PHILOSOPHICAL CIRCLE

The openly declared aim of the Philosophical Circle was to provide a forum where the most general problems of evolution theory can be discussed freely, without any restrictions or constraints, even from the point of view of "profound" philosophy. Evolution theory is a philosophical topic heavily influenced by ideology.. No wonder, since it deals with something becoming something else, including with such crucial problems whether the Universe was cretaed by Somebody or came into being by itself.

At that time it was a fascinating and unique experience to discuss such themes frankly and fearlessly. A number of questions were brough up, such as:  -Which category is more general, evolution or motion? - What is the measure on the scale of ascending evolution? - Evantually Man, as it was assumed already by Protagoras? Some people considered this unjustified anthropocentrism, science has to ged rid of. - What is the summit? Man? Religious members of the Circle obviously opposed to this idea: according to their views, the Supreme Being is God. Such conversies were discussed without conflicting emotions, in a friendly athmosphere, what is a rarity even outside the ideological dictature of marxism. The spirit rendered the Circle very attractive. Within a couple of months it grew out of beautiful secession style palace of the Geological Institute, and it was jointed by representatives of a wide variety of professors and views.

It goes without saying that in the Hungarian People's Republic a circle devoted to free thinking could not operate without conflicts in the seventies and even in the first half of the eighties.At that time, philosophy was strictly controlled by the communist party-state. In the year 1973 several Hungarian philosophers were put in prison. During the first years of its existence, the Circle traversed quite a few crises. Survivig them, it gained momentum and more sympathiseres. It can be stated with full right that the Philosophical Circle was the first civil learned society of "alrenative thinking" in Hungary. Doing its entire history, the Circle interpreted "philosophy" as a most general discipline. In this inter-disciplinary company, philosophy literally became incarnated! In steady contact with everyday life, closely related to the timely problems of human society, the Circle never was a merely meditative, l'atr pour l'art style community. As a result, it has become an active and widely appreciated forum of urgent problems of Mankind, such as environmental protection.

It has already several Regional Branchs in Hungary, and others are being organised even abroad. The very first regional branch was the Tokajhegyalja Group established by István Géczy (1926-2002) in 1993. It organized several highstandard meetings in the Rakoczy Castle of Szerencs and at Abaujszanto. Also the publication of thefirst valuable YEARBOOK of the Philosophical Circle is due to the efficient management of the Tokajhegyalja Group.
Other regional groups of the Philosophical Circle: Sopron, established by Jozsef Agocs in 1994, Bugac, established by Andrew Banhidi in 1994, Alcsutdoboz, established by late Dr. Ferenc Halász (1949-2002) in 1997, Szekszárd: established by Dr. Tibor Horváth in 2005.

Budapest, December 2006.
Dr. Csaba Detre
President of the Philosophical Circle

Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research   

Programme:

• Establishing the finantial basis for environmental research projects set up for solving complex environmental problems.
• Coordination the activity of individual scinetific investigations.
• The Foundation intends to publish the results of these investigations.
• The Foundation supports individual research fellows as well as research groups by announcing tenders and organizing scientific conferences and meetings.
• The Foundation is open for all scientific disciplines associated with environmental investigations or representing any subject of public interest.