INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY

Table of Contents

Philosophy – as the oldest discipline and a comprehensive study in the humanities and social sciences – is set on the very foundations of the evolution of our Alma Mater, our Faculty of Philosophy. Hence, we claim with certainty that philosophy, from the very beginnings of the founding of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, is interwoven in its foundation, as can be clearly seen from the very name of the Faculty.

In fact, the open enrollment announcement at the Faculty of Philosophy on November 1, 1920, clearly stated the available disciplines: “Enrollment at this Faculty will commence on November 15 of this year. For the moment, there will be lectures in the following courses: literature, linguistics, history, philosophy, and pedagogy.” We can see from this that philosophy (together with history and pedagogy) represents an integral part of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje from the very start. For this reason, it is no coincidence that these disciplines are seen as the foundations of our Faculty in the interwar period between WWI and WWII, and why, after the recommencement of the activity of the Faculty following the War, but this time, for the first time in Macedonian, and in Macedonia within the framework of the then Yugoslav federation, these disciplines (departments) once again make up the foundations of our Faculty.

The Institute of Philosophy started its activity in 1946 as a Department of Philosophy and Pedagogy, and then soon afterwards, from the academic year 1949/50, these two disciplines began to function as independent and separate Departments. In all these years, from the founding of the Faculty of Philosophy to the present day, the Institute of Philosophy has undergone significant growth, expanding its study program on numerous occasions, and making it more comprehensive, constantly increasing the number of disciplines studied. An important principle in this approach to setting the high standards the Institute has set is the principle of being extraordinary, because it is quality not quantity that can be recognized throughout the decades-long existence of the Institute.

The post-graduate studies at the Institute of Philosophy commenced in 1980, and the doctoral studies were initiated right after they were introduced at the “Ss Cyril and Methodius” University. From 1960, the “Laboratory of Aesthetics” was instituted within the Institute of Philosophy, which eventually gained significance in the theoretical-artistic area in the mid-1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, leading to the Institute becoming the recipient of the “13 Noemvri” award given by the city of Skopje. The year 2018 marked the formation of the “Center of Integrative Bioethics’, which immediately assumed wide international activity.

A number of world-famous philosophers have held lectures at the Institute of Philosophy, such as: Henri Lefebvre (Paris), Ludwig Landgrebe (Cologne), Michael Dufresne (Paris), Siegfried Schmidt (Bielefeld), Stephen Priest (Oxford), among others. On the other hand, a number of professors from the Institute have also held lectures at numerous renowned Universities in the country and abroad.

The long tradition of the Institute of Philosophy notes that many well-known figures in academics and education were first students and professors here. Some former professors who taught at the Institute and left their mark in this area of study are also the founders of Macedonian philosophy, such as: professor Jonče Josifovski, PhD (the first graduate in Philosophy in 1950/51 and former Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy), professor Mitko Ilievski, PhD (former Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy), and academician Georgi Stardelov (former Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, and president of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts).

A special mark on the Institute is, by all means, made by the following generation of professors, such as: Ferid Muhić, PhD; Kiril Temkov, PhD; Kole Jovanovski, PhD; Violeta Panzova, PhD, Stojan Jordanovski; Ljubomir Cuculovski, PhD; Mirko Gjoševski, PhD; Vera Georgieva, PhD; and Olga Peševska Zarevska, PhD. The Institute has also had the services of the following teaching assistants: Kica Bardžieva, PhD; Aneta Markovska, PhD; and Vera Hadži Pulja, MA, as well as professor Ivančo Atanasovski, PhD. Up to the founding of the Institutes of Psychology and Sociology, the following were part of the Institute of Philosophy in the capacity of teaching staff or associates: Desanka Miljovska, PhD; Risto Gjorgjeski, PhD; Blaga Petroska, PhD; and Gjorgje Mladenovski, PhD.

Among the graduates of the Institute of Philosophy are a number of renowned Macedonian theoreticians and writers, such as academician Dimitar Mitrev, academician Aco Šopov, and Tome Momirovski; as well as those who, besides a degree in Philosophy, graduated and obtained PhDs from other Faculties, such as: academician Jordan Pop Jordanov (Electrical Engineering), academician Vitomir Mitevski (Classical Philology), and Blagoja Veljanovski (Physics). A number of our colleagues have also graduated in Philosophy, but have obtained their PhDs in different disciplines in the fields of humanities and social sciences, who then became affiliated with other Institutes, Faculties, or Universities, such as: professor Dimitar Dimitrov, PhD; professor Sejfedin Sulejmani, PhD; professor Kosta Kostov, PhD; professor Nelko Stojanoski, PhD; professor Gjorgje Mladenovski, PhD; professor Radomir Videnović, PhD; professor Ilija Aceski, PhD; professor Slobodanka Markovska, PhD; professor Emilija Simovska, PhD, and so on. A number of government Ministers, MPs, and ambassadors have graduated in Philosophy, as well as numerous well-known journalists, cultural and social figures, as well as high school teachers.

Some faculty members from the Institute of Philosophy have become members of various Academies abroad, such as: academician Pavao Vuk Pavlović (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts), academician Dušan Nedeljković (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts), academician Abdulah Šarčević (Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and academician Ferid Muhić (Bosniak Academy of Sciences and Arts). A number of renowned philosophers from the former Yugoslavia have taught at the Institute, such as: Živorad Radović, PhD; Bogdan Šešić, PhD; and Zagorka Mićić, PhD.

The professors at the Institute of Philosophy are supervisors of PhD and MA candidates, as well as members of numerous supervisory PhD and MA committees, both at the Institute, as well as at other Institutes at the Faculty of Philosophy, and at Faculties abroad. The Institute has participated in a number of academic-research projects, and it is also involved in an on-going basis in the organization or co-organization of a number of international and national academic symposiums in the domain of philosophy, such as: the thematic symposium within the World Philosophy Day, the East-West symposium, the Students’ Symposium, etc. Together with the Philosophical Society of Macedonia, the Institute has published approximately 100 issues of the journals Philosophical Tribune (Филозофска трибина) and Philosophy (Филозофија), while the members of the Institute have published a great number of monographs and course books on philosophy, for which they have received many awards, such as: the “11 Oktomvri” award, the “13 Noemvri” award, the “Goce Delčev” award, and the “Dimitar Mitrev” award, among others. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the existence of the “Philosophy Film Festival”, an event that commenced at our Institute, and has today grown into a renowned festival of film and philosophy, the only one of its kind in the world.

At the moment, the teaching staff at the Institute of Philosophy is composed of the four full professors: Ivan Džeparoski, PhD (Aesthetics), Branislav Sarkanjac, PhD (Philosophy of Politics), Ana Dimiškovska, PhD (Logic), and Dejan Donev, PhD (Ethics), and four associate professors: Risto Solunčev, PhD (History of Philosophy), Vangel Nonevski, PhD (Philosophical Anthropology), Jasmina Popovska, PhD (History of Philosophy), and Marija Todorovska, PhD (Philosophy of Religion). The Institute is also equipped with a librarian, Frosina Novak, who is also the ECTS coordinator.