8.2. Philosophical Thought in Period of Kyiv Rus

In the XI - XII century the term "philosophy" or "love to wisdom" appeared in church teachings and secular manuscripts in Kyiv Rus. In the XI-XV centuries works of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Democritus, Epicurus, Byzantine religious philosophy, the Bible and Biblical literature circulated in Kyiv Rus.

The philosophy of this period has not yet been separated from other branches of knowledge and fully mingled with religious teachings. The basic philosophical problems: "Man and God", coincidence of body and soul, moral and ethical code of man, man’s role in society, the purpose of Kyiv Rus in the world history were described in ancient chronicles, legends, stories, sermons and teachings.

The leading ideas of this period were the following: complicity of the heavenly and the earthly world, "veracity instead of truth," assimilation to God. Man’s social role was thought higher than human individuality, “honor and glory "as the highest human manifestation.

The period of origination (X century) of Kyiv Rus up to the 1970s of the XI century was characterized by the significant progress of the state in economic and cultural life, as well as in the sphere of international relations. A reflection of social antagonisms can be noticed in public opinion, later, in the 70s of the XI century to 20s of the XII century. During this period two motives were predominant in the development of spiritual life of Kyiv Rus: as well as in Europe. They were anxiety for the future of our state under the real threat of foreign conquerors, and for the up growth of decentralizing forces in economic and socio-political life. As the result of action of decentralizing forces fifteen comparatively independent principalities were formed in the second quarter of the XII – the middle of the XIII century. As for the degree of economic and cultural development these principalities were on the level of the leading countries of Europe.

At the end of the XI century discrepancies between Christian and Slavic pagan worldview were still perceptible. From the philosophical point of view pagan worldview differed from the Christian one because it did not single out man from nature: pantheism was inherent for paganism. Paganism did not separate the world from eternal circulation of nature, polytheistic deification of nature forces, totems and cult of the ancestors as the principle of social determination was based on the acknowledgement of astral interdependence of all processes. Contrary to the mythological worldview of pagans, Christian conception of the Universe was built on another basis. Here accents were shifted from naturalistic equilibrium to intense opposition of soul and matter; in the world as a whole, and particularly in human being, there was a struggle between two opposite origins, which are identified with God and Devil. Spiritual primacy created an objective-idealistic picture of the Universe, the soul ruled everywhere. The idea of vector development from the creation of the world up to its end replaced that of eternal circulation of nature appeared. In Christian ideology man was made morally responsible, he had to make a conscious choice between two forces, his life belonged to the supreme universal set, and his destiny became a part of the Universe’s destiny.

The main source of philosophical ideas in Kyiv Rus was worldview conceptions of ancient Slavs, their national culture, as well as teachings of early Christianity, Hellenistic philosophy, familiarization with spiritual culture of Byzantium and Bulgaria, where the Bible occupied the most important place. Philosophical thought during this period was developed within the framework of Christianity. The needs of public practical life dictated the character of philosophical thinking. The world history, the role and place, which Kyiv Rus occupied in it, were the subject matter of the pursuits of philosophers. That is why “The Tale of Bygone Years” is a significant not only as a literary work or pseudo-scientific chronicle, but also as one of the commemorative monument of philosophical thought.

Byzantine works occupied an important place in the spiritual culture of Kyiv Rus. Joann Damascene, Byzantine philosopher, wrote in his “Dialectics”: “Philosophy is the cognition of the essential because it is essential, that is to say cognition of nature of the essential. And more: philosophy is cognition of divine and human, visible and invisible things. Further, philosophy is the thought about death… Further, philosophy is the adherence to God… Philosophy is the art of all arts and science of all sciences, since philosophy is the origin of every art. Further, philosophy is love to wisdom: the real wisdom is God. Therefore, love to God is the genuine philosophy”. Philosophy is “the cognition of divine and world things, which teaches, how close human can approach God and how, by means of actions, to become the image and likeness of the One, who created him”.

Particularly this “active aspect” in the understanding of philosophy, aspect, which does not perceive the abstract theoritization beyond interrelation of philosophy and the problem of substantiation of real action, is very characteristic for the style of philosophical thinking in Kyiv Rus.

To begin with “The Speech on Law and Blessing” written by Hyllarion and up to “The Song of Perdition of the Rus Land” and “The Song of Igor’s Campaign”, the ideas of condemnation of internal struggle between principalities and the necessity of unification of Rus lands were the most important in all ancient Rus sources.

The leading idea of Hyllarion’s treatise was to protect the Rus Land, bringing its people into the world stream of sacred Christian history of humanity. History, the thinker envisaged, is a natural evolutionary and revolutionary process that in its progress converts more and more nations to Christianity. The spiritual development of each man converted into Christianity as well as every nation is irreversible. Hyllarion was glad that by God's grace, "beneficial truth and faith" went down the young Christian state of Rus. This enabled his native people to participate in world history, to become a rightful family member of Christian peoples and to come to the "light of reason’, integrity and eternal life. The universality and integrity of mankind’s history in which the historical process is a result of changes of old to new according to ascending line - one of the main ideas, which Hyllarion declared in his "Speech...". All new, young in comparison with the old, the previous values becomes higher.

These and other philosophical and worldview ideas raised in his work were successfully used in the further development of philosophical thought; they made a significant influence on ideological process of Kyiv Rus in subsequent periods of history. In fact, Hyllarion was the prime-pioneer of Ukrainian historiosophical problematics.

The second half of the XI and the beginning of the XII centuries were marked by the life and work of chronicler Nestor (1056 - 1113), who authored the "Tale of Bygone Years", an important source for studying the views of the Ancient Rus historiosophical public opinion. Nestor sought not only to depict historical events, but correlated and put them with other events, found their root causes, predicted their possible consequences. Such historical problems as the world history in its broadest sense, "where Rus Land went from," the role and place that Kyiv Rus occupied among other countries, and others were so important since they defined the essence and meaning of human life. A characteristic feature of the "Tale ..." and other historiosophical literature was that mankind’s view on the history received a sort of definite concretization in political ideas and concepts. This was prompted by the needs of socio-political conditions of life in Ancient Rus state and the need for philosophical justification of public policy

An outstanding statesman and political figure, Volodimir Monomach (1053 - 1125), acted as an original moral and ethical thinker. His work "Guidelines" was a spiritual precept to his children, to all contemporaries; it was a model of Prince ruling that most answered to the interests of Kyiv Rus unity.

That was the assertion of the thought that God is constantly present in human life and actions, and in His special relation to man as a selected creation. The main issues that Monomach raised in the "Guidelines" are the questions of the universe structure, the government power, human nature and his morality. The world facing people in its perfectness and beauty as a model of God’s wisdom is a characteristic feature of Volodimir Monomach’s works.

It is important that the whole Monomach’s conception appeared not as an abstract and theoretical command, but as practical implementation, where ethical issues are closely intertwined with economic and political principles.

In general, analyzing the philosophical culture of Kyiv Rus, it can be argued that creative thinkers of that period assimilated the world philosophical thought achievements and developed their philosophical views, produced their philosophical conceptions in accordance with the existing reality and thereby laid the foundation of the original Ukrainian philosophy.