Russia / Rußland / Russie
Professor Gregori Kljutcharev
Russian Academy of Sciences
Snpi2@garnet.ru
I. Teaching of Philosophy is only in high schools, institutions and universities. Normally the age of the students is 18-19 years, they have two hours per week on practical studies and two per each second week for listening. Ethics is only selective facultative in major universities and obligatory in philosophical departments in the universities. Normally the age of the students is 18-19 years, they have two hours per week on practical studies and two per each second week for listening.
Teaching of philosophy (as obligatory subject) is legally introduced late 1920s.
Teaching of ethics (as obligatory for students of philosophy) is legally introduced late 1920s.
Position of the of philosophy as subject is obligatory in each university and institution. What is specific for Russia is that exam on philosophy is obligatory to pass through on the way of getting Dr.'s degree ('candidatskaya stepen'). Ethics is not obligatory except philosophical department.
There are no written exams neither on philosophy nor on ethics.
Philosophy and ethics as alternative subjects: If they are included into the curriculum then they are always obligatory. Supplementary working groups in philosophy and/ or ethics (e.g. sometimes there are...) Information is not available. There was not any national philosophical Olympiad as yet nor participation at the international Philosophy Olympiads (IPO).
II. There are definitely obligatory curricula or syllabus for teaching of philosophy, also for ethics.
During the Soviet period there were among obligatory philosophers - Marx, Engels, Hegel, Kant. Later on Wittgenstein, Habermas, Bodriuardt, Delez and other post-moder-nists were included. The Soviet times - among obligatory was philosophy of sciences, but now there are no closed areas of research and teaching.
Fundamental subjects of ethics are just examples of bioethics, natural ethics.
Lectures and discussions at seminars mostly used as methods in teaching of philosophy.
In teaching of ethics mostly lectures and discussions at seminars used.
General remark is that self governed learning is becoming more popular - i. e the choice is mostly for the student. Teaching philosophy in an interdisciplinary way is becoming popular like philosophy of techniques, applied ethics, computer ethics, etc. Moral studies and moral education are becoming the very important subject. Here they deal with religious studies.
“Europe as a unity of common values or epistemology” is not subject in philosophy courses hardly ever. The European issues are still at the margins of the curriculum although the interest to European philosophy is pretty great.
III. Getting the qualification of teachers of philosophy and of ethics the university level is minimum. Better - postgraduate level equivalent to Ph.D. or more.
Passing through a number of public exams and getting the diploma are the conditions of qualification for teachers of philosophy and of ethics.
There are different degrees of qualification of teaching of philosophy and ethics: lecturer, assistant of professor, associate professor (docent), professor.
Students of philosophy have to study 10-12 semesters at philosophical departments and in ordinary university. Students of ethics have to study 3-4 semester at philosophical departments. Practical training of teaching of philosophy and also ethics needs one semester/term.
The number of additional courses of teacher training for teachers of philosophy in active due: normally each 5 years they have a kind of sabbatical to improve the qualification and to update the knowledge in philosophy and/or ethics.
IV. Particularly developments, specific institutions, reforms concerning teaching of philosophy in the last ten years.
Very significant event was the contribution of the Russian Philosophical Society (Prof. Alexander Chumakov is the key figure here). The organization raised from some hundreds members to 5 thousand real acting members. They arranged a number of national wide philosophical congresses, a memoir to exiled Russian philosophers (1922), publishing very popular quarterly - Vestnik Rossiiskogo Filosophskogo Obstzhestva. However, the case of Russian Philosophical Society is the perfect illustration how the self governed academic - scientific NGO could raise from the ground and become an active player in civic society.
Periodical now or in former times with essays on methods to discuss problems of teaching of philosophy and other subjects.
Vestnik RFO, Vistzhaya Sckola and some others.
As far as I know the “Philosophy Day”, (recommended by UNESCO), every third Tuesday in November, will not be organized.