Analysis of Existentials as Anthropological Categories in Late Soviet Philosophy

Abstract

The article deals with the analysis of existentials as anthropological categories in late Soviet philosophy. A number of key categories and authors who developed them are highlighted. It is shown that during the1970s and 1980s, Soviet philosophers autonomously studied the problem of understanding a person, which is called existential. Being isolated from Western schools of thought, Soviet philosophers followed an independent and original path in the analysis of existentials. Therefore, these texts have not lost their significance as examples of that independent philosophy, which is based on real spiritual and intellectual experience. The concepts of spiritual feelings by V.I. Shinkaruk, practices as a special form of communication by V.G. Tabachkovsky, the philosophy of “second birth” by M.K. Mamardashvili and the existential of spiritual death as interpreted by G.S. Batishchev represent original achievements of Soviet philosophy that have no direct equivalents in Western philosophy of the 20th century. They were based on a deep and specific spiritual experience of living in a secular culture. The considered range of anthropological categories (existentials), which were developed in late Soviet philosophy, allows us to conclude that the latter generally gravitated, on the one hand, towards existential problems as such and, on the other, towards a spontaneous revival of elements of Christian consciousness on the basis of a new spiritual and intellectual experience of the crisis of secular consciousness. Therefore, it can be said that it was during this period that the foundation and model for the subsequent development of the original Russian philosophy were established, which in the 21st century assumed more diverse and developed forms.