REASON AND BELIEFS

Within nowadays philosophical research, the relationship between reason and beliefs represents one of the most complex and actual interdisciplinary themes, encompassing the history of philosophy, metaphysics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of action, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion etc. The frameworks of these themes are determined, on the one hand by John Locke’s famous distinction between reason and faith, as two different and contrary manners of making claims about the validity of knowledge, and on the other hand by Kant’s distinction between knowledge (Wissen),conviction (Meinung) and opinion (Glaube), by means of which, ever since Kant, knowledge has been replaced by scientific knowledge (and the metaphysics in a classical meaning has been rejected). Leaving these classical tenets that oppose reason to opinion and/or conviction, and create a hierarchy between true knowledge, conviction and opinion, within the contemporary philosophical research there is a more and more increasingly interest taken in the study of the relation between reason and beliefs, whether we take belief in a strong meaning, as promoted by religions, worldviews, ideologies, moral systems etc, or in a weaker meaning, according to which belief is equal to opinion. Quine, for instance, considers that science is a certain type of belief. This interest, highly increasing nowadays, is concretized throughout the world by several directions of research:

– An attempt to reconcile reason and religious faith, but on the grounds of reason (the researches of Nicholas Wolterstorff, Alvin Plantinga, Richard Swinburne, Robert Audi, but also Richard Hare, analytical philosophers who do not see any incompatibility between reason and religious faith and build new arguments for the acceptance of God, affirm that reason does not contradict the belief in God and develop an epistemology of religion).

– An attempt to redefine the nature and boundaries of reason and rationality, according to which the problems of theoretical rationality and of the structure of cognition are discussed in the context of the forming of beliefs and convictions, but also of the way in which the different beliefs, convictions and attitudes structure the grammar of language and thought (Richard Strawson, W.V.O. Quine, Donald Davidson, van Fraassen, Jerry Fodor, David Papineau). We believe that Bayesianism (Frank Ramsey, Bruno de Fineti, Leonard J.Savage) can be integrated in this direction too, as it aims at the unification of the epistemic and practical theories of the rationality based on  the principle of mathematical anticipation (the strength of the convictions can be measured) and the construction of a theory of the  learning of beliefs and convictions, highly interesting in the context of the theme of this project, as well as the different projects that show the importance of the emotional factor in the constitution and functioning of reason (Antonio Damasio). On the same level, a highly complex approach is that of the epistemic logic (Nicholas Rescher, Saul Kripke).

– An attempt to rethink the concept of reason, in which the discussions concerning the procedural and content aspects (substantive rationality) bring forward again Humean suggestions that cast a new light upon the relation between reason and practical rationality (Richard Brandt, Bernard Williams, Elisabeth Anscombe). In this kind of attempts, in the various technical variants that can be identified, the rationality of the agent is the basic assumption of the moral argument: the theory of rational decision (John Harsanyi, David Gauthier, Michael Resnik), the theory of rational choice, the theories of economical rationality and the theory of games (Keneth Arrow, Robert Axelrod, Brian Barry, Anthony Downs, Jon Elster, James M. Buchanan, Mancur Olson).

Our project continues a line of research in which reason and rationality are defined by their relation to norms. To be rational is to follow rules. This line of research is represented by philosophers that are quite different and have different interests (John Rawls, Jürgen Habermas, Michael Sandel, Alasdair MacIntyre, Charles Taylor, Richard Rorty, Hillary Putnam, Michael Walzer), but who consider that philosophy is responsible for the entire problematic of knowledge and of the orientation in the world. This starting point will allow us to try a series of junctions with some of the other branches of philosophical research, some of them even highly specialized, such as epistemology of religion and epistemic logic.

The project we propose follows the direction of thought of Rawls – Habermas, it is inscribed in the framework of political and moral philosophy and focuses on the concept of public reason, a concept inherited from Kant that plays an important part in Rawls’ later work and in the most recent writings of Habermas. Rawls and Habermas have equally claimed a Kantian origin for their theories of social justice and the theory of communicative action, and have advanced their theories as a foundation for the accomplishment of a stable and rational society in the conditions of post-modernity, on the basis of a new understanding of the concept of public reason. For, as it seems, post-modernity modifies the homogeneous structure of the domain of applicability of the classical concepts of practical reason cut out to fit a homogeneous society able to be organized according to universal rules. In a multicultural society, values are different, relative and express particular points of view. The cultural map of the contemporary society is kaleidoscopic: cultures overlap, influence each other, change their configuration and, at the same time, open themselves and isolate themselves. One could even say that there isn’t just one reason and just one form of rationality. Could we accept, therefore, in the name of cultural specificity, the violation of the human rights, the exploitation of children or any kind of repression? Which is the way to make possible an agreement between opposite worldviews which originate from opposite and irreducible values and visions?

In Rawls’ and Habermas’ fundamental works it is clearly pointed out that the public reason in the most important way of answering these kind of questions and others alike. As reason is the one that imposed the preservation of the cultural diversity of societies, and led to tolerance and the defence of human rights, once again it is called forth to offer grounds and means of making possible the existence of a society in which this diversity can exist without insoluble conflicts.

The concept of public reason will be the central concept of our approach, too. Thus, we come in a line of research that includes the specific contributions of philosophers like Bruce Ackerman, David Gauthier, Onora O’Neill, Seyla Benhabib, Gerald Gaus, Thomas Nagel, Charles Larmore, Fred d’Agostino, Christine M. Korsgaard, Lawerence B. Solum, Bruce W. Brower, Gerald J. Postema etc. These contributions can be found in articles from the most important journals of philosophy and of political and moral philosophy from The Journal of Philosophy to Political Theory or San Diego Law Review. Also, the focused discussions around the problem of public reason have been synthesized in a special issue Public Reason (edited by Fred d’Agostino, Gerald Gaus, Dortmouth: Ashgate, 1998) within the series The International Research Library of Philosophy, series edited under the guidance of John Skorupski which groups thematically the most important articles from the journals of philosophy.

The specific contribution of our project will join the trend illustrated by these authors and will consist in a fundamental research with practical ends. Our research will consist in:

1. a)the investigation of the theoretical and cognitive assumptions engaged in the discussion about public reason: the theoretical problem of reason and rationality;
2. b)the critical examination of the conceptions regarding public reason and the development of a concept of public reason in accordance with the problems that contemporary society and man challenge practical philosophy;
3. c)the inter-connection of the results of this investigation and the problematic of the education in a multi-cultural society with the aim of making them operational.

By its first aspect, our project will generate results in the re-analysis of the problematic of the nature of rationality, of its sources, its structure, its telos, and its limits (the fundamental aspect of the research), and concerning its second and third aspects, our project will highlight the conditions of possibility of the public reason in a multi-cultural society, in which the conceptions and the ways of life, although irreducible, have to be harmonized. The great challenge of this relation and which constitutes the novelty of our approach will consist in the fact that we want to extend the discussion about the public reason from the political field, where it is centred, to content aspects that can be capitalized by education. Although we accept the conclusions of several philosophers according to whom the cultures are closed systems, having their own norms and values, our project aims at identifying possible common elements (reductions) by which minimal concordances could be realized. Rawls’ and Habermas’ solutions to this problem suppose a public reason having a procedural nature expressed by political mechanisms (in Rawls’ narrow definition, the public reason is the reason of the political forum, while Habermas’ view it also includes the civic forum).

Our project proposes an answer that leads back to Kant, who defines public reason in relation not only to the state, but also to the formation (die Bildung) and education. Public reason is the reason used by the scholar (the cultivated man) in front of an intellectual public (the cultivated public). From this point of view, our answer doesn’t refer anymore to what rationally fits to all cultures or people (the procedural answer corresponding to the famous concept of overlapping consensus, or to the situation of an ideal discussion of Habermas‘s Idealsprache), but to those minimal formative elements for the exercise of public reason in a multi-cultural society – a kind of return to the aspects of the illuminist content of the public reason as an emancipatory reason. We consider that such a position represents a courageous approach, full of perspectives, especially in the context of a society in which globalization and multiculturalism become everyday aspects of our life. In this society, the industrialization of knowledge and globalization prove to be insufficient for the rationalization of man. But education can play a decisive part. The strength of this challenge, supposed by the retrieval of the role of the education in the practice of public reason, explains the necessity to realize a new synthesis of the fundamental explanations concerning reason and rationality. Therefore, the marks of our project are: the examination of the concept of public reason in the light of the new theories regarding reason and rationality developed in philosophy (this represents the first systematic attempt of this kind), and the extension of the field of applicability of the public reason from the political domain, of the institutional mechanisms, to the domain of formation, of education, as a solution to the problems of a multicultural society (also a first attempt of this kind). And last but not least, as it will be seen in the activities plan, the existence of a complex strategy of access and affirmation of the Romanian philosophical research on an international level.

The objectives of the project

The engagements of our project are both theoretical and practical. The starting premise of the project is that reason, in its public use, is necessary for dealing with the various problems that confront society and culture nowadays. In this sense, the objectives of our project are:

1. To bring a pertinent contribution to the clarification of the concept of public reason by the presentation, comparison and critical analysis of the different positions and theories concerning it.
2. To offer a synthesized a picture of the conceptions regarding the aspects of rationality within specific domains, such as: science, language, economics, evolution, and to identify possible relations with a conception of public reason.
3. To make a comparison between the theories of rational decision, the theories of rational choice and the normative theories of rationality in relation to the concept of public reason and to offer a critical evaluation of their explanatory productivity.
4. To re-evaluate the concept of public reason from the perspective of the new general theories of reason and rationality.
5. To offer a synthesis of the various philosophical conceptions regarding multiculturalism and to investigate the manner in which these conception are related or not to a certain conception regarding public reason.
6. Based on these clarifications, comparisons and re-evaluations, to offer new perspectives of interpreting public reason with the purpose of answering the necessities of a good functioning of a multicultural society, in the context of the preservation of the traditions, of the tolerance and neutrality of the state.
7. To accomplish a theory of public reason so that its applicative mirror extends from the field of political agreement to that of education and formation.
8. To render operational the concept of public reason so that it can be applied to the demands of a multicultural individual formation. Public reason belongs to individuals. Our question concerns not only what is fitted for the political systems and the cultures so that they would offer a framework for the manifestation of public reason, but also what is fitted for the educational systems so that the formation would be made in the spirit of public reason.

To these objectives related to the practical and theoretical aspects of the research are connected a series of strategic objectives aiming at the international visibility of the project that will implicitly be followed during the research. In this sense, the objectives of our project are:

1. To polarize the different preoccupations at a national level around this direction of research, by the formation of a scientific community that would reach the necessary critical mass in order to be recognized on an international level.
2. To create the scientific instruments that are necessary to the constitution of the this community, of an increased interest for this field and of an international recognition by translations into Romanian and from Romanian, work-shops and conferences, as well as an international-level e-journal called Public Reason, ISI accredited.
3. To disseminate the theoretical and practical results of the research on a national and international level by the specific means of the academic community.
4. To render operational the different results of the research and to offer them to the educational factors, on a national and international level, in order to have them evaluated and applied within the educational politics.
5. To create a national debate concerning the problem of public reason as a practical aspect of this project, in the context of the Romanian public life and the configuration of the European Union as a multi-cultural society.

The research methodology

In philosoph y, the research methodology is strongly connected, if not even determined, by the philosophical orientation shared by the researchers. In general, the research methods used are the analytic method and the hermeneutic one. From this perspective, the members of the research team share the analytic conception regarding the research method in philosophy, in the broad meaning of this notion, and their method of research will be: documentation, language analysis, critical discussion, conceptual analysis and reconstruction, textual analysis and comparison, case study, logic formalization and modeling. Because it is one of our goals to publish anthologies of articles, their scientific publishing will be a dimension of the research methodology. In the same context, all the project’s scientific results will be subjected to an internal analysis and discussions, based on critical debates with colleagues from our departments, and will also include discussions with researchers from foreign universities with whom we will collaborate. Another line of research will include the usual methods of project team work: focus group, brainstorming and hypothesis discussion. Because the project also has practical goals, empirical observation and the construction of hypothesis will be part of the research methods. We will apply the international systems of citation and the publishing standards of the scientific articles in international journals. For the young researchers, the apprehension of such methods and the establishment of a research ethos are essential, so that the project will also encompass this aspect.

Project Manager

Romulus Brâncoveanu, PhD Professor, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

The fields of competency relevant for the theme of the project relate to my interests and the competences I have acquired so far in several areas. These competences are very closely related to my professional and scientific record since 1990, which records a passage from the philosophy of science, philosophy of education and educational policies to the problematic of political and social philosophy.

Philosophy of science: My interest in the philosophy of science relates to my PhD thesisTeorie sau program de cercetare? Modalităţi de construcţie teoretică în ştiinţele omului (Theory or Research Program? Modalities of Theoretical Construction in the Human Sciences). In my thesis I have introduced in a specific way the concept of research program in order to describe the great sociological theories and their theoretical construction (Weber, Pareto, Durkheim and Parsons). The different concepts I have launched in my thesis made the object of further research that was published in different articles among which: „Disciplina ştiinţifică: reprezentare şi consens” (“The Scientific Field: Representation and Consensus”), in Cunoaştere şi analiză (Knowledge and Analysis), All, Bucuresti 1998, ISBN 973-9392-34-2; „Discurs şi emergenţă sau o ipoteza dialogică a discursului” (“Discourse and Emergence or a Dialogical Hypothesis of the Discourse”), in M. Bodea (coord.), Complexitatea. Teme logice, ontologice şi epistemologice (Complexity. Logical themes, Ontological and Epistemological), Casa cărţii de ştiinţă, Cluj-Napoca, 2002, ISBN973-686-272-0; „Rolul programelor metodologice în ştiinţele sociale” (“The Role of the Methodological Programs in Social Sciences”), in Analele Universităţii Bucureşti, Filosofie, 2001, ISSN 0068 – 3175. Also, synthesizing the research activity that I had begun with my PhD thesis, I have published the volume Canoane metodologice şi dialog discursiv. Despre programe le metodologice în ştiintele sociale (Methodological Canons and Discursive Dialog. About the Methodological Programs in Social Sciences), Editura Paralela 45, Piteşti, 2004, ISBN973-697-175-9. Following my interest in the philosophy of since and my competence acquired in the educational policies, I have obtained a CNCSIS research grant in which the different aspects of the theory of knowledge and of the evolution of science are referred to the new institutional changes in the European university supposed by the Bologna Process: “Universitatea europeană şi instituţionalizarea cunoaşterii: fundamente cultural-valorice ale învăţământului universitar modern şi schimbarea instituţională în universitatea de astăzi” (“The European University and the Institutionalization of Knowledge: Cultural-Value Foundations of Modern University Education and the Institutional Change in Nowadays University”).

Philosophy of education and the educational sciences: My interests related to the philosophy of education and the educational sciences have materialized in several studies whose author or co-author I have been. I mention that many of these studies represented a foundation for decisions regarding the educational policy of national or international organisms. Among the studies with which I have contributed to the accomplishment of the conceptual and theoretical framework of the reform of the education in Romania and to the accomplishment of concrete policies and projects I mention the most relevant: Decentralizing Education in Transition Society,Washington, D. C.: The World Bank, 2001, ISBN 0-8213-4876-0; Reviews of National Politics for Education: Romania, OECD Publications, Paris, ISBN 92-64-17635-7; Inclusive Education in Romania, UNESCO, Paris, 2000, ED – 2001/WS/2; National Report on Education for All, Romania, Institute of National Education, Bucharest, 1999, Cartea albă a reformei învăţământului în România (The White Book of the Education Reform in Romania), 1998, Alternative, Bucuresti, 1998, ISBN 973-9216-64; Reforma învăţământului din România: condiţii şi perspective (The Education Reform in Romania: Conditions and Perspectives), ISE, Bucuresti, 1993. Also in the field of education I have been directed or taken part in several research or project teams which developed important activities of empirical and theoretical research of the problems of education. Among these I mention: „Proiectul pentru Învăţământul Rural” (“The Rural Education Project”), co-financed by the World Bank – deputy director (2002-2007 2007- 2008, coordinator); „Proiectul Reformei ÎnvăţământuluiRomânesc”(“The Project of the Reform of the Romanian Education”), co-financed by the World Bank, coordinator of the Policy and Legislation Component (1996-2000); „Education for All”, project financed by UNESCO and the World Bank – coordinator, member of the research team (1999-2000), and „Descentralizarea serviciilor educaţionale în România”(„Decentralizing educational services in Romania”), research project financed by the World Bank – member of the research team.

Political and moral philosophy: Since 1998 I have been teaching political philosophy and philosophy of history at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Bucharest. Ever since, I have been teaching courses such as: Introduction to Political Philosophy, Contemporary Political Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Political Theories, Political Anthropology, Models of the European Democracy etc. In this quality, I have taken part in the constitution of the module of political and moral philosophy, the first attempt in our country, after 1998, to configure an education program in the field of political and moral philosophy (as it is well known, the Romanian tradition is poor in this field), and also the constitution of an education program for the license and MA degrees in the field of European studies. Also in the area of political philosophy, I mention my activity related to the constitution of the thematic of philosophy and political science in our country, and of a scientific community around it, by the publication of numerous articles and analysis in the journal Sfera Politicii. I have been an editor of this journal between 1993-1996, and since 2003 I am its chief redactor. I mention that the journal Sfera Politicii has reached issue no 128, after 15 years of continuous activity. In the field of political philosophy I have coordinated a series of volumes and published different articles among which „Raportul Tismăneanu: ecouri” (“The Tismaneanu Report: Echoes”), special issue Sfera Politicii, nr. 126 – 127, XV, 2007, ISSN 1221-6720, 138 p; „Uniunea Europeană. România. Prima zi” (“The European Union. Romania. First Day”), special issue Sfera Politicii, nr. 125, XIV, 2006, ISSN 1221-6720, 152 p.; „Partide şi societate” (“Parties and Society”), special issue Sfera Politicii, nr. 124, XIV, 2006, ISSN 1221-6720, 152 p.; „Uniunea Europeană: structuri şi aşteptări” (“The European Union: Structures and Aspectations”), triple special issue, Sfera Politicii, nr. 120, 121, 121, XIV, 2006, ISSN 1221-6720, 152 p.; „Raţiune publică, raţiune politică şi raţiune civică sau cum transpare problema Luminării în disputa dintre Habermas şi Rawls” (“Public Reason, Political Reason, and Civic Reason or how the Problem of Enlightenment Reveals itself in the Dispute Between Habermas and Rawls”), in Filosofia azi. Prima întâlnire româno-chiliana, (Philosophy Today. The first Romanian-Chilean Meeting) Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti (ed. Mircea Dumitru, Adrian Paul Iliescu, Patricio Brikle), „Ultimele zile ale societăţii civile” (“The Last Days of the Civic Society”), in A.-P. Iliescu (coord.), Mentalităţi şi instituţii. Carenţe de mentalitate şi înapoiere instituţională în România (Mentalities and Insitutions. Mentality Deficiencies and Institutional Backwardness in Romania), Ars Docendi, Bucureşti, 2002, ISBN 973-558-069-1. In 2007, I have published at Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti, the volume Raţiune publică şi discurs (Public reason and Discourse), ISBN 978-973-737-414+1 and, as a coordinator and co-author, the volume Managementul cunoaşterii (The Knowledge Management), ISBN 978-973-737-391-5. Also, in the field of philosophy I coordinate the series Biblioteca de Filosofie of the Paralela 45 Publishing House.

Project management: I have some experience in the management of research-development projects, some of them with an external financing or with special amplitude. Among them I mention „Proiectul pentru Învăţământul Rural” (“The Rural Education Project”), (2003-2007 deputy director, 2007 – 2008, coordinator). Also, I mention: „Education for All”, project financed by UNESCO and the World Bank – national coordinator, member of the research team from 1999 to 2000 (this grant was used to accomplish an empirical study and the proposal of new educational policies) and „Inter-governmental Roles in Education Service” (2000), research project financed by the World Bank – member of the research team; „Reform of the Pre-universitary Education”, 1994-2000, (in this project I was the coordinator of the Policy and Legislation Component; the main result of the activity developed in this branch were the law projects of the education until 2000 that were adopted in a more or less different form by the Parliament). Also, as researcher at The Institute for Educational Sciences, I coordinated different research teams. Either as an expert, a member or manager of some projects of research-development, I took part in the elaboration of educational policies in our country. Also, as co-author of the two White Books of the Romanian Education, I took part in configuring the educational strategies and policies after 1990.

Grant Project Manager: I obtained and developed different research projects based on a grant. Some of these have been mentioned above. Also, I mention: „Universitatea europeană şi instituţionalizarea cunoaşterii: fundamente cultural-valorice ale învăţământului universitar modern şi schimbarea instituţională în universitatea de astăzi” (“The European University and the Institutionalization of Knowledge”), CNCSIS project, 2005-2008.

The Research Team

Mircea Dumitru, Professor, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

Academic Experience: Professor of Logic and Philosophy, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest from 2000 to 2008. He is PhD supervisor since 2006. He also taught as a Visiting Scholar at the University Center of The City University of New York, at The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U. S. A., and as Teaching Assistant, at the Department of Philosophy, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, S.U.A. Mircea Dumitru has had a rich publishing activity, as proven by his numerous articles in Romanian and foreign philosophy journals and by the many translation of important works of philosophers such as Wittgenstein, Quine, Kripke etc.

Grants and Scholarships: since 2006 is member of the research team of IHPST-CNRS, France – Logique et langage, Modelisation logique, grant leader Professor Gabriel Sandu, that develops an important research project at a European level with European funds, dedicated to logical modeling. During 2003-2005, Mircea Dumitru was the director of a CNCSIS grant with the project Concepte, reprezentare, conţinut mental. Teme în fundamentele filosofice ale ştiinţelor cognitive (Concepts, Representation, Mental Content. Themes in the Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Sciences). He has also taken part in other projects such as: February-July 2004: NECLINK fellowship, New Europe College, Institute for Advanced Study, Bucharest; February-July 2003: NECLINK fellowship, New Europe College, Institute for Advanced Study, Bucharest; January-May: 2001 grant of the World Bank; 1998-2001: RELINK fellowship, New Europe College, Institute for Advanced Study, Bucharest; 1994-1998: PhD scholarship, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, S.U.A.; 1993-1994: Fulbright scholarship, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, S.U.A.; 1991: Goethe Institute scholarship, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Published Works: On Incompleteness in Modal Logic. An Account through Second-Order Logic, UMI, A Bell & Howell Information Company, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346, USA, 1998, 218 p.; Logică şi argumentare (Logic and Argumentation), high-school text-book (co-author P. Bieltz), ALL Publishing House, Bucharest, 1999; 2nd edition revised 2003; Modalitate şi incompletitudine. Logica modală ca logică de ordin superior (On Incompleteness in Modal Logic. An Account through Second-Order Logic), forward by professor Graeme Forbes, Tulane University, New Orleans, S. U. A. and an afterword by professor Melvin Fitting, City University of New York, Paideia Publishing House, Bucharest 2001, which won the book award ‘Mircea Florian’ of the Romanian Academy; Explorări logico-filosofice (Logico-Philosophical Explorations), with an afterword by Sorin Vieru, Humanitas Publishing House, Bucharest 2004; „Atitudini propoziţionale. Probleme şi teorii (II)” (“Propositional Attitudes. Problems and theories (II)”), in Revista de Filosofie, Vol. 3-4, p. 465-476, Editura Academiei Române, Bucharest, 2004.

Constantin Stoenescu, PhD Reader, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

Research and academic experience: he is head of The Department of Theoretical Philosophy and Logic, Faculty of Philosophy, specialist in the field of epistemology, theory of scientific knowledge, logic, the management of knowledge and sustainable development. He has experience in the field of continuous education as pro-rector and rector of Popular University of Giurgiu where he made projects in collaboration with DVV/Germany.

Project management: As founder and member of some non-governmental organizations (member in the research team, expert and director of project) he developed different projects: he took part in three CNCSIS projects: „Teme ale complexităţii” (“Themes of complexity”), „Concepte, reprezentări, conţinut mental” (“Concepts, representations, mental content”) and „Universitatea Europeană şi instituţionalizarea cunoaşterii” (“The European University and the institutionalization of knowledge”); manager of the project “Centrul de informare, consultanţă şi asistenţă juridică pentru cetăţeni şi instituţii” (“Center for Information, Consulting and Juridical Assistance for Citizens and Institutions”), project PHARE PDP 297, activities in collaboration with The Venice Commission, The Romanian Academy, The Romanian Parliament etc.; regional manager of sustainable development projects financed especially by UNDP; coordinator for the field of education in the project „Creşterea capacităţii cetăţenilor de a influenţa şi contribui la dezvoltarea comunităţii” (“The Growth of the Citizens’ Capacity of Influencing and Contributing to the Development of the Community”), made by CNDD with the financing of the World Bank; as President of The New Alliance Ecologist Society he has been involved in the last 12 years in tens of projects, with divers finances, ranging from The Foundation for an Open Society to PHARE.

Publications: He took part in many conferences, national and international; he published many studies and articles in scientific and cultural journals. He published the volumes:Experienţa şi semnificaţie (Experience and Significance); Teoria cunoaşterii. Teme. Texte. Literatură (The Theory of Knowledge. Themes. Texts. Literature), co-author; Filosofia austriacă. Origini, specific, reprezentanţi (The Austrian Philosophy. Origins, Specific, Representative Figures), coeditor, etc. Translations from Schlick, Popper, Ernst Tugendhat etc.

Dorina Cucu, Graduate Teaching Assistant, PhD candidate of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

The title of her PhD thesis is „Raţionalitate sau democraţie. Dileme filosofice privind rolul instituţiilor politice” (“Rationality or Democracy. Philosophical Dilemmas Regarding the Role of the Political Institutions”), which totally accords with the subject of the project. She published articles in Analele Universităţii din Bucureşti and in Sfera Politicii. She is Assistant at The Department of Moral and Political Philosophy, University of Bucharest.

Mircea Toboşaru, Graduate Teaching Assistant, University Politehnica of Bucharest, PhD candidate of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

He’s writing his PhD thesis called “Pragmatismul analitic” (”The Analytic Pragmatism”). This thesis also accords also with the project’s subject. He is Assistant at University Politehnica of Bucharest, Department of Philosophy, Logic, Psychology, Sociology. He published: O Scurtă Introducere în Filosofie (A Short Introduction to Philosophy), Saga, Cluj, 2006 and „Despre Agenţii Morali Artificiali” (“On Artificial Moral Agents”), article in Perspectivă Filosofică asupra Tehnicii (“A Philosophical Perspective upon Technology”), ed. Mircea Toboşaru, Printech, Bucureşti, 2006).

Yet, together with these researchers, we will cooperate in the different research activities with as many PhD and MA candidates as possible, who will take part in the work-shops and conferences. The two PhD candidates that are members of the research team will take part in all the activities. A special attention will be given to the participation of the young members from the research team in the elaboration of hypothesis, theories, models and their applicative aspects. They will also take part in all the research activities and will have the possibility to initiate themselves hypothesis or to propose solutions beneficial to the progress of the research. In this environment, the young researchers will benefit from the guidance of professors with a special experience in the studied fields and will apprehend directly different methodologies of philosophical and applicative research. The PhD candidates will be encouraged to fructify the results of their research in the benefit of the accomplishment of their PhD thesis.

Dorina Cucu, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

• Obtained a PhD degree with the dissertation: “Efficacy or Democracy? Philosophical Dilemmas Regarding the Role of the Political Institutions”.
• She published articles in Analele Universităţii din Bucureşti and in Sfera Politicii.
• She is Teaching Assistant at The Department of Moral and Political Philosophy, University of Bucharest.
• She is part of the editorial team of the CSRC journal Public Reason.

Mircea Toboşaru, Graduate Teaching Assistant, University Politehnica of Bucharest, PhD candidate of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

• He’s writing his PhD dissertation called “Pragmatismul analitic” (”The Analytic Pragmatism”).
• He is Teaching Assistant at University Politehnica of Bucharest, Department of Philosophy, Logic, Psychology, Sociology.
• He published: O Scurtă Introducere în Filosofie (A Short Introduction to Philosophy), Saga, Cluj, 2006 and „Despre Agenţii Morali Artificiali” (“On Artificial Moral Agents”), article in Perspectivă Filosofică asupra Tehnicii (“A Philosophical Perspective upon Technology”), ed. Mircea Toboşaru, Printech, Bucureşti, 2006).
• Assistant Editor of the CSRC journal Public Reason.
• Attended an international seminar, Tilburg, Netherlands, April 2008.

Yet, together with these researchers, we will cooperate in the different research activities with as many PhD and MA candidates as possible, who will take part in the work-shops and conferences. The two PhD candidates that are members of the research team will take part in all the activities. A special attention will be given to the participation of the young members from the research team in the elaboration of hypothesis, theories, models and their applicative aspects. They will also take part in all the research activities and will have the possibility to initiate themselves hypothesis or to propose solutions beneficial to the progress of the research. In this environment, the young researchers will benefit from the guidance of professors with a special experience in the studied fields and will apprehend directly different methodologies of philosophical and applicative research. The PhD candidates will be encouraged to fructify the results of their research in the benefit of the accomplishment of their PhD thesis.

Our targets and activities and their degree of accomplishment:

• Scientific targets
  a) To investigate the theoretical and cognitive assumption involved in the discussions concerning public reason: the theoretical question of reason and irrationality – in progress 75%;
  b) The examine critically the conceptions regarding public reason and the development of a concept of public reason in accordance with the requests that practical philosophy has to face from the contemporary society and the contemporary man – in progress 75%;
  c) To connect the results with the problematics of the education in a multicultural society in view of rendering these results operational – in progress 50%;
• Institutional targets
  a) To publish in English of a journal of political philosophy with an international impact – achieved100%;
  b) To accomplish a scientific research center for the study of rationality and beliefs –achieved100%;
  c) To form a national and international scientific community involved in the debate concerning public reason – in progress.

• Clarifications of the concept of public reason by means of presenting, comparing, critically analyzing the different conceptions and theories;
• Clarifications of the conceptions regarding aspects of rationality in specific areas such as: science, language, economy, evolution;
• A comparison between theories of the irrational decision, theories of the rational decision and the normative theories of the rationality concerning the concept of public reason;
• The reevaluation of the concept of public reason from the perspective of the different general theories of rationality and irrationality;
• Clarifications, comparisons and reevaluations, new perspectives of interpretations of public reason in order to meet the demands and necessities of a good functioning of a multicultural society, in the context of the preservation of traditions, of tolerance and of the state’s neutrality;
• Extensions of the concept of public reason in the area of education and formation;
• Making operational of the concept of public reason so that in can be applicable to the demands of a cultural and postmodern formation.

 Published or forthcoming articles (ISI, ERIH Philosophy)

• M. Dumitru, “Ordinary Expression Have Not Exact and Systematic Logic. Some Remarks on Strawson’s Contributions to Logic Theory, în Organon F 16 (2009), No. 4, 543 – 552, (http://www.klemens.sav.sk/fiusav/organon/index_en.php) /
• M. Dumitru, ‘What To Say When There Is Nothing To Talk About’ în http://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/120/res120 _dumitri-kroon.html (http://critica.filosoficas. unam.mx/120/res120_dumitri-kroon.html)
• C. Stoenescu, “The Doxastic Ideal in Traditional Epistemology and the Project of an Epistemology of Religion” în Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, vol. 8, nr. 22, 2009, pp, 53-62 (http://www.jsri.ro/).
• R. Brancoveanu, „Orientation and reconciliation: Kant and Rawls on the limits of public reason”, The XXII World Congress of Philosophy, Seoul, (http://www.wcp2008.or.kr)
  M. Dumitru, Conceivability and Possibility. Remarks on the Mind-Body Dualism in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind, XXII World Philosophy Congress, Seul – 2008, (http://www.wcp2008.or.kr).
• C. Stoenescu, “Preliminaries to a causal theory of personal identity”, în Analele Universităţii din Craiova, nr. 19, pp. 167 -179 (http://cis01.ucv.ro/analele_universitatii/filosofie/)
  Mircea Dumitru, “Reasons and Beliefs. A conceptual Analysis”, în Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideology, acceptat spre publicare (http://www.jsri.ro/).

Published or forthcoming articles in other journals

• M. Dumitru, ‘Quine’s Animadversions Upon Second-Order Logic’, în Revue Roumaine de Philosophie, vol. 52, no. 1 – 2, Bucureşti: Editura Academiei Române, 2008, pp. 39 – 63.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Incompletitudinea – aspecte modale’, în Revista de Filosofie, Nr. 1-2, Bucureşti: Editura Academiei Române, 2008, pp. 55-70.
• R. Brâncoveanu, „Maşinăria politică, societatea civilă şi critica culturii”, Sfera politicii, an XV, nr. 126 – 127, pp. 72 – 96.
• M. Dumitru,  ‘Interpretarea paratactică (Donald Davidson) a atribuirii de atitudini propoziţionale şi a discursului indirect’, în Probleme de logică, Bucureşti: Editura Academiei Române, în curs de apariţie.
• M. Dumitru, ‘The Law of Excluded-Middle and the Problem of Free Will in the Post-Aristotelian Tradition’, în Greek Philosophy and the Teaching of Early Christianity, Atena, în curs de apariţie.
• C. Stoenescu, “Who has killed the logical positivism? The dossier of a self-statement: Karl R. Popper”, în Revista Română de Filosofie Analitică, vol. 1, nr.1.
• C. Stoenescu, “Problema metodei în empirismul conceptelor şi statutul epistemologic al ideilor generale abstracte” în Analele Universităţii din Bucureşti, Seria Filosofie, Anul LVII, 2008, pp.13-46.
• C. Stoenescu,  “Paritatea epistemologică: un principiu euristic?” în Revista de filosofie (Centenar Kurt Godel), tomul LV, nr.1-2, 2008, pp.95 – 106;
• M. Dumitru, “Obiecte ficţionale şi descripţii libere”, în Revista Română de Filosofie Analitică, vol. 1, 1, iulie-decembrie 2007, pp. 38-52.
• Dorina Cucu, Modelări sociale: raţionalitatea economică vs. raţionalitatea sociologică, acceptata pentru Public Reason
• R. Brâncoveanu , Viclenia raţiunii în spaţiul public, acceptată pentru Public Reason
• Stoenescu Constantin, Este posibilă o practică politică ghidată stiintific? Controversa dintre Popper şi Scoala de la Frankfurt, acceptată pentru Public Reason

Articles in books

• M. Dumitru, ‘Quine on Second-Order Logic’, în volumul Quine: 1908 – 2008, Editura ‘Pelican’, în curs de apariţie.
• M. Dumitru,  ‘Philosophy of Science in Romania: 1900 – 2000’, în curs de apariţie în Polonia.
• M. Dumitru, Cuvânt înainte la volumul, Quine: 1908 – 2008, Editura ‘Pelican’, în curs de apariţie.
• M. Dumitru, ‘On Toleration, Charity, and Epistemic Fallibilism’, volum colectiv al lucrărilor conferinţei Societăţilor de Filozofie din Balcani, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turcia, în curs de apariţie.
• C. Stoenescu, Disciplină ştiinţifică şi  interdisciplinaritate, o perspectivă epistemologică asupra predării, învăţării şi cercetării în universitate, în R. Brâncoveanu (ed.), Structura universităţii, structura cunoaşterii, Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti, 2008.
• R. Brancoveanu (coord.)Tranziţia: Recapitulări şi transformări, Sfera Politicii, nr. 129 – 130, anul XVI, 2008.
• R. Brâncoveanu, Instituţionalizarea cunoaşterii şi  universitatea, în R. Brâncoveanu (ed.), Structura universităţii, structura cunoaşterii, Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti, 2008.
• R. Brâncoveanu, Raţiune publică şi discurs, Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti, 2007.
• C. Stoenescu, “Knowledge and communication Preliminaries to a consensual theory of truth” în volumul Language, Shaping, Communication, editor Gh. Ungureanu, Editura Universităţii din Piteşti, 2007.
• C. Stoenescu, “Oare ne imaginăm ceva atunci când gândim? Cercetare asupra relaţiei dintre imaginaţie şi cogniţie” în volumul Imaginaţie şi intenţionalitate. Perspective istorico – fenomenologice şi sistematice, editor Ion Tănăsescu, Editura Pelican, 2008, pp. 203- 216.
• C. Stoenescu, -“Idealul doxastic în epistemologia tradiţională şi proiectul unei epistemologii a religiei” în volumul Dialogul dintre teologie şi filosofie, Ed. Trinitas, Iaşi, 2008, pp.289-301.
• Constantin Stoenescu, “Demarcaţie si criticabilitate”, în volumul Filosofia lui Karl Popper. Analize şi interpretări, editori D. Stoianovici, G, Flonta, C. Stoenescu, Editura Pelican, 2007.
• D. Pătrunsu, Antreprenoriatul public: pragmatism sau utopie, în R. Brâncoveanu (ed.), Structura universităţii, structura cunoaşterii, Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti, 2008

International Conferences

• R. Brancoveanu, Viclenia raţiunii în spaţiul public, conferinţa internaţională, Reason in contemporary Public Space,  Bucharest, November 14th-15th, 2008.
• D. Pătrunsu, “Modelări sociale: raţionalitatea economică vs. raţionalitatea sociologică”, Reason in contemporary Public Space  Bucharest, November 14th-15th
• M. Dumitru  ‘Semantic Relationsim and Empty Names’, lucrare susţinută la The 6th European Congress of Analytic Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Institute of Philosophy, 21 – 26 august, 2008, Cracovia, Polonia.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Conceivability and Possibility. Remarks on the Mind-Body Dualism in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind’, lucrare susţinută la conferinţa internaţională A Complexity Application: Reconnecting the Science of the New EU Members to the World/European Science – The Case of Romania, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 18-19 septembrie, 2008.
• M. Dumitru, ‘The Law of Excluded-Middle and the Problem of Free Will in the Post-Aristotelian Tradition’, lucrare susţinută la simpozionul Greek Philosophy and the Teaching of Early Christianity, Curtea de Argeş, 26 – 28 martie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Logica deontică şi conceptele normative’, prelegere susţinută la Seminarul Şcoalii Doctorală – (Profesor Pascal Engel), Universitatea din  Geneva, 2 aprilie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘ “Ordinary Expressions Have No Exact and Systematic Logic”. Some Remarks on Strawson’s Contributions to Logical Theory’, lucrare susţinută la Conferinţa The Grounds of Sense. Omagiu lui P. F. Strawson, organizată de Academia de Ştiinţe a Republicii Cehe, Praga, 20 – 24 aprilie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Models and Rules. Representationalism vs. Inferentialism in the Foundation of the Contemporary Semantics’, prelegere susţinută la Seminarul de Fundamente ale Ştiinţelor Cognitive, ENS Lyon, 14 – 15 mai, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘On Toleration, Charity, and Epistemic Fallibilism’, comunicare susţinută la Conferinţa Societăţilor de Filosofie din Balcani, Maltepe University, Istanbul, 13 – 15 iulie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru,  “Putting Metaphysics First”. A Critical Assessment’, comunicare susţinută la simpozionul ‘Perspectives on the Philosophy of Michael Devitt’, Universitatea din Maribor, Slovenia, 12 – 13 oct. 2009.
• M. Dumitru,  ‘Conceivability and Possibility. Remarks on the Mind-Body Dualism in Contemporary Philosophy of Mind’, conferinţă la Universitatea din Sofia, 30 – 31 oct., 2009.
• M. Dumitru, What Does It mean to Be Irrational. Could One Be Trully Irrational?, Reason in contemporary Public Space  Bucharest, November 14th-15th, 2008
• M. Dumitru, ‘Models and Rules. Representationalism vs. Inferentialism in the Foundation of the Contemporary Semantics. The Case of Semantic Relationism’, conferinţă susţinută la Conferinţa Internaţională de Filosofie organizată de linia maghiară a UBB, Cluj, 17 oct. 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Models and Rules. Representationalism vs. Inferentialism in the Foundation of the Contemporary Semantics. The Case of Semantic Relationism’, conferinţă susţinută la Conferinţa Internaţională ‘Eugen Coşeriu şi lingvistica sec. XX’, Universitatea ‘Ştefan cel Mare’, Suceava, 23 – 25 octombrie, 2009.
• C. Stoenescu, ”What do we get in correspondence theory of truth after the semantic ascent”(comunicare prezentată la conferinţa internaţională  ”100 de ani de la naşterea lui Quine. Filosofia lui Quine în retrospectivă şi în perspectivă” organizată de Facultatea de Filosofie a Universităţii din Bucurelti, 8-9 noiembrie 2008)

National Conferences

• C. Stoenescu, “Problema empirismului din perspectiva lui cum e cu putinţă ceva nou” (comunicare prezentată la Conferinţa Naţională “Gândirea lui Constantin Noica astăzi” organizată de Societatea Românâ de Filosofie şi Facultatea de Filosofie a Universităţii din Bucureşti, 24-25 aprilie 2009, Bucureşti).
• C. Stoenescu, “Omul suplimentar şi maladia non-locuirii” (comunicare prezentată la simpozionul naţional dedicat centenarului naşterii filosofului Constantin Noica, organizat de Universitatea Politehnică din Bucureşti, Catedra de Ştiinţe Socio-Umane, şi Universitatea din Bucureşti, Facultatea de Filozofie, Centrul de Cercetare a Istoriei Ideilor Filosofice, 27 martie 2009, Bucureşti.
• C. Stoenescu, “Ideea de dependenţă funcţională şi cercetarea sistemelor complexe. Un caz exemplar: teoria Gestalt-istă”, comunicare, workshop organizat de CELFIS, 29 martie 2008.
• C. Stoenescu, “Modul teandric şi raportul dintre religie şi cultură la Nichifor Crainic“, simpozion organizat de Patriathia Ortodoxă Română si Ministerul Culturii şi Cultelor, 19-20 iunie, 2008.
• R. Brâncoveanu, Istoria sau canonul filosofiei româneşti? Conferinţă organizată de Societatea Românâ de Filosofie şi Facultatea de Filosofie a Universităţii din Bucureşti, 24-25 aprilie 2009, Bucureşti
• M. Dumitru, ‘Înţelesuri para-logice ale Logicii lui Hermes‘, comunicare prezentată la Sesiunea omagială ‘Gândirea lui Constantin Noica astăzi’, Facultatea de Filosofie, Universitatea din Bucureşti, 24 – 25 aprilie, 2009,.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Models and Rules. Representationalism vs. Inferentialism in the Foundation of the Contemporary Semantics’, comunicare susţinută la Conferinţa Universităţii ‘Titu Maiorescu’, Bucureşti, 30 mai, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Teorii filosofice ale minţii’, prezentare susţinută la Centrul de Ştiinţe Cognitive al Universităţii din Bucureşti, 2 iunie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Cum ieşim din ‘labirintul’ atribuirii de opinii? Abordări neo-fregeene vs. abordări neo-milliene în explicarea atribuirii de atitudini propoziţionale’, conferinţă susţinută la Prezentare, Centrul de Pragmatici ale Comunicării, UBB Cluj, 20 iunie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Mintea şi conştiinţa în perspectivă evoluţionistă’, comunicare susţinută la Simpozionul omagial ‘Charles Darwin. 150 de ani de la apariţia “Originii speciilor” ‘, Universitatea din Bucureşti, 20 – 21 nov., 2009.
• R. Brâncoveanu, Istoria sau canonul filosofiei româneşti? Conferinţă organizată de Societatea Românâ de Filosofie şi Facultatea de Filosofie a Universităţii din Bucureşti, 24-25 aprilie 2009, Bucureşti
• C. Stoenescu, “Problema empirismului din perspectiva lui cum e cu putinţă ceva nou” (comunicare prezentată la Conferinţa Naţională “Gândirea lui Constantin Noica astăzi” organizată de Societatea Românâ de Filosofie şi Facultatea de Filosofie a Universităţii din Bucureşti, 24-25 aprilie 2009, Bucureşti).
• C. Stoenescu, “Ideea de dependenţă funcţională şi cercetarea sistemelor complexe. Un caz exemplar: teoria Gestalt-istă” (comunicare prezentată la ediţia a doua a seminarului “Fundamente teoretice şi metodologice în modelarea dinamicii sistemelor complexe” organizat de Facultatea de Filosofie şi Centrul de Logică, Filosofia şi Istoria Ştiinţei, Universitatea din Bucureşti, 29 martie 2008, Bucureşti)
• C. Stoenescu, “Omul suplimentar şi maladia non-locuirii” (comunicare prezentată la simpozionul naţional dedicat centenarului naşterii filosofului Constantin Noica, organizat de Universitatea Politehnică din Bucureşti, Catedra de Ştiinţe Socio-Umane, şi Universitatea din Bucureşti, Facultatea de Filozofie, Centrul de Cercetare a Istoriei Ideilor Filosofice, 27 martie 2009, Bucureşti.
• C. Stoenescu, “Ideea de dependenţă funcţională şi cercetarea sistemelor complexe. Un caz exemplar: teoria Gestalt-istă”, comunicare, workshop organizat de CELFIS, 29 martie 2008.
• C. Stoenescu, “De la creşterea economică la dezvoltarea durabilă”  (conferinţă susţinută la Centrul de Tineret al Direcţiei pentru Tineret a Judeţului Giurgiu, activitate desfăşurată în parteneriat cu Societatea Ecologistă Noua Alianţă şi cu sprijinul financiar al Autorităţii Naţionale pentru Tineret, 4 0ctombrie 2008, Giurgiu)
• C. Stoenescu, “Modul teandric şi raportul dintre religie şi cultură la Nichifor Crainic“, simpozion organizat de Patriathia Ortodoxă Română si Ministerul Culturii şi Cultelor, 19-20 iunie, 2008.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Înţelesuri para-logice ale Logicii lui Hermes‘, comunicare prezentată la Sesiunea omagială ‘Gândirea lui Constantin Noica astăzi’, Facultatea de Filosofie, Universitatea din Bucureşti, 24 – 25 aprilie, 2009,.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Teorii filosofice ale minţii’, prezentare susţinută la Centrul de Ştiinţe Cognitive al Universităţii din Bucureşti, 2 iunie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Cum ieşim din ‘labirintul’ atribuirii de opinii? Abordări neo-fregeene vs. abordări neo-milliene în explicarea atribuirii de atitudini propoziţionale’, conferinţă susţinută la Prezentare, Centrul de Pragmatici ale Comunicării, UBB Cluj, 20 iunie, 2009.
• M. Dumitru, ‘Mintea şi conştiinţa în perspectivă evoluţionistă’, comunicare susţinută la Simpozionul omagial ‘Charles Darwin. 150 de ani de la apariţia “Originii speciilor” ‘, Universitatea din Bucureşti, 20 – 21 nov., 2009.
• R. Brancoveanu, Kant şi Rawls: raţiune publică şi raţiune privată, Conferinţă organizată de Universitatea Politehnica din Bucureşti, 29 oct. 2009.

Cooperation agreements: Universitatea Tulsa (SUA), Universitatea Lyon 3 (Franţa)

• Meetings and conference presentations of the research project at CUNY-Graduate Center, New York, December 2008, New York University, New York, December 2008, Haverford University, U.S.A., December, 2008 (prof. dr. M. Dumitru, conf. dr. C. Stoenescu)
•  Meetings and conference presentations of the research project at Lyon 3 University, Grenoble , May 2008 (prof. dr. R. Brâncoveanu)

CSRC conferences

• Reason in Contemporary Public Space, Bucharest, November 14th-15th 2008 (http://www.csrc.ro/EN/program6)
• The Fall of the Communism – Philosophical Perspectives, International Symposium, Bucharest, December 4th -5th 2009 (http://filosofie.unibuc.ro/calls)
• The Actuality of the Early Analytic Philosophy, Bucharest Colloquium in Analytic Philosophy – 3-5 June 2009 (http://www.filosofie.unibuc.ro/evenimente)

Public Reason http://publicreason.ro