Summary
Gagik. S. Galstyan
The article is an attempt to estimate K. Marx’s economic theory. The following statements are defined for this purpose: First – which were the real goals of Marx; Second – to which extent the categories constructed and implemented by Marx are realistic; Third – the possibility to implement the Marxist theory in solving economic and social problems of modern society.
Outlines of Legal and Political Substantiations
Summary
Armen Ts. Marukyan
Until today, in the struggle for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian people have only been able to secure the adoption of resolutions recognizing or condemning the Armenian Genocide by the parliaments of different countries or international organizations. It is important to note, however, that this strategy is no longer productive because it cannot guarantee the final resolution of the issue. For this very reason, it is necessary to change the strategy and moving forward, take the struggle toward the issue of overcoming the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, which in and of itself assumes not only the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, but also restitution for the crime committed, which is probably the most important issue and without which recognition and condemnation become meaningless. Prior to taking any steps in this regard, corresponding Armenian and Diasporan structures and experts must first of all create the first large strategic document, «The consequences of the Armenian Genocide and the historical-legal basis of the package of demands to be presented to Turkey,» where it will be clearly registered what the Armenian people understand by saying the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and which demands they are preparing to present to Turkey. Based on the package of demands that will be developed including also the strategic application of the document, «Concept for overcoming the consequences of the Armenian Genocide,» where the methods and mechanisms will be outlined, which will make it possible to achieve the eradication of the abovementioned consequences. Differing from the Package of Demands, the Concept must not be public, but rather it should be closed, with limited utilization in order not to have previous knowledge of the contents to prevent any of the steps to be taken in this regard.
After the Failure of the Soviet Experience
Summary
Khachik S. Der Ghugassian
The article proposes a critical look at the different ideological understandings and experiences of socialism after the fall of the Soviet Union and the failure of the historical experience of the so-called “Real Socialism” and the building of a Communist future for humanity. It starts analyzing the post-Cold War dominant paradigm of the “End of History,” which paradoxically sustains the forthcoming of a de-ideologized world but assumes the guiding role of a one unique model of political and economic development. The article then compares the “right-turn” of European Social-Democracy with the rise of the center-left in Latin America highlighting the crisis of the first and the reasons of the re-emergence of the latter within a clear engagement with democracy instead of praising, as in the past, revolutionary utopias. In Latin America, we are witnessing democracy opening the way to socialism. Based upon the comparative analysis of Europe and Latin America, the study concludes with a broad reflection about the perspective of a socialist reformulation in the Eurasian continent. Thus, it sustains that the pursuit of a socially just order in former Soviet countries should aim at the strengthening of a middle-class and civil society to start de-centralizing power and wealth concentration and system change instead of aspiring to become government.
Summary
Marieta K. Nikoghosyan
In 1847, suggesting the idea of ‘‘Sciences about the Spirit‘‘ as a characterization of the second half of the intellectual globe, W. Dilthey aimed to formulate the standards of a scientific character typical for the humanities. He sustained that the problem was of theoretical-gnosiological nature, that is to say, everything made by Kant in the sense of natural sciences, must be repeated in regard to the humanities.
However, during his research Dilthey found that the problem couldn’t be solved with the help of the method applied by Kant, as the theoretical-gnosiological interpretation he had extended an analysis to was a single whole of the “human” and the “human world.” In this case the approach has changed: instead of the “human being as a recognized subject and his intellect” such notions as “fully fledged person,” “universality of human nature,” “totality of human life,” became the points of departure. Dilthey interpreted this concept by intertwining hermeneutics with the philosophy of life. Later hermeneutics was broadened by Dilthey, not as a simple research of texts but as a methodology of humanities and sciences about the spirit. That is to say, it was a theory with the help of which the humanities were founded. Dilthey studied the history of the origin of hermeneutics and formulated it as a method of past cultural interpretation, based on the reproduction of the investigated epoch of “spiritual life.”
Finally his considerable contribution was the cultivation of the philosophical bases of the humanities, concept margin and “sensible sociology.” Dilthey also formulated such gnosiological problems, as how the experience and gnosiology of the individual could be raised to the level of historical experience. Owing to the theory of Dilthey, the main issue of hermeneutics was defined; its further evolution was developing in the direction of obtaining the status of hermeneutical philosophy and cultivation of conceptions.
Summary
Karlen A. Mirumyan
During the breakthrough stages of the development of society, a necessity arises to reevaluate the old value system, the principles of world views, and to develop new critical directions. These issues are extremely important including also for independent Armenia. However, its solution demands a serious, based on the creation of a methodological doctrine, which would be in the position to relate to the Armenian nation’s past and present; to view Armenians as a complete system. To create such a methodological doctrine it is necessary to choose, cultivate a baseline concept.
In the opinion of the author, the concepts of nation and national entity can play a role. In addition, put forward in the article is the idea that each nation that has a rich spiritual cultural history must create just like its history, the history of the mentality; studying their own methodological thesis, surely accounting for the existence of theses in international sciences. The other primary idea is not that methodological theory has to be “put” onto a concrete historical process, but the opposite. The methodology has to come from the study of a concrete (national) history.
Summary
Sergey A. Aghajanyan
In the article the author discusses the relation between event, speech, history. History is presented as an expression of a history of human interpretation that can be completely different from objective reality. The interrelation between times is very important in history (time of the event and time of the teller). Not only is the past is interpreted in the small period of the present (history is born), but the future is also planned. With the past told and retold, a national system of values and archetypes are formed. Based upon this, the nation forms its future. In the end, examples on value expressions of thinking and behaviour are brought forth, which now are alienated among the Armenians
Literary Criticism within a Methodological Framework
Summary
Sergey N. Sarinyan
Literary Criticism occupies a special place in the system of the humanitarian sciences. Its development as a science has a history of centuries which, originating from ancient Exegetics via a complex flow of methodological pursuances, reached our days. Literary Criticism is one of the branches of philological sciences and has its own method and methodology. The nature of the method is conditioned by the studied object’s overall content of literature where it deals with the natural and social sciences. The selfdetermination of literary criticism as a separate area of study starts from the second half of the 19th century and, already, in the 20th century it is subdivided into unique investigatory directions: sociological, psychological, marxistic, formalistic, linguistic, etc. Methods of global eminence are considered to be Impressionism, Marxism, and Structuralism with its two philosophical directions: Existentialism and Phenomenology. Neopositivism and Postmodernism give direction to modern Literary Criticism.
Summary
Nora M. Arissian
The objective of this article is to present Armenia and matters of the Armenian question in modern Arabic modern historiography. The Arabic Encyclopedia in Syria also seems to count this topic with its historical facts. The Christianity factor of Armenia is mostly presented in Arabic historiography. Mohamed Sadek al-Kerbasi in his book “Islam in Armenia” reflects on the notion of Armenia’s Christianity. Many historical researches reflect the Arabic point of view concerning Armenia and the Armenian question in recent years, for instance Fuad Hasan Hafez in his book “Independent Armenia” and Ahmad Fuad Reslan in “Armenia, Nation and Government,” dedicating many chapters to the study of the Armenian question in the 19th and 20th centuries.
It is also mentioned in the studies of Mohamed Rifaat al-Imam from Egypt who had many historical researches concerning the Armenian question, such as “Armenians in Egypt in the 19th Century”, “The Armenian Question in the Ottoman Empire,” “Armenians, the West and Islam,” “The Genocide 1946-1948”, etc.
The article also stresses on the Arabic press that has dealt with the facts of the Armenian question, especially lately dealing with the Protocols between Armenia and Turkey
Summary
Manuk A. Harutyunyan
After the tectonic changes that have taken place over the past 20 years in Armenia, it is necessary to clarify as to how the notions of social justice have been altered and what are the comprehensible criteria for justice today.
The urgency of the issue of social justice does not mean that is possible to return to the Soviet understanding of equality. As a matter of principle the liberal approach, which is connected to the formal equality of rights, is also unacceptable, because it does embrace the conditions for its realization. We are convinced that Armenian society is ready for a new understanding of justice, for the comprehension of “just development;” for the poor, protection, for active and enterprising people, support by the state and for the wealthy, laws. The new understanding of social justice can and should be grounded upon the linkages of social-national solidarity, guarantees and responsibility.
Thereby, the main slogans for Armenia’s systematic modernization are patriotism, democracy, justice.
Summary
Haroutiun L. Kurkjian
This essay examines the conditions of possibility for the Armenian literature to accede to the world literary environment. It treats preferentially the qualitative factors, ignoring the objective ones: politic, economic or administrative (public relations, organization of translations and publication markets).
A series of attempts follow to define the intrinsic, qualitative criteria permitting such an opening of national (this term including here “ethnic” acceptation as well) literatures:
1. National cultures, in spite of periodic waves of “internationalization”, continue their way vigorously, preserving their originality, while opening to leading world cultures and integrating some of their most universal elements.
2. Works in national literatures that are potential candidates for an opening indeed draw part of their nurture in the national cultural soil, but very promptly overstep it, acceding to a kind of a global, universal “legibility”.
3. In these literatures, such an access to the world level usually is not realized by works of popular, “folkloristic” type; but, mostly, by works that express a strong and culturally “extraverted” personality.
4. Then, in a given national literature, valuable works are not, or not obligatorily at all, characterized by any “national” contents. The mere fact that they are written in the given language is enough to indicate their belonging to the corresponding literature and culture – a language being itself, ipso facto, a bearer of national style and spirit.
The present essay, moreover, distinguishes between two specific situations framing the Armenian literature: the national statehood and the diasporian dispersion; having, for each of them, corresponding conditions of possibility for an access to the world literature.
Another major thesis, such an opening should be realized not only by works of foreign-language authors of an Armenian origin, but exclusively by works initially written in Armenian (i.e. translated from an Armenian original text); and more specifically by works that, in a bound of creativity, promote the mother tongue towards a new, original quality…