The state intends to restore order." Former head of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Philosophy justified the searches and interrogations over Aristotle translations

"The state intends to restore order." Former head of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Philosophy justified the searches and interrogations that took place over Aristotle translations

The Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IP RAS) had been receiving funding for years but still failed to publish a single volume of Aristotle’s collected works, former institute director Anatoly Chernyaev said in a comment to Vedomosti.

"Returning to the project of a new collected works of Aristotle, in connection with which an investigation has been launched. The institute has been receiving multimillion funding under this state assignment for nearly a decade now, and still not even a single volume has been published. Is that normal?" he said.

Chernyaev called this situation the result of "academic free-for-all" and "the lack of real state control over the institute’s work."

Chernyaev viewed the investigation that has been launched as a sign that "the state intends to restore order in the sphere of science as well."

In Chernyaev’s opinion, it is "not surprising at all" that the Investigative Committee took an interest in the Institute of Philosophy.

Chernyaev declined to comment on reports that he himself was behind the interrogations and searches of Institute of Philosophy staff, calling them "openly slanderous" and "absurd."

@meduzalive