The Evolution of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s Philosophical Views as related to his Spiritual Biography

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22240/sent37.01.065

Keywords:

Christianity, Eros, friendship, love, the mystery of cross, religious philosophy, Skovoroda, Ukrainian philosophy

Abstract

This paper argues that the foundation for Skovoroda’s philosophical evolution was laid by the elements of his existential experience: overcoming the fear of death; uncertainty of an individual’s existence in the world; friendship; a series of events in his social life, simultaneous to changes in his works. The most fundamental factor of this experience was Skovoroda’s Christian identity, particularly his continuous efforts to grasp the meaning of the most crucial dogma of Christian religion – the mystery of Resurrection.

The totality of these factors caused further development of Skovoroda’s doctrine. The article schematises the inner logic of this development as follows: (1)  discovery of the perspective of love, interpreted as being struck by divine beauty; (2) interpretation of human condition as being on the edge of the created and the divine world; (3)  proper assessment of the fact that a human being discovers in its own essence the incorruptible beauty of divine image; (4) comprehension of  how love to this image arises; (5) interpretation of man as a being that is capable to grasp the eternity of divine charity, and understand itself as a meta-historical entity that has its continuation in eternity.

The existential experience brings Skovoroda to a unique and extremely powerful existential experience of the mystery of Cross, which causes a cathartic effect: having undergone the sufferings of the Cross, the material fire of human ἔρως transforms into the living water of divine ἀγάπη, and the confusion of a living creature lost in the world gives way to a tranquil wisdom of a heir of divine gifts and a friend of God.

Author Biography

Victor Chernyshov, Poltava Yuri Kondratiuk National Technical University

PhD in philosophy, associated professor of Department of Philosophy, Social and Political Studies

References

Astapova, O. (2015). Love and Eros in the Old and New Testament Tradition. In Y. Ecevit (Ed.), International Conference on Knowledge & Politics in Gender & Women’s Studies: Building Bridges within the Gender and Women’s Studies Community in Turkey (October 9-11, 2015), (pp. 808-817). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sinem_Gueduem/publication/319685211_Women_in_Technology_Google_Women_Tech-Makers_Case/links/59b969dfaca27241618d5f4d/Women-in-Technology-Google-Women-Tech-Makers-Case.pdf

Averintsev, S. (2007). Sofia-Logos: Dictionary. [In Russian]. Kyiv: Duh i litera.

Bartholomew I. (1996, August 26). God’s Way is the Way of the Cross (2). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved January 9, 2017, from RISU website: https://risu.org.ua/ua/library/periodicals/lis/lis_1996/lis_96_04/37562

Bartolini, M. G. (2012). “Glava že vsěm Biblija”. Le citazioni bibliche nell’opera di H.S. Skovoroda (1722-1794) tra tradizione slava ecclesiastica e cultura barocca. Studi Slavistici, 9, 29-52.

Bartolini, M. G. (2014). Il testo skovorodiano Ubuždešsja, viděša slavu ego. Un trattato catechetico-liturgico sulla festa della Trasfigurazione? Studi Slavistici, 11, 7-22.

Chaplinskyi, V. H. (2015). The Problems of Psychical Equilibrium and Harmonious Symbiosis with Nature in Gregory Skovoroda’s Philosophy. [In Russian]. Visnyk Dnipropetrovs’koho universytetu, (1), 125-133.

Cherneha, T. M. (2007). The Rational and the Mystical in Gregory Skovoroda’s Philosophy. [In Ukrainian]. Odessa: Astroprint.

Chernyshov, V. V. (2013). Gregory Sabbin Skovoroda: Image, Figure, Person. [In Russian]. In Aliaiev et al. (Eds.), Genesis and Progressive Ways of Russian and Ukrainian Philosophy (pp. 205-243). Poltava: ASMI.

Chyzhevskiy, D. I. (2005). Philosophical Works: in 4 vols. (Vol. 1). [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Smoloskyp.

Dykunova, O. A., & Kravchenko, O. M. (Eds.). (2017). Ukrainian Socrates – A Pilgrim for Knowledge – Gregory Skovoroda: Auxiliary Academic Bibliographical Index (from the Library Funds of Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University). [In Ukrainian]. Kryvyi Rih: KDPU.

Erdmann, E. von. (2005). Unähnliche Ähnlichkeit. Die Onto-Poetik des ukrainischen Philosophen Hryhorij Skovoroda (1722-1794). Köln: Böhlau.

Hamaliyi, H. et al. (2002). Hryhoriyi Skovoroda: 1722-1794: Bibliographical index. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv.

Hanin, I. G., Poliakova, M. V., & Alekseeva, V. V. (2013). Noospheric Worldview as a Foundation of Civilisation. [In Russian]. Uchenye zapiski Tavricheskogo natsyonal’nogo universiteta imeni V. I. Vernadskogo. Seriya Filosofiya. Kulturologiya. Politologiya. Sotsiologiya, 5, 144-149.

Hladka, N. V. (2012). Narcissism: an Artistic Way of Knowledge. [In Ukrainian]. Visnyk Zhytomyrs’koho derzhavnoho universytetu. Filolohichni nauky, 62, 183-186.

Hnatiuk, L. P. (2011). Hryhoriyi Skovoroda’s Language Consciousness and the Language Practice within the Framework of the Old-Ukrainian Literary Tradition. Author’s Abstract of Dissertation Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Sciences in Philology (Specialisation 10.02.01 – Ukrainian Language) at Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: KNUTSh.

Ignatius Antiocheni. (1894). Epistola ad Romanos. In J.-P. Migne (Ed.), Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Graeca. 1-161 vol. (Vol. 5, col. 683-696). Paris: Migne.

Joannes Chrysostomus. (1859). Homilia de capto Eutropio et de divitiarum vanitete. In J.-P. Migne (Еd.), Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Graeca. (Vol. 52, col. 395-414). Paris: Migne.

Kortunov, V. V. (2014). Russian Philosophy between Western Metaphysics and Eastern Mysticism. European Journal of Science and Theology, 10(6), 47-61.

Koschmal, W. (2015). Украинский мыслитель? Григорий Сковорода. In Acta Universitatis Lodziensis Folia Literraria Rossica. Zeszyt specjalny, 171-181.

Kovalivs’kyyi, A. P. (1924). The Development of Gregory Skovoroda’s Views in Connection with His Life. [In Ukrainian]. Naukovi zapysky Kharkivs’koyi naukovo-doslidnoyi katedry istoriyi ukrayins’koyi kul’tury, 1, 69-98.

Kovalyns’kyi, M. (2011). The Life of Gregory Skovoroda. [In Russian]. In H. Skovoroda, A complete academic collection of works (pp. 1344-1386). (L. Ushkalov, Ed.). Kharkiv: Maidan; Edmonton, & Toronto: CIUS Press.

Kramarenko, O. A. (2012). Gregory Skovoroda: On Occasion of 290th Anniversary of His Birthday: Suggested Reading. [In Ukrainian]. Sumy: Sumy State University.

Lesiv, M. R. D. (2012). La filosofia religiosa di Gregorio Skovoroda e l’Accademia di Kyiv. Excerpta ex Dissertatione ad Doctoratum. Retrieved from http://er.ucu.edu.ua/handle/1/791

Lubianovskyi, F. P. (1872). Memories. [In Russian]. Russkiy arkhiv, (1), 98-184.

Makhnovets’, L. E. (1972). Gregory Savovych Skovoroda: a Biography. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv.

Malinov, A. V., & Peshperova, I. Y. (2014). Gregory Skovoroda: a Prophet of Anti-Historicism. [In Russian]. Vestnik SPbGU, Series 17, 4, 41-46.

Marchenko, O. V. (2007). Gregory Skovoroda and Russian Philosophical Thought of the Nineteenth and the Twentieth Centuries. Researches and Studies (Part. 1). [In Russian]. Moscow: [s.n.].

Pascal, B. (1991). Œuvres complètes. Volume III: Œuvres diverses (1654-1657). (J. Mesnard, Éd.). Paris: Desclée de Brouwer.

Perri, G. (2015). The Prologue to the Narcissus of Hryhorii Skovoroda as a Philosophical Testament. Kyiv-Mohyla Humanities Journal, 2, 83-98. https://doi.org/10.18523/kmhj51026.2015-2.83-98

Perri, G. (2016). Contenuto e significato del prologo al Narciso di Hryhorij Skovoroda. Rivista di storia della filosofia, 71(1), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.3280/SF2016-001002

Pilipowicz, D. (2010). Rozmowa o duchowym świecie. Hryhorij Skoworoda: Filozofia - Teologia - Mistyka. Kraków: Sywajpolt Fiol.

Popovych, M. V. (2007). Gregory Skovoroda: Philosophy of Freedom. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Maiysternia Bilets’kykh.

Seneca, L. A. (1975). In Ten Volumes. Volume VI: Ad Licilium Epistulae Morales. In Three Vols. (Vol. III). (R. M. Gummere, Trans.). Cambridge, Ma: Harvard UP; London: Heinemann.

Shevchuk, V. O. (2008). Known and Unknown Sphinx: Gregory Skovoroda in the Eyes of His Contemporaries: Meditations. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: PULSARY.

Shkyra, O. et al. (2009). Hrygorii Skovoroda (1722-1794): Academic Bibliographic Index. (Vol. 1). [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv.

Skovoroda, H. (2011). A complete academic collection of works. [In Ukrainian]. (L. Ushkalov, Ed.). Kharkiv: Maidan; Edmonton, & Toronto: CIUS.

Slastenko, E. F. (2012). The Issue of Communication in the History of Philosophy. [In Russian]. Visnyk Natsyonal’noho Aviatsiynoho Universytetu. Seriya: Filosofiya. Kul’turolohia, 2, 20-24.

Smirnov, G. S. (2015). Life as Everywhere-Eternity (Periphrasis of V. F. Ern’s Book “Hrygorii Savvich Skovoroda. Life and Doctrine”). [In Russian]. Vestnik Ivanovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki, 2 (15). Filosofiya, 12-20.

Smirnova, M. A. (2013a). Symbolism in the Doctrine of Hrygorii Skovoroda. [In Russian]. Izvestiya Tul’skoho Gosudarstvennogo universiteta, 2, 128-134.

Smirnova, M. A. (2013b). Hrygorii Skovoroda’s Philosophical Ideas within the Framework of Russian Philosophical Thought. [In Russian]. Izvestiya Tul’skoho Gosudarstvennogo universiteta, 3-1, 48-53.

Tertillianus. (1844). Praescriptionibus adversus haereticos. In J.-P. Migne (Ed.), Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina. (Vol. 2, 10-74). Paris: Migne.

The Holy Scripture Containing the Old and New Testament. (2009). (I. Khomenko, Trans.). [In Ukrainian]. Zhovkva: Misioner.

Titar’, E. V. (2014). The Symbolism of Theatrum mundi and Allegories of Christian Spiritual Grows in Hrygorii Skovoroda’s Philosophical Anthropology. [In Russian]. Nauchnye vedomosti. Seriya: Filosofiya. Sotsiologiya. Pravo, 28, 105-110.

Ushkalov, L. (2017). A Catch of an Elusive Fowl: the Life of Hrygorii Skovoroda. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Duh i litera.

Ushkalov, L. V. (2004). Hrygorii Skovoroda: a Seminar. [In Ukrainian]. Kharkiv: Maidan.

Ushkalov, L. V. (2014). Skovoroda and Byzantine Theology. [In Ukrainian]. Filosofs’ka Dumka, 5, 62-72.

Ushkalov, L. V. (2016). Ukraine and Europe: Essays on History of Literature and Philosophy. [In Ukrainian]. Kharkiv: Maidan.

Ushkalov, L. V. et al. (2002). Two Centuries of Skovorodiana: a Bibliographical Index. [In Ukrainian]. Kharkiv: Akta.

Varava, V. V. (2015). From Skovoroda to Ern: Controversies of Russian Religious Philosophy. [In Russian]. Nauchnye vedomosti. Seriya: Filosofiya. Sociologiya. Pravo, 34 (20), 11-14.

Zen’kovskiyi, V. V. (1991). History of Russian Philosophy. (Vol. 1, Part 1). [In Russian]. Leningrad: EGO.

Zvonok, N. S. (2014). The Symbolism of the Bible as of a Hypertext. [In Russian]. Hileya, 84, 344-347.

Downloads

Abstract views: 957

Published

2018-06-16

How to Cite

Chernyshov, V. (2018). The Evolution of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s Philosophical Views as related to his Spiritual Biography. Sententiae, 37(1), 65–86. https://doi.org/10.22240/sent37.01.065

Issue

Section

ARTICLES

Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.