Towards exploring Lossky’s philosophical personalism

A faithful proponent of the tradition of the ‘Silver Age’ of Russian philosophical tradition that elevates holistic knowledge, Nikolai Lossky became known worldwide for his unique emphasis on personality development. This article explores the concrete tenets of Lossky’s philosophical personalism as ‘spiritual personalism’ in which science, philosophy, and religion are craftily integrated into one complex vision of human personhood. The roots of Lossky’s philosophical personalism in the spiritual and ethical evolution of humankind, society, and nature are explored, along with their pastoral/therapeutic implications for our present society.

An ethics-based ‘identity-proof’ of god’s existence. An ontology for philotherapy

A resurgence of scholarly work on proof of God?s existence is noticeable over the past decade, with considerable emphasis on attempts to provide ?analytic proof? based on the meanings and logic of various identity statements which constitute premises of the syllogisms of the ?proof?. Most recently perhaps, Emmanuel Rutten?s ?modal-epistemic proof? has drawn serious academic attention. Like other ?analytic? and strictly logical proofs of God?s existence, Rutten?s proof has been found flawed. In this paper I discuss the possibility of an ?ethics-based? identity proof of God?s existence. Such a proof, the first version of which, I believe, has been offered, indirectly, by Nikolai Lossky, utilizes the form and structure of the analytic proof, but fundamentally rests on the perception of moral values we associate with God and Godliness. The nature of the proof shifts the focus of the very attempt to ?prove? God?s existence from what I believe is an unreasonable standard, unattainable even in ?proving? the existence of the more mundane world, towards a more functional, practical and attainable standard. The proof proposed initially by Lossky, and in a more systematic form here, I believe, shows the indubitable existence of God in the sense of his moral presence in the lives of the faithful, at least with the same degree of certainty as the presence or ?existence? of anything else that can be epistemically proven in principle.

Nikolai Lossky

Chapter 8 considers the project of Nikolai Lossky who tried to “justify” the truths of faith by means of philosophical terms. It shows his attempt to reconcile physics and metaphysics. The chapter presents the original metaphysical concept of the “substantival agent” of Lossky which is the base for physical phenomena. It also presents his attempt to reconcile scientific knowledge (especially the theory of evolution) and Christian dogmas. For Lossky evolution is a way into the Kingdom of God since the final stage of evolution is the achievement of unity with God. The chapter also discusses some shortages of Lossky’s concept, especially its highly speculative character.

Creative Intuition

Among the artists of the Russian avant-garde, there was general agreement that the new art forms they were seeking were not to be found in the visible world but rather the artist’s own creative intuition. The true artist created freely and independently, without regard for the appearance of the objective world or conventional approaches to its depiction. In their explorations of the artistic process and the creative endeavor, the artists found inspiration in Henri Bergson’s concept of intuition as a philosophical method, which the French philosopher had formulated in his 1903 essay “Introduction à la métaphysique” (An Introduction to Metaphysics). Bergson’s ideas were further developed and integrated into the larger discussion about organic perception and creative intuition within the Russian cultural tradition by the Russian philosopher Nikolai Lossky. Lossky’s own concept, which he called intuitivism, was developed as an alternative to Bergson’s philosophy; it was an attempt to unite pre-Kantian rationalism, particularly Leibniz’s monadology, with the strong tradition of mystical rationalism in Russian philosophy. Kazimir Malevich related non-objectivity in art to creative intuition and promoted suprematism as a theory of unbounded creativity that could overcome the narrow notion of art and encompass all spheres of life. In suprematism, “art advances toward creation as an end in itself and toward domination over the forms of nature.” Malevich’s suprematist elements can be compared to Lossky’s substantival agents—they are a creation of the absolute, i.e., intuitive reason, and serve as fundamental building blocks of the world. The essay discusses the Russian interpretation of Henri Bergson’s L’Evolution créatice (Creative Evolution) by Nikolai Lossky and the role Lossky’s concept of intuitivism played in the art and art theory of the Russian avant-garde, specifically Malevich’s suprematism.

Daniil Andreev’s Metaphysical Concept

Represents an attempt to analyse ideas of this Russian writer and visionary as the whole system. The author argues that Andreev’s theory has significantly contributed to the perception of the Russian metahistory and the inner spiritual life of a human. The article also reveals a close consistency of Andreev’s worldview to the dialectical philosophical concepts (Vladimir Solovyov, Nikolai Lossky, Semen Frank) and Christian mystical traditions (Imiaslavie).