Ukrainian Philosophical Thought

The Characteristics of Ukrainian Philosophical Thought and Its Major Developmental Periods

The history of national culture is inseparable from the development of philosophy, which has always served the function of theoretical self-awareness for culture, embodying the spirit of the nation within its cultural expressions.

What does the history of Ukrainian philosophy study? Its object includes: a) the cultural context within which philosophical thought originates and functions; b) teachings that have matured within the framework of Ukrainian culture but outside its territory (in the diaspora); c) as well as ideas created by representatives of other national cultures that have effectively operated within the context of Ukrainian culture.

From this perspective, three primary periods can be delineated in the development of philosophical thought in Ukraine:

• The history of philosophical culture during the existence of Kyivan Rus. The main paradigm: Man — God.
• The second period associated with the era of Cossackdom, encompassing the philosophical teachings of the 16th to 18th centuries. The main paradigm: Man — World.
• The history of philosophy related to the national idea from the 19th to the early 20th centuries. The main paradigm: Man — Nation.

At this stage, the process of the formation of the Ukrainian nation and the maturation of philosophy as its spiritual quintessence concludes. This understanding of the history of Ukrainian philosophy reveals three interconnected types of Ukrainian culture:

• Greco-Slavic;
• Baroque;
• Romantic.

Of course, these identified types of culture do not exhaust the diversity of philosophical life.

The first period of Ukrainian philosophical history coincides with the era of Kyivan Rus. Within the context of Kyivan (Greco-Slavic) culture, a type of thinking emerged characteristic of the Ukrainian spiritual tradition, one that eschews abstract philosophical theorizing detached from life. This period spans from the 11th century to the mid-14th century, reflecting the Greco-Slavic type of culture with its emphasis on the relationship between man and God.

Following the introduction of Christianity (in 988), or as O. Potebnia expressed it, during the "overlay" of Christianity on the paganism of the Eastern Slavs, various religious, philosophical, and didactic works arrived from the Greeks to Ukraine. According to one of the most authoritative Christian thinkers, John of Damascus (676-749), philosophy is a universal system of knowledge. His encyclopedic work "The Source of Knowledge" (a trilogy: "Dialectics," "On Heresies," "Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith") articulates the following purposes of philosophy:

1. Philosophy is the knowledge of the existing as being, that is, the knowledge of the nature of existence;
2. Philosophy is the knowledge of the divine and human, that is, the invisible and the visible;
3. Philosophy is the care for death, both voluntary and natural. Death is dual: it is natural, meaning the separation of the soul from the body, and voluntary when we disdain present life and strive for the future;
4. Philosophy is the imitation of God. We resemble God through wisdom, that is, through true knowledge of good and through justice, which is the adequate reward for each one properly, as well as through humility, which transcends justice when we do good that offends us;
5. Philosophy is also the art of arts and the science of sciences, because philosophy is the foundation of all art, and it is through it that every art and science is distilled;
6. Philosophy is love of wisdom, but true Wisdom is God, and thus love of God is true philosophy.

The thesis of philosophy as the love of wisdom traces back to antiquity, while the second thesis regarding God as true Wisdom originates from biblical tradition. The history of philosophical culture is not limited to mere borrowings and influences; it also encompasses its own original contributions:

• Mythological notions of the ancient Slavs, such as the cult of ancestry;
• Works by Metropolitan Hilarion and Volodymyr Monomakh ("The Word on Law and Grace," "Instructions");
• Chronicles;
• Philosophical notions of the epoch also found expression in non-verbal sources — the architecture and paintings of St. Sophia Cathedral.

Thus, an analysis of the history of philosophical culture reveals how and in what manner the further development of philosophical thought and philosophical language was prepared.

No sooner had ten years passed since the introduction of Christianity in Kyivan Rus than Hilarion composed "The Word on Law and Grace." This original work is a result of philosophical thought and inquiry. The period of "apprenticeship" for the ancient Russian lovers of wisdom was remarkably brief. Hilarion's "Word" should be regarded as a response to the pressing needs of the state's socio-political development. This work initiated the "Slavic version" of Byzantine culture.

The Baroque era in Ukraine was prepared by the humanistic and reformational ideas of the illustrious thinkers of that time: Y. Drohobych, P. Rusyn, and Lukas of New Town. Among them, the most colorful figure is the polemicist Ivan Vypovitskiy (1550-1620).

The second period is the history of philosophical theory associated with the time of Cossackdom, characterized by significant cultural development during the 16th to 18th centuries. Notable features of this era include:

• The introduction of mass printing;
• The flourishing of the Ostroh Academy;
• The 17th century marked the activity of brotherhoods and the founding of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Describing Ukrainian culture of this era, which emerged in the realm of philosophy as a result of the assimilation of ideas from the Western European Renaissance and Reformation, researchers, beginning with D. Chyzhevsky, characterize it as Baroque culture. It is significant that the national self-definition of the Ukrainian people during the dramatic 17th century heightened societal interest in the universal foundations of European civilization — antiquity, Christianity, and Enlightenment. At the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, general European educational programs began to be employed, advocating for the humanistic values of Latin as an international language of culture, while the cohort of "vagabonds" — students who traveled through various countries — expanded, forming a "republic of spirit" of scholars in Europe, as noted by H. Skovoroda. P. Mohyla proclaimed ideas of ecumenism and Christian unity for the entire cultural world.

Within the scope of Baroque issues developed during this period, the focus shifted to the problem of "Man — Universe." Alongside moral-ethical and historiographical questions, dialectics, logic, metaphysics, and natural philosophy received significant attention. A defining feature of this era was the formation of professional philosophy as a specific sphere of theoretical thought.

The pinnacle of philosophical thought in contemporary Ukraine is undoubtedly the philosophy of Hryhorii Skovoroda, while the history of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy stands as one of the bright pages in the development of the spiritual culture of the southern and eastern Slavs. The pride of the academy lies in its professors: F. Prokopovych, H. Konytskyi, S. Yavorskyi, and others.

In the development of Enlightenment in Ukraine during the 18th century, two directions emerged:

1. Scientific-educational, represented by the works of F. Prokopovych and H. Konytskyi;
2. Ethical-humanistic, in the creativity of the Ukrainian enlightener, humanist, and democrat H. Skovoroda.

Characteristic features of the second direction included: a) Reflecting on human life, its happiness, and the paths to achieve it; b) Happiness was associated with work according to one’s calling and moral self-improvement; c) Wisdom is the source of righteousness.