The Metaphysics of a Cultured Life and Philosophizing Croatian National Questions in the Works of S. Zimmermann Concerning Croatian Philosophy and Culture

Abstract

This study summarises and coherently demonstrates the metaphysics of the Life of Culture by Stjepan Zimmermann in his articles listed in »Croatian Philosophy and Culture« (Zagreb, 2001), as well as philosophy of cultural questions relating to the Croatian people. His metaphysics contains an important noetic characteristic relating to the metaphysical real term of »truth«, defined as »a harmony of entity/thing and reason«. »Truth« is According to Zimmerman\u27s metaphysics »truth« is an unconditional cognitional value. Zimmermann\u27s valorisation of actual Croatian cultural life with its European cultural comparisons is based, firstly on his general metaphysics of human culture, which gives culture unconditional value and so offers philosophical valorisation as an objective measure; and secondly, on the facts that are available with respect to a life of culture. The first part of this article describes the general metaphysical life of cultural, especially the metaphysics of man and the category of »human life«. Some main traits of Zimmerman\u27s metaphysics are briefly compared with the relevant themes in the metaphysics »Process and Reality« of A. N. Whitehead. When compared to the metaphysics of Whitehead, Zimmermann sees actual man as an integrated spiritual and corporal living entity, and as subject with reason and will, whose special characteristic is personality. In this way, man is different from other cosmic beings. With this difference Zimmermann\u27s metaphysical and cosmological dynamism and system is theistically explained, while not just cosmos immanently finalistic. Zimmerman\u27s term »people\u27 can be effectively explained as a special human kind of »society«, in Whiteheads meaning of this term. Zimmerman\u27s ontological understanding of »people« as »a spiritual resultant« as a communal person »lives actually according to its types«, means a kind of framework such as Whitehead\u27s special subject, the so called »nexus«. A people of this kind of framework have its own national cultural life in Zimmerman\u27s comprehensive meaning called »culture«. The second part of the study is made up of discussions on Croatian themes, namely Zimmerman\u27s valorization of actual Croatian cultural, historical and political happenings and in the attempt by Zimmerman to gain independence of the Croatian people and contributing to the survival and development of the Croatian language. The final part of this study analysis some characteristics of Zimmermann\u27s Croatian professional language