The Department of Philosophy was founded in 1962.
Research in the Department has been carried out in many subjects, and up until the time that the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences was divided, the Department served as a focal point for many other Departments. It hosted many annual international scientific conferences, and expects to continue doing so in the future.

Several Instructors in the Department are preparing to defend their Doctoral dissertations: E. Ciulde, "Problems of object and method in sociology"; L. Sulciene, "A philosophical foundation of the morals of St. Thomas Aquinas"; B. Leskauskaite is writing a monograph about A. Dambrauskas-Jakstas. L. Lapasinskas investigates world religions. E. Gendrolis' monograph, "Sources of culture" (1994), completed research in the field of "Methodological principles of cultural development."

Two historians are working in the Department: A. Butkuviene is preparing a study on "Famous women of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania". J. Januskeviciute is writing a manual of two parts: "Features of the history of civilizations".

Staff of the Department take part in the research programme BMP9-01 “Relationship between humanitarian and technological sciences”.

• Assoc. Professors of the Department were members of the organisational committee and editorial board of the international scientific conference, “Culture and Society”: B.Leskauskaite (chief editor), V.Leonavicius, L.Lapasinskas.
• B.Leskauskaite has compiled the scientific publication “Philosophy and Culture”, L.Karpov has compiled “Spiritual World of a Human Being”.
• B.Leskauskaite is the chief editor of the scientific journal “Humanistica”.
• V.Leonavicius is a member of the editorial board of the journal “Sociology and Philosophy”.

Co-ordinating Council:

• Assoc. Prof. B.Leskauskaite (co-ordinator),
• Prof. A.Sliogeris,
• Assoc. Prof. L.Lapasinskas,
• Prof. W.Pluskiewicz (Poland),
• Prof. J.A.Haber,
• Prof. J.Broda (Poland),
• Assoc. Prof. R.Dabkus,
• Assoc. Prof. R.Povilaitis.

Participating institutions and subdivisions:

• Institute of Humanities,
• Silesian Polytechnic University,
• Lithuanian Agricultural University,
• Lithuanian Institute of Philosophy and Sociology,
• Polytechnic University of Poland,
• Lvov Polytechnic University of Ukraine.

Participants: Dr. B.Leskauskaite and others.

Abstract

On the way to the 21st century the relationship of cultural values is gaining ground.

Humanitarian and technological values intricately interweaving in social and ethnic structures have a considerable effect upon our present and future. For this reason, the research on the attitudes of educated citizens and university students towards the values orientation, their activities motivation connected with mentality and identity perspicacity of European integration is inescapable. By neglecting it, fostering of real humanitarian-spiritual values and development of the state national economy, political and cultural programs would be inconceivable.

The research programme deals with the formation of humanitarian culture of technical and social sciences specialists trained in KTU; with maturing erudites of sufficiently high spiritual culture, creative, systematically thinking active strategists in their speciality and social activity spheres, apprehending the philosophical concepts of modern science and technology.

The programme comprises two research projects:

1. Students values orientation, their adaptability and standpoints towards European integration;

2. Origin and development of modern science in Western culture.

The first theme is connected with the analysis of the categories of the culture science, axiology and culture philosophy; the relationship and empirical analysis of humanitarian and technical values by contemplating the dispersion of the youth values orientation, by influencing the social environment changes, by comparing the research work with that carried on in Silesian Polytechnic, Ukraine Polytechnic and Lithuanian Agricultural Universities. It should be noted that investigating the prointegration consciousness the awareness of a new generation - the orientation positions of future engineers acquire great significance and make this project a programme of today.

The second theme is the philosophical analysis of the origin and development of modern science, the relationship of intellectual and technical-technological culture, the improvement of Master’s studies process, namely, “History and Philosophy of Science and Technology”. The research work covers the philosophical contemplation of science and engineering development from antiquity to modern science and technology, from a myth to a logos, from all of them to the intellectual and technological culture of a modern informed society.

The programme results are published in a journal “Humanistica”, KTU conference proceedings and in other publications as:

• Jezy Broda, Jozef Antoni Haber, Brone Leskauskaite, Waclaw Pluskiewicz “Integracja Europejska w swiadomosci mlodziezy” (European integration in youth awareness). Habex, Gliwice 1997;
• Jerzy Broda, Romualdas Dabkus, Jozef Antoni Haber, Brone Leskauskaite, Waclaw Pluskiewicz, Iwan Tiwonczuk “Poslowy mlodziezy wobec integracji Europejskiej” (Youth attitudes towards European integration). Habex, Gliwice 1998.