Knowledge and Reality: Models, Methodologies and Heuristics
The Section is part of the “Knowledge and Reality” Division of the Institute.
The section has a distinctly interdisciplinary orientation of its research, with its synergy being the creation of philosophical, sociological and scientific models for the description of knowledge and reality, the explanation of their relationships, philosophical-methodological analyses, outlining heuristics, scientific strategies, etc. The results have both a purely theoretical and applied significance related to the needs of scientific and social development. The study of knowledge and reality is closely linked to the development of appropriate methodologies and heuristics, which because of their importance are themselves the object of study. The models of knowledge and reality, methodologies and heuristics are the subject of development by philosophers, as well as by scientists, sociologists of science and knowledge, and, prospectively, by other specialists.
Projects:
“The Interplay of Ontology and Epistemology in the Philosophy of Mathematics in the 21st Century”
A three-year collaborative research project under the BAS bilateral cooperation with Wallonia (under the EBR) with a team from the University of Liège, Belgium, for 2014-2016. The Bulgarian team is headed by Prof. Dr. Veselin Petrov and the Bulgarian participants are Prof. Dr. Engelsina Taseva, Prof. Dr. Marina Bakalova and Prof. Dr. Rosen Lyutskanov (from the Logical Systems and Models Section). The project is a continuation of several previous similar projects with the same team of Belgian colleagues.
“Rationality in Science and Metaphysics”
Scientific project for joint work under the bilateral cooperation of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with the Slovak Academy of Sciences, with a team from the Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences for 2015-2017. Prof. Dr. Engelsina Taseva, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Bakalova, Asst. Dr. Daniela Ivanova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petya Todorova and Assoc. Dr. Ivaylo Kutov. The project is a continuation of a previous project with Slovak colleagues.
“Models, Methodologies and Heuristics in Contemporary Philosophical Discourse – Part II”
In-house project (2016 – 2019) with supervisor Prof. Dr. Prof. Veselin Petrov and participants. Dr. Ivaylo Kutov, Asst. Dr. Daniela Ivanova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petya Todorova and external participants Prof. Dr. Dimitar Tsatsov (Veliko Tarnovo University), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Bologashev (Veliko Tarnovo University).
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia и University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
International Bulgarian-Australian scientific network, led by Prof. Prof. Prof. Vesselin Petrov, in the field of applied procedural ontology. The network is currently running a joint three-year research project “Applying Process-Relational Ontologies to Re-integrate Active Subjects within Contemporary Scientific Models”, led by prof. Prof. Petrov and participants Prof. Dr. Aneta Karageorgieva (St. Kli Ohridski Sofia University), Assoc. Prof. Mark Dibben (University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia), Dr. Cristina Neesham (Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia). The tendency is to extend the network with participants from other countries with a new joint project after the completion of this project.
“Enhancing the teaching of philosophy and civic education (Class IX-XII) by developing key competencies of students”
Project funded by the Research Fund (January – December 2023).
staff
Alumni doctoral students: Tsvetelina Yorgova, Tsveta Doncheva, Vladimir Manolov, Radostina Minina
Problem Group in LOGIC
The Problem Group in Logic (under the Knowledge and Reality: Models, Methodologies and Heuristics Section) is the successor of the Logic Section and the Logical Systems and Models Section.
The interests of its members in logic are oriented towards research determined by the rapid development of non-classical logics such as paraconsistent, relevance and connectionist logics, modal, polynomial and fuzzy logics, non-monotonic systems, semantics of possible and impossible worlds, indeterminacy theories, and their applications in epistemology, ontology, linguistics and computer science. Research interest is also focused on: the scantifications of logical following in various logical theories, theories of argumentation and critical thinking, logical paradoxes, and problems in the history of logic, among others. The focus of the research of the Problem Group on Logic are various syntactic and semantic problems of classical and modal logic, as well as important issues in the philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, etc.
Scientists of the group have training of the highest professional level, repeatedly recognized in the international scientific community, both in terms of education, specializations, publications, participation in high international forums, leadership and partnership in national and international projects. Members of the unit have accumulated experience not only in research but also in teaching.
The members of the Problem Group in Logic have several publications, some of them in prestigious international journals, as well as good contacts with leading universities and academies such as the University of Oxford, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Czech Academy of Sciences, the University of Liverpool, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, etc. Members of the Logic Problem Group published the first of its kind in Bulgaria “Encyclopedic Dictionary of Logic and Semantics” (published by “Zvezdy”, 2012), to supplement and update it.
The training of the PhD students within the Problem Group in Logic is by the legal and regulatory norms in force in the country. In the last two years, three PhD students have been dismissed with the right to defend, one of whom has already defended his dissertation and obtained the degree of Doctor of Education and Science.
Projects of the Problem Group in Logic members in the last 5 years:
Project with the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences on “Non-classical logical systems and their applications” (2017-2019 incl.) with Bulgarian supervisor – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dorothea Angelova
Project with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences on “Logical Models, Analysis and Explanation in Cognition” (2018-2021) with Bulgarian supervisor – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dorothea Angelova
Project “Analysis and Philosophical Reflection on the Role of the Beron Family in the Spiritual Development of Bulgaria and its Integration into World Culture” (2018-2022) at the Scientific Research Fund with the supervisor Prof. Martin Tabakov, PhD.
Current projects of the Problem Group in Logic:
Project with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) within the grant scheme between BAS and PAS on the topic “The importance of logical models for modern science” with the Bulgarian leader – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elena Tsvetkova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kristian Enchev.
Planning project of ch. assistant professor Elena Tsvetkova, PhD, on the topic: “Experimental approach to the concept of conversational implicatures”, 2020-2023.