrainian people and peoples from other countries as far as contemporary Ukrainians, as well as their ancestors, suffered from the imperialism brought up by Russia. The population of the countries that are friendly to Ukraine has mostly never experienced anything similar. Mostly, their ancestors were the citizens of the countries that did not suffer from imperialism but brought it up to other countries and societies. This article examines how presumptions of imperialism are lasting in liberalism's theory frameworks, in particular international law and moral analyses of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Rather than a wholesale alternative paradigm, emphasis is placed in searching for significant examples where liberal thought inherently continues imperial legacies. The underlying problem is the manner in which contemporary liberal ideology classifies states as either strong or weak, seeing war through the lenses of actors merely choosing to invade errant states or economically aid weaker states. This vision appears to assume that liberal states themselves are invulnerable to territorial occupation – a suggestion that betrays deeper imperial traditions.

The central thesis argues against the way liberal theory excludes the voice of countries currently in conflict, those upon whom decisions regarding support or intervention are being made by outside liberal powers. This rigid model does not give suffering states their interests but rather proscribes positions from a distance from their world. Understanding the Russian-Ukrainian war in liberal terminology requires not the "liberal" anti-imperialism of the sort built by former empires, but a critique that opposes all imperialism, Russian in particular. In conventional liberal thinking, Ukraine, historically subject to a range of imperial forces, is simplified to another issue to be resolved by great liberal powers, its position already decided within their intellectual paradigm. The analysis subsequently occurs in three parts: firstly, examining central ideas of liberal international order and their theoretical limits; secondly, scrutinizing Western public intellectuals' comments upon war, and particularly upon the Russian-Ukrainian war, as a way of showing how even morally good discourse has an imperialist accommodation (such as the Geneva Conventions' principle of distinction, Rawls's theoretical premises, and assertions by Nussbaum and Butler); thirdly, proposing how liberal international order and international law might be remade by avoiding imperialist theoretical inheritances, including by means of the "substitution argument" whereby international legal norms replace personal moral judgment when liberal systems fail to fit reality.