Аннотация

The Philosophy of H.S. Skovoroda is one of the most famous works by the prominent Ukrainian scientist Dmytro Chyzhevsky (1894-1977). It was first published in 1934. Chyzhevsky tended to consider Skovoroda's philosophy as the true core of our intellectual tradition. "Skovoroda," he wrote, "is the last representative of the Ukrainian spiritual baroque; on the other hand, he is a Ukrainian 'pre-romantic': but baroque and romanticism are the periods of spiritual history that left the strongest imprint on the Ukrainian spirit. Thus, Skovoroda stands at the centre of Ukrainian brass history...".
In his book, Chyzhevsky explores the foundations of Skovoroda's metaphysics, anthropology, epistemology, and ethics, using a wealth of source material. The universals and images of the Ukrainian philosopher are clearly expressed against the background of ancient Platonism and Neoplatonism, patristicism, medieval and modern (primarily German) mysticism. Some of the theses that Chyzhevsky first put forward and substantiated, such as the idea that Skovoroda's work is a "commentary" on the Holy Scriptures, that it is intrinsically linked to the mystical tradition, and that the most expressive features of Skovoroda's "baroque style" are antitheticality and symbolism, eventually became established themes of academic Skovorodiana. Moreover, Chyzhevsky's book about Skovoroda is an important milestone on the way of Ukrainian people's self-discovery. "It is difficult to imagine the spiritual life of my generation without Dmytro Chyzhevsky's essays on philosophy in Ukraine and the book about Skovoroda," Yevhen Malaniuk once said. Undoubtedly, dear reader, this book can become an event in your life as well.