In this article the author proves his own concept of the spirit of the Enlightenment and de-scribes the basic features of this phenomenon. At the beginning of the work the author examines the concept of scientists who believe that the Enlightenment was an event in the history of mediation. The author agrees with the basic idea of these researchers, however, he believes that it is necessary to find out about what kind of mediation in question. The author argues that the (...) Enlightenment is always an attempt to bridge the gap between what is and properly. But education and training is becoming the medium that connects the edges of this gap. The main goal of the Enlightenment is always to make the nature of man, society and the universe the way it should be. Then, the author identifies three main characteristic of the Enlightenment: educationism, quasi-religiosity, utopian. These characteristics mean that the Enlightenment: 1) creates a world whose axis is problems of education; 2) trying to take on the cultural function of religion; 3) produces a variety of utopia. (shrink)

In this article the author continues to analyze the specifics of borrowed Enlightenments. The Enlightenment in question is the one that came from Europe to Russia during the 18th century. The author shows that when a borrowed Enlightenment enters into another civilization, it has to change itself in order to be connected to indigenous ontological mechanisms and has to rebuild these mechanisms in order to adapt them to its own needs. In Russia the borrowed Enlightenment affects local ontological mechanisms that (...) are in the state of crisis, and contributes to their further erosion. On the other hand, the cooperation with Russian ontological mechanisms starts the process of irreversible changes of the Enlighten-ment-in-Russia and causes its transformation into the Russian Enlightenment. (shrink)

The author analyzes the concept of Enlightenment as described in the monograph “Medi-ums of the Enlightenment: obscene deviation” by Oleh Perepelytsia. The author notes that O. Perepelytsia considers Enlightenment as a medial phenomenon and identifies three mediums of the Enlightenment: language, sex and money. The author further notes that the main drawback of O. Perepelitsi’s concept is too broad understanding of the Enlightenment. Also O. Perepelytsia puts universal mediums in the stead of specific mediums of Enlightenment. Sex fulfilled its intermediary (...) functions even in primitive society, and continues to do that today. Sexuality is very important for the European Enlightenment, but in the Chinese Enlight-enment it does not play any special role. However, even when we talk about Europe, it is nec-essary to find out the conditions under which sex becomes a medium of the Enlightenment. Money for Enlightenment is not a medium, but one of the factors that determine the state of human nature before it is subjected to education and training. Language is a full-fledged medi-um only in Chinese Enlightenment. In Europe there is a trend towards the transformation of language into the object of education. To prove this thesis the author compares the views of Locke, Plato and Confucius. (shrink)

This work continues a series of articles The Enlightenment and ontology. It investigates the ontological component of the Russian Preclassic Enlightenment. The author claims that the Russian Enlightenment arises in the 30s-40s of XIX century. As the founders of the Russian Preclassic Enlightenment he considers Kireyevsky, Chaadayev and Herzen. This article con-siders the philosophy of Kireyevsky. Based on the concept of the nature and features of the Enlightenment, developed in the pre-ceding articles, the author argues that Kireyevsky is a figure (...) of the Enlightenment. The basic concept in the philosophy of Kireyevsky is the concept of education. It is a process of transfor-mation of reality under the influence of education and the result of this process – a certain state of spirituality. The Russian Orthodox education formed the basis of Russian civilization and the very nature of the Russian people. The influence of Western education damaged the foun-dations of civilization and the nature of the people. To correct damage is possible by means of a new philosophy which should be based on the synthesis of Christian Orthodox and Western education. The aim of this project is to implement the utopia of holistic man. Kireyevsky also emphasizes the inextricable and essential link between the Russian Education and literature. This allows to consider Kireyevsky as the representative of the Enlightenment. The author also shows that Kireyevsky constructs two ontological models. The first model could be called ethnic and civilizational. Civilization is a phenomenon, able to change its own ontological status. The second model can be called prophetic. As a carrier of the sacred word, a writer appears as a prophet and lawgiver. His work provides the highest ontological status for society. The first model is new. The second model descends from the previous stages of development of the Russian Enlightenment. At the same time Kireyevsky tries to overshadow the traditional ontological model where the main role is played by the sacred tsar, even though the traditional model was basic then in Russia. (shrink)