Department of Philosophy in 1945-1990

The Department of Philosophy as part of the re-evacuated University resumes its work after World War II in September 1945. Till 1952 the Department is headed by Associate Professor, later Full Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine D. Ostrianyn succeeded after his departure to Kyiv by Associate Professor A. Rysto (1953-1960). The Department faculty in 1954-1960 comprises two generations: faculty members with working experience at higher educational institutions in the pre-war period, namely: Full Professors D. Ostrianyn, Ya. Bludov (rehabilitated after the XX Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union), Associate Professors A. Rysto, H. Sukhov, M. Partolin; and more numerous faculty members who start out at the Department after the war: Yu. Bukhalov, I. Beihel, M. Hlushchenko, K. Havrysh, H. Kolomiiets, I. Kulykov, O. Slabkyi, V. Sherstniuk, O. Yakuba.

The Department of Philosophy as part of the re-evacuated University resumes its work after World War II in September 1945. Till 1952 the Department is headed by Associate Professor, later Full Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine D. Ostrianyn succeeded after his departure to Kyiv by Associate Professor A. Rysto (1953-1960). The Department faculty in 1954-1960 comprises two generations: faculty members with working experience at higher educational institutions in the pre-war period, namely: Full Professors D. Ostrianyn, Ya. Bludov (rehabilitated after the XX Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union), Associate Professors A. Rysto, H. Sukhov, M. Partolin; and more numerous faculty members who start out at the Department after the war: Yu. Bukhalov, I. Beihel, M. Hlushchenko, K. Havrysh, H. Kolomiiets, I. Kulykov, O. Slabkyi, V. Sherstniuk, O. Yakuba.

The urgent need for training qualified professionals for both the University and other higher educational institutions of the city is gradually satisfied after the postgraduate programs are opened in the Philosophy speciality (1945-1946). D. Ostrianyi who has diverse scientific interests, with the prevailing attention devoted to the history of national philosophical thought, considerably contributes to research organization. It is here that his search proves most fruitful and enthusiastically supported by the Department’s scholars. The studies in the field later result in a monograph series: M. Kotsiubynskyi‘s Social and Political Views (Kharkiv, 1953) by M. Partolin; L. Ukrainka’s Social and Political Views (Kyiv, 1953) by I. Kulykov; P. Hrabovskyi‘s Social and Political Views (Kyiv, 1957) by Yu. Bukhalov; N. Shelhunov’s World Outlook (Kharkiv, 1960) by O. Slabkyand M. Partolin’s second monograph on Kotsiubynskyi’s belief system is followed by a doctoral thesis defended in 1970. There emerge the first studies on the history of philosophical tradition at Kharkiv University with particular interest in J. B. Schad and T. Osypowski (authored by Full Professor Y. Kravets who works at the Department in the pre-war years and afterwards is closely related to it in terms of his scientific interests).

In the late 1950s — early 1960s the philosophical thought is set new tasks. National philosophy focuses on developing epistemological, logical and methodological problems, which considerably encourages understanding of a wide range of philosophical problems, particularly those of social philosophy. This turn in the philosophical research is headed by the famous scientist, Doctor of Philosophy, Head of the Department (1963-1975), Full Professor Yu. Bukhalov, one of the first Ukrainian philosophers thoroughly investigating such major problems of epistemology as gnostic image, correlation between practice and cognition, subject and object, the subjective and the objective.

His works, especially those published in the reputable philosophical journals such as Filosofsky Nauky (Philosophical Sciences) and Filosofska Dumka (Philosophical Thought) become well-known among the specialists in the field. In 1965 Kharkiv University Bulletin extends to include Philosophy Series section, its first editor-in-chief being Yu. Bukhalov, who deserves much credit for training highly qualified professionals in different areas of philosophical knowledge spheres, primarily focusing on methodological aspects of modern scientific cognition.

This is the time when a monographic series in philosophical problems of modern natural history is initiated resulting in monographs by K. Havrysh, M. Topolia, I. Tsekhmistro. At the same time the Department’s scientific interests are becoming more and more varied. A. Mark publishes the one of the first special monographs in Soviet philosophical literature, which is devoted to the man in the history of philosophy. The fundamental work by O. Yakuba, which lays the foundation for her doctoral thesis, thoroughly generalizes the analysis of the regulatory function of law and morals in modern society.

O. Plakhotnyi’s monograph initiates the development of the new for the Department subject matters related to the freedom-responsibility correlation. Ya. Bludov and O. Stepanchenko’s book elaborates on the interesting ethics related issues.

The first in Ukraine University Lab of Case Studies is established on the initiative of Yu. Bukhalov and O. Yakuba in November 1963. It plays an important role in establishing and developing Kharkiv sociological school headed for nearly four decades by Full Professor O. Yakuba. It is significant that the professor herself considers Yu. Bukhalov to be forefather of Kharkiv sociology. It is already during its fledgling years that the sociological lab conducts large-scale studies at five Kharkiv major machine-building factories, with the results published in the collective monograph The Role of Community in the Production Management (Experience of Case Study) in 1968. An important direction in her research framework is the study of student personality and problems associated with its shaping (See collective monograph edited by Full Professor O. Yakuba Communist Ideals and Shaping Student Personality (1977).

In 1976-1991, the Department is headed by Associate Professor (Full Professor since 1983) O. Plakhotnyi. That period is marked by considerable attention in the Department activity devoted to the organizational aspect, strengthening labor discipline, preparing questions for discussion at the Department meetings and sittings of the Educational and Methodological Committee. Frequent are public and demonstration lectures, reciprocal visiting of classes by the faculty members that are to be obligatorily discussed afterwards in terms of their content and quality.

Research at the Department is then carried out in two directions: logic and methodology of scientific cognition and the problem of freedom and responsibility. The former is replenished with new publications by I. Tsekhmistro, who defends his doctoral thesis in 1977, L. Bondarenko, A. Ivanishchenko, H. Nosko, O. Tiahlo. V. Shkoda’s monographic analysis of the diversity idea and its heuristic value can be considered groundbreaking for the literature of that time. O. Plakhotnyi’s monograph The Problem of Social Responsibility (Kharkiv, 1981) and his doctoral thesis defended in 1982 are crucial for the other research area.

Meanwhile, studies of metaphilosophical problems are on the rise. O. Mamalui and Yu. Bukhalov present their own methodological versions of Marxist philosophy in the context of the unity of dialectical and historical materialism that are grounded in their monographs.

In 1980, the Lab of Case Studies serves as the basis for the foundation of the Department of Sociology (its first head: Full Professor O. Yakuba) whose activity predetermines first the opening of a specialization in Sociology and then (in 1990) the establishment of The School of Sociology (its first dean: Full Professor V. Bakirov).

Efficient integration of a wide range of philosophical, logical and methodological, socio-humanistic studies conducted at the Department of Philosophy contribute to establishing a new University-wide Department of the philosophical and culturological profile — the Department of Theory of Culture and Philosophy of Science headed by I. Tsekhmistro.

By the turn of 1980s and 1990s the Department of Philosophy of Kharkiv University gains a foothold as one of the most recognized centers of philosophical and culturological knowledge in Ukraine — an achievement made possible thanks to the qualified professionals trained in postgraduate and doctoral programs, productive scientific, educational and methodological work of the Department.