Niches of freedom: Socratic method for the teaching of dialectic materialism during soviet times (by example of scientific and teaching activity of Albert Knigin)

The author of the article expresses her disagreement with the absolutization of freedom in the form of rebelliousness which is characteristic to the modern public awareness. By the example of scientific and teaching activity of professor Albert Knigin, who was lecturing on Dialectic Materialism in Tomsk State University in the late Soviet period, the possibility for of positive philosophizing existence, implementation of the freedom of thinking and self-expression on the basis of 'official' philosophical doctrine - Marxism. The specific character of Knigin's understanding of philosophy as 'vivid philosophizing' is indicated. This specific character defined the fact that teaching in itself became a form of scientific work for him in which the subject of a scientific study is formed by thematic sections (topics) of the course taught, the course as it is becomes the result of a scientific research and the lecture is the basic form of a scientific work results recording. Albert Knigin can be characterized as a Socratic type philosopher. Such type of philosophizing is distinguished by the absence of aspiration to note down own thoughts and ideas; the preference is given to live communication with students with the aim to develop thinking. It is shown that the development of free philosophizing skills and thinking became possible due to the peculiarities of the course taught by Knigin that included free and creative attitude towards Marxism, the emphasis on the original sources - texts of Marxism classics, the interest shown regarding actual thinking process, presented in the newest publications, organic introduction of a Marxist philosophy into the historical process philosophy development. Furthermore, an important role is assigned to the methodology that he elaborated in the process of teaching the course. Main postulates of it are the following: 1) to teach students how to formulate questions and define problems within the information they work with 2) to have no fear to argue with acknowledged authors 3) to be able to formulate your opinion and to be able to bring arguments in the defense of your position. Through his lectures Knigin demonstrated exemplary type of thinking that can be characterized by accuracy in giving definitions to notions, consistency and systemacy in material statement, presence of supportive arguments. For him to teach others how to think meant to show that thinking process can be interesting, he wanted to be carried away with the very process of thinking. Knigin managed to turn not only the subject he taught - Dialectic Materialism - but the very teaching activity into the subject of philosophical reflection. He created the philosophy of teaching Philosophy or philosophy of how to form philosophical thinking.

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