Cхід (Jan 2014)

Sources of medieval philosophy in "Trenos" Meletius Smotrytsky

  • Vitalii Shchepanskyi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21847/1728-9343.2013.6(126).18925
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 0, no. 6(126)
pp. 295 – 298

Abstract

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In this article were analyzed medieval philosophical sources used by Meletius Smotrytsky for the philosophical and theological part of Trenos (1610), and was conducted the method of studying Trenos in historical and philosophical direction. Gradual development of Smotrytsky's receptions from patristic to scholastic philosophy ends with his own conclusion of the need to rethink the patristic heritage and appreciate the scholastic achievements of Western university thought. The article reveals Smotrytsky's evaluation of the sources of medieval philosophy that demonstrates the usage of scholastic philosophical heritage in Orthodox theology. Smotrytsky uses rational arguments of Gregory Nysskij, John of Damascus, while criticizing some of the positions of Thomas Aquinas and Augustine Aurelius. Smotrytsky was the fisrt Ukrainian philosopher to use scholastic logic apparatus to criticize the scholastics. Philosophical part of Trenos can be compared to the 'second scholasticism. Using logical construction of the text and philosophical arguments Smotrytsky proves the falsity of some of the views of the Catholic Church. He widely uses medieval philosophy and refer himself more to philosophers than teologists. Bacause of the use of Aristotelian syllogisms in asserting of Trinitarian nature of God in the beginning of XVII c. was used only in the Western philosophical thought Meletius Smotrytsky prove himself to be a pioneer of revealing objective scholastic sources to Ukrainian philosophy.

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