Ivan Timofeevich
Frolov
1929-1999
Ivan Timofeevich Frolov was a Soviet and Russian philosopher, party leader, in 1990-1991 was a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, in 1989-1990 – the Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, in 1989-1991 – the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Pravda”. He was a Doctor of Philosophy (1966), Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the Department of Philosophy and Law (1976), Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1987), Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1991). He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University (1953) and postgraduate studies (1956). In 1952-65 he was on editorial work in Moscow (executive secretary of the journal “Questions of Philosophy”), later – in Prague (Deputy Executive Secretary of the international journal “Problems of Peace and Socialism”). In 1965-68 he was the Assistant Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In 1968-77 he was the Editor-in-chief of the journal “Questions of Philosophy”. In 1977-80 he was the Executive Secretary of the international journal “Problems of Peace and Socialism” (Prague). Since 1980 he was the Chairman of the Scientific Council at the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences on philosophical and social problems of science and technology. In 1986-87 he was the Editor-in–chief of the Communist magazine; in 1987-89 he was the Assistant to the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Mikhail Gorbachev; in 1989-91 he was the Editor–in–chief of the newspaper Pravda, in 1989-1990 he was the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, and in 1990-1991 he was a member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee. From 1991 to 1999 he was the Director of the Human Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as co-chairman of the Russian National Bioethics Committee of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was the Chairman of the Russian National Committee on the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. From 1987 to 1999 he was the President of the Philosophical Society of the USSR (later the Russian Philosophical Society). He was the Vice-President and member of the Executive Committee of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies. He was a Member of the Directorate of the International Institute of Life. He was an honorary member of the International Academy of the History of Science. In 1987-91 he was the Vice-President of the Department of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science of the International Union for the History and Philosophy of Science. He was a full member of the European Society of Culture; member of the leadership of the international movement “Ecoforum for Peace”. He was the Chairman of the organizing committee of the VIII International Congress on Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (Moscow, 1987) and the XXI World Philosophical Congress (Moscow, 1993). For a number of years, he taught at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University. He was a member of the editorial board of the journal “Questions of Philosophy”. He was a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1987-1989), People’s Deputy of the USSR (1989-1991), Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences since 1976, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (RAS) since 1987. He headed the team of authors of the two-volume textbook for universities “Introduction to Philosophy” (Moscow, 1990). Frolov’s research is devoted to philosophical problems of biology and genetics, ideological and methodological principles of biological research, the integrity of the system of methods in biology, their interaction and development, “organic determinism” as a causality principle specific to biology. In the book “Genetics and Dialectics” (1968), Lysenkoism was debunked, an analysis of discussions in modern genetics was given.
Address: Moscow, Volkhonka str., 14, p. 5
