Department of Philosophical Problems of Creativity

Head of the Department: Main Research Fellow at the RAS Institute of Philosophy, Prof., DSc in Philosophy Natalia M. Smirnova.

In 2013 Evolutionary Epistemology Dept. was transformed into the Department of Philosophical problems of creativity. The former was founded in 1992 on the basis of the previous Department of Philosophical Problems of Thinking and Creativity which was in its turn created at the Institute of Philosophy, USSR Academy of Sciences in 1986. Up to 2008, the Department of Evolutionary Epistemology was chaired by Dr. habil. in Philosophy Igor P. Merkulov. 2008-2013 years department was chaired by Dr. habil. in Philosophy Helena N. Knyazeva. In the year 2013 the Dept. was transformed into the Department of philosophical problems of creativity, chaired by Dr. habil. in Philosophy Natalia M. Smirnova.

Main research fields 2020-2024:

From 2020 till 2024 the department works within the framework of the project

“Cognition, mind, language, text in the context of contemporary cognitive sciences and interdisciplinary studies of human being”.

Sub-theme of the department within the framework of the above-mentioned project may be designated as philosophical and methodological analysis of creativity as meaning-constitutive human activity. Philosophical analysis of meaning-constitutive activity in vernacular, scientific and poetic languages, creative sub-consciousness and tacit knowledge appear the main subject matter of the study. We consider culture-constitutive functions of creative activity, its significance in socio-cultural personality’s identification as well as creative constituencies of digital humanities under discussion.

During 2015-2019 the main research project was: “Epistemology of Creativity: Cognitive and Socio-Cultural Dimensions”.

Main research fields 2013-2024:

Methodological presumptions of creativity’s study within the framework of constructive realism’s, bodily oriented approaches’ and post-nonclassical hermeneutics’paradigm;
Comprehensive philosophical analysis of cognitive and socio-cultural dimensions of creativity as meaning-constituting human activity;
Philosophic-methodological analysis of creativity as cognitive extension of semantic space of human activity, thinking and social organization;
Cognitive presumptions’ analysis in the study of meaning as ideal subject matter of epistemology and intentional object of logic-methodological analysis;
Research work in the field of phenomenology of meaning in the context of critique of contemporary radical naturalistic approaches in philosophical theory of knowledge;
Conceptual analysis of meaning-constituting human activity in the framework of modern significant philosophical projects: analytical philosophy of language, phenomenology, post-structural philosophy;
Comparative analysis of heuristic power of lingua-communicative, mental and bodily-oriented approaches in the study of meaning;
Social epistemology of language: the place of language in cognitive architecture;
Language and theory formation for the study of creative unconscious and meaning-constituting dynamics correlated to different stages of creative capacities evolution process;
Interdisciplinary researches of meaning genesis in language: semantic split-sense, epistemology of metaphor, the role of imagination and memory in meaning-constituting process, contemporary aspects of mind-body and language-thinking problems;
The study of the current trends in epistemology (tacit knowledge, computer metaphor of consciousness, neurophilosophy, philosophy of artificial intelligence and so on) for the purpose of cognitive foundation of creativity process’ reconstruction;
Philosophical transformations of meanings in cognitive projects of hermeneutics;
Cultural ontology of artistic reality’s problems;
The study of abstract thinking’s sensomotor foundations on the basis of contemporary bodily-oriented theory of knowledge;
Human creative capabilities’ expansion on the basis of digital technologies.

Research fellows:

Natalia M. Smirnova, Prof., DSc in Philosophy, Main Research Fellow, Professor, Head of the Department
Alina A. Alekseeva, Senior Laboratory Assistant
Irina A. Beskova, DSc in Philosophy, Leading Research Fellow
Julia S. Morkina, Ph.D. in Philosophy, Senior Research Fellow
Elena I. Yaroslavtseva, Ph.D. in Philosophy, Docent, Senior Research Fellow
Stanislava A. Filipenok, Ph.D. in Philosophy, Research Fellow

Collective Publications:

Philosophy of Creativity. 9 th Issue. Philosophical and Methodological Analysis of Creativity Processes /Eds.: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: Golos, 2023 – 430 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 8 th Issue. Philosophical and Methodological Analysis of Creativity Processes /Eds.: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: Golos, 2022 – 352 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 7 th Issue. Philosophical and Methodological Analysis of Cognitive Foundations of Creativity /Eds.: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: Golos, 2021 – 408 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 6 th Issue. Philosophical and Methodological Analysis of Creativity Processes /Eds.: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: Golos, 2020. – 374 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 5 th Issue. Meaningful Dimensions of socio-cultural Spaces of Creativity /Eds.: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: IIntell, 2019. – 264 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 4 th Issue. Images of Creativity in the Diversity of Socio-cultural practices /Eds.: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: IIntell, 2018. – 422 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 3 th Issue. Creativity and Human Life-World / Eds: Natalia Smirnova, Irina Beskova. Moscow: IIntell, 2017. – 382 p.
Philosophy of Creativity. 2 th Issue. Cognitive and Sociocultural Dimensions / Eds: Natalia Smirnova, Anatoly Maidanov. Moscow: IIntell, 2016. – 314 p.
Philosophy of Creativity / Eds: Smirnova, Andrei Alexeev. Moscow: IIntell, 2015. – 476 p.
Experience and Meaning / Ed. by Natalia Smirnova. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2014. – 476 p.
Intersubjectivity in Science and Philosophy / Ed. by Natalia Smirnova. Moscow: Canon+, 2014. – 416 p.
The Problem of Imagination in Evolutionary Epistemology / Ed. by Helena Knyazeva. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2013. – 207 p.
Evolutionary Epistemology: the Modern Discussion and Trends / Eds: Helena Knyazeva. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2012. – 236 p.
Creativity: Epistemological Analysis / Eds: Helena Knyazeva. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2011. – 226 p.
The Embodiment as an Epistemological Phenomenon. / Eds: Irina Beskova. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2009. – 231 p.
Multidimentionality of Truth / Eds: Anatoly A. Gorelov and Michail M. Novoselov. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2008. – 215 p.
Oppositions and Paradoxes (Methodological Analysis). / Eds: Irina A. Gerasimova. Moscow: Canon+, 2008.
The Visual Image (Interdisciplinary Studies). / Eds: Irina A. Gerasimova. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2008.
Philosophy of Science. Issue 12 (The Phenomenon of Cosciousness). / Eds: Igor P. Merkulov. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2006.
Contradiction and Discourse. / Eds: Irina A. Gerasimova. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2005.
Philosophy. Encyclopaedia. / Eds: Alexander A. Ivin. Moscow: Gardariki, 2004. – 1072 p.
Evolution. Thinking. Cosciousness. / Eds: Igor P. Merkulov. Moscow: Canon+, 2004. – 352 p.
Thought and the Art of Argumentation. / Eds: Irina A. Gerasimova. Moscow: Progress-Tradition, 2003.
Evolution. Language. Cognition. / Eds: Igor P. Merkulov. Moscow: Languages of the Russian Culture, 2000.
Facets of Scientific Creativity. / Eds: Anatoly S. Majdanov. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 1999. – 284 p.
Evolutionary Epistemology: Problems and Prospects. / Eds: Igor P. Merkulov. Moscow: The Russian Political Encyclopaedia Publishers, 1996.
Evolution, Culture, Cognition. / Eds: Igor P. Merkulov. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 1996.
The Scientific Progress: The Cognitive and Socio-cultural Aspects. / Eds: Igor P. Merkulov. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 1993. – 197 p.

Main Monographs:

Anatoly Gorelov, Tatiava Gorelova. Self-Creation as a Llife Strategy. Monograph. M.: RUSAINS, 2021. – 186 p. ISBN 978-5-4365-8943-5;
Anatoly Gorelov. Stanislava Filipenok, Elena Yaroslavtseva. Creativity, Human Being, Science. Moscow, IPH RAS, 2018. - 101 p. ISBN 978-5-9540-0336-9;
Anatoly Gorelov. Russian Revolution and the Civilizational Principles of Russia. Moscow, Telecom, 2018. 166 p. ISBN 978-5-9912-0717-1;
Natalia M. Smirnova. Meaning and Creativity. Moscow, Canon+ , 2017. – 304 p.
Julia Morkina. Poetic Creativity: Philosophical Analysis. Moscow, Canon+ , 2017. – 304 p.
Anatoly Majdanov. Epistemology and Logic of the Myth: the Heavenly, the Terrestrial, the Human. URSS, Moscow. 2017. – 600 p.
Natalia M. Smirnova, Anatoly A. Gorelov, Julia S. Morkina. Creativity, Meaning, Interpretation. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2016. – 137 p.
Natalia M. Smirnova, Irina A. Beskova, Anatoly S. Majdanov. Language, Meaning, Creativity. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2015. – 141 p.
Natalia M. Smirnova. Social Phenomenology in the Study of Contemporary Society. Moscow: Canon+, 2009. – 400 p.
Irina A. Beskova, Helena Knyazeva, Daria A. Beskova. The Nature and Images of Embodimentl. Moscow, Progress-Tradition, 2011. – 456 p.
Julia S. Morkina. Social Epistemology by David Bloor: Origins and Philosophical Meaning. Moscow, 2012. – 256p.
Natalia M. Smirnova. From Social Metaphisics to Phenomenology of the “Natural Attitude”. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 1997. – 223 p.
Irina A. Beskova, Irina A. Gerasimova, Igor P. Merkulov. The Phenomenon of Consciousness. Moscow: Progress-Tradition, 2010. – 367 p.
Alexander A. Ivin. The Human Preferences. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2010.
Anatoly A. Gorelov. Truth and Meaning. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2010. – 152 p.
Anatoly S. Majdanov. Perception of Beauty by Blind People. Moscow: Canon+, 2010. – 648 p.
Anatoly S. Majdanov. Methodology of Scientific Creativity. Moscow: LKI Publishers, 2008. – 208 p.
Elena N. Shulga. Understanding and Interpretation. Moscow: Nauka, 2008.
Helena Knyazeva, Sergei P. Kurdyumov. Synergetics: Nonlinearity of Time and Landscapes of Co-evolution. Moscow: KomKniga/URSS, 2007 (The 2^nd extended edition, 2011).
Alexander A. Ivin. Axiology. Moscow: Higher School Publishers, 2006. – 390 p.
Igor P. Merkulov. Epistemology (Cognitive and Evolutionary Approach). Vol. 2. St. Petersburg, 2006.
Helena Knyazeva, Sergei P. Kurdyumov. Foundations of Synergetics. Man Constructing Himself and His Future. Moscow: KomKniga/URSS, 2006 (The 4^th edition, 2011).
Michail M. Novoselov. Abstraction in Labyrinths of Cognition (The Logical Analysis). Moscow, 2005 (The 2^nd edition, 2010).
Helena Knyazeva, Sergei P. Kurdyumov. Foundations of Synergetics. The Synergetic Worldview. Moscow: KomKniga/URSS, 2005 (the 3^rd extended edition, Librokom/URSS, 2010).
Irina A. Beskova. The Nature of Dreams (The Epistemological Analysis). Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2005.
Alexander A. Ivin. The Modern Philosophy of Science. Moscow: Higher School Publishers, 2005.
Elena N. Shulga. Problems of Pre-understanding in Hermeneitics, Phenomenology, Sociology. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2004.
Igor P. Merkulov. Epistemology (The Cognitive and Evolutionary Approach). Vol.1. St. Petersburg, 2003. – 472 p.
Elena N. Shulga. The Cognitive Hermeneutics. Moscow Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2002.
Anatoly S. Majdanov. The Process of Scientific Creative Activities. 2^nd edition. Moscow, 2002. – 208 p.
Helena Knyazeva, Sergei P. Kurdyumov. Foundations of Synergetics. Blow-up Regimes, Self-organization, Tempo-worlds. St. Petersburg: Aletheia, 2002.
Irina A. Beskova. Evolution and Consciousness: A New View. Moscow: Indrik, 2002.
Michail M. Novoselov. Logic of Abstractions (The Methodological Analysis). Part 1. Moscow, 2000. Part 2. Moscow, 2003.
Alexander A. Ivin. Jan Łukasiewicz’s Modal Theories. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2001.
Irina A. Beskova. Evolution and Consciousness. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 2001.
Igor P. Merkulov. The Cognitive Evolution. Moscow: ROSSPEN, 1999. – 312 p.
Helena Knyazeva. The Odyssey of Scientific Mind: The Synergeic View of Scientific Progress. Moscow: The Institute of Philosophy of RAS Publishers, 1995.

International Research Projects:

2011-2013: Innovative Complexity: Methodological, Cognitive and Social Aspects, Russian Foundation for Humanities- Byelorussian Foundation for Basic Research. Helena Knyazeva, Head.

Main Research Projects Supported by Russian Foundations:

Contemporary Tendencies in Human and Social Sciences’ Development within the Context of Digitization Processes and New Social Challenges: Interdisciplinary Approach /ac. Smirnov, Chair. Agreement: 075-15-2020-798. Smirnova N., Beskova I., Morkina J., Filipenok S. – participants.
Phenomenology of Meaning: Cognitive Analysis, 2013-2015. Head: Natalia M. Smirnova. Executing Researchers: Marina S. Kiseleva, Irina A. Beskova, Julia S. Morkina, Stanislava A. Filipenok.
Intersujectivity as the Problem of Social Epistemology, 2010-2012, Head: Natalia M. Smirnova.
Phenomenological Epistemology in Trans-Disciplinary Researches, 2005–2007 – Russian Foundation for Fundamental Researches. Head: Natalia M. Smirnova.
Phenomenological Sociology in the Study of Contemporary Society, 2003–2005 – Russian Foundation for Humanities. Natalia M. Smirnova.Individual project.
To Perceive World through Body/Mind: Cognitive Science and the Philosophical the Philosophical Teachings of Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism about the Nature of Perception, Russian Foundations of Basic Research, 2010-2012, Head: Helena Knyazeva, Executing Researchers: Irina A. Beskova and Victoria G. Lysenko.
Complexity of Human Embodiment: Structure and Dynamics, Russian Foundation for Humanities, 2007-2009, Head: Irina A. Beskova, Executing Researchers: Helena Knyazeva and Daria Beskova.
Consciousness: Evolutionary, Cognitive and Socio-cultural Aspects, Russian Foundation for Humanities, 2004-2006, Head: Irina A. Beskova.
The Cognitive Approach in Epistemology, Russian Foundation for Humanities, 2000-2002, Head: Igor P. Merkulov.
The Creative Thinking and Its development, Russian Foundation for Humanities, 200-2002, Head: Anatoly S. Majdanov.

Academic events:

Round Table discussion: "Philosophy of Creativity in the Optics of Interdisciplinary Research" (31st session of the theoretical seminar "Philosophy of Creativity"), April 9, 2024
Section "Methodology of Social and Humanitarian Knowledge and Problems of Creativity" (Section IV) within the framework of the International Scientific Conference "The Third Stepin Readings: Perspectives of Philosophy of Science in the Modern Era" (Moscow, June 20-21, 2023, Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
Section “Creativity” within the framework of the III Russian Aesthetic Congress (Vladimir, May, 18-20, 2023)
Round Table discussion: "Subjectity of Creativity: Towards the Origins of Creative Meaning" (27th session of the theoretical seminar "Philosophy of Creativity"), Moscow, April, 11, April, 25, 2023.
VIII Russian Congress on Philosophy. Workshop 23: “Philosophy of Creativity” . Moscow, 26-28.05.2022
Round Table discussion devoted to the memory of A.S. Maidanov. April, 04, 2022.
Round Table discussion: “Theories of Creativity: The Unity in Diversity”, April,12, 2021, devoted to 100^th anniversary of RAS Institute of Philosophy.
The Second All-Russian Scientific Conference “Philosophy of Creativity”, Moscow, April, 11, 2019. Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences.

Some basic problems of Epistemology of creativity have been fruitfully discussed at the conference. All scientists of the “Philosophy of creativity” dept. have greatly contributed to the conference’s panel. The smooth running of the conference was ensured by the audio and video technical facilities.

The First All-Russian Scientific conference “Philosophy of Creativity”, Moscow, April, 8-9, 2015. Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences.

Regular quarterly theoretical seminar “Philosophy of Creativity” (since 2013), chaired by Natalia Smirnova (S. Filipenok, coordinater).

The seminar is aimed to attract due attention to philosophical problems of creativity. The main topics under consideration:

Creativity as meaning-constitution process,
Human thinking as creative process,
Creative process in new complexity context,
Creative dimension in scientific thinking,
Bodily-oriented approaches in the study of creativity,
Language-based approaches to creativity
Creativity peculiarities in the different fields of culture (music, theatre, architecture, etc)

Contact Information:

Postal address: Goncharnaya 12/1, Moscow, 109240, Russian Federation, Office 420

Tel.: +7 (495) 697-91-28.

E-mail: nsmirnova17@gmail.com