PhD Stuff from Natascha Chapliy

[Natasha]

I’m an extern student, so I work with the professor, write articles, participate in the conferences and finally when my thesis is ready – I have to pass the exams, and defend the very thesis in front of the commission.
My professor is Maria Szyszkowska – here is some modest information about her in wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Szyszkowska
http://word.world-citizenship.org/wp-archive/929
here’s on the list of University of Warsaw professors – the 20th place in the third list http://www2.wpia.uw.edu.pl/167,Sklad.html
She’s a controversial woman for the catholic society in Poland, but at the same time she’s the only professor I could cooperate with regarding my views about the development of an individual and groups in the certain political circumstances.
So if you need any proof I’m doing real phd and not just asking for money – I can ask her and my future reviewer to write a reference about me.

THEORIES.
My thesis is based on two theories.
One is from the field of mental hygiene (mental health movement) – theory of positive disintegration created by Kazimierz Dabrowski, the polish thinker, psychologist and psychiatrist. (here are the English texts prepared by his Canadian student http://positivedisintegration.com/) the core idea is a multilevel approach to any dimension of human life, which is the main condition to reach the main goal of positive disintegration – mental health. In terms of Dabrowski the person can be healthy only under condition of creative personal development. His theory is meant to draw the person’s attention to the importance of conscious values, goals, responsibility, empathy and so on. Dabrowski has written several works about the implementation of his theory in political and social life. So they have a special value for philosophy of law as the basis that is normally lacking, when it goes about law. Why is law for? What is should be based on?
The other theory Gustav Radbruch’s philosophy of law. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Radbruch) His democratic ideas are still discovered even by German philosophers. There are some points in his theory that I would like to express in this short email, that might be interesting for you – the first is the diversity both in the society and in parliament as a democratic demand. The second is his idea about transpersonalizm, which is the consequence of democratic processes. He believes in human being, that besides existing, he can start creating his fait not only by the means of representatives in the parliament, but on each step. Transpersonalizm is a new political system that sees the groups of people gathered on the basis of common interests and goal and work and live together and share the fruits of their work. He never named it communism or socialism, cooperatives, or anything like that, but these ideas seem to be very close.

So Gustav Radbruch speaks about the democratic society that should help people to get conscious about themselves, their interests, values and goals. And the theory of positive disintegration by Dabrowski is the map how a person or social group can reach such consciousness. Because, as we know freedom should be filled with some valuable content and ideas.

I don’t mean to say it’s the ultimate authorities in law and philosophy, but the ideas they speak about are very practical and the possibility of some kind of new society based upon cooperatives, communities, communes is nowadays is the only possible way out for most of us, because capitalism kills people’s souls.
I know you are doing something with Dante and others, which I’m unfortunately not able to understand : ) but I feel it’s something similar to what we are doing here in the Carpathian mountains.

[Michel Bauwens]

this is a great project Natasha, and I hope you can report on your progress in the future, as there are important ideas in our context as well.

[Natasha]

Thank You for Your support! I also hope that :) :)