Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия (Dec 2017)
Ivan V. Kireevsky and his lessons for contemporary philosophy
Abstract
In his later writings, the Russian Slavophile philosopher Ivan V. Kireevsky gives an outline of the positive Christian philosophy. Its prerequisite is the spiritual integrity of the comprehending mind that enables one to acquire the adequate cognitive access to reality as a whole. Spiritual integrity originates in the Eastern historical type, whereas the Western type is marked by the lack of spiritual unity and the dominance of formal reasoning that distorts the apprehension of reality. Spiritual integrity is only possible on the grounds of the Orthodox Christian faith that opens to the person the genuine communion with God. However, in his works Ivan V. Kireevsky does not mention any specifi cally Christian subject (such as original sin and redemption). Besides, his typological approach to history and his central philosophical concepts (such as spiritual integrity and faith) display some rather serious shortcomings. Nevertheless, the positive Christian philosophy of Ivan V. Kireevsky still has a potential for further constructive development, but this would require a careful refi nement of its theoretical foundations and central concepts.
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