Place and Role of Philosophy in Modern Higher Education (the Case of the Republic of Moldova)

Abstract

This article examines the role of philosophy in higher education in general, and in the Republic of Moldova, in particular. It is analyzed two myths concerning the understanding
the place of philosophy as academic discipline, that dominate in post-Soviet society: the first one — philosophy does not teach to do something useful, it is a form of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, which cannot be applied in practice; the second one — the philosophy in its essence is not a true profession. The author shows that the deplorable situation with the teaching of philosophy is typical for all the universities of the Republic of Moldova, including Balti State University named Alecu Russo. After twenty years the situation finally has changed when the university administration agreed that the curriculum should correspond to framework curricular plan that was developed by the Ministry of Education. According to it was introduced a special discipline — «Philosophy. Philosophical problems of a particular field of knowledge and practice». The author of the article concludes that philosophy can develop the ability to get clear and distinct expression of the essence of the problems that can be solved by understanding the existence of the world and society and can help to complete the formation of the inner personality. At the same time, professors have to be creative in the learning process and are required to give up her teaching her as dead knowledge,. At the same time, educators have to be creative in the learning process and have to refuse its teaching as dead knowledge that does not apply to philosophy or to life.