8.5. Philosophical Thought in Ukraine in XX-XXI Centuries

That period was the most difficult and tragic time in the life and creative achievements of Ukrainian philosophers. Ukrainian spiritual revival did not last long and from the mid of 1920-s it suffered from repressions caused by charges with the "treason, espionage, apostasy" against Marxism. In the early 1930-s philosophers were subjects of persecution. The situation was deteriorating by the fact that creative thinkers’ search was directed to a single worldview channel - the philosophy of dialectical and historical materialism as the only possible type of philosophical reflection. The main purpose of philosophy at that time was to substantiate politics and the general line of the party. Philosophy turned into ideology, the party mouthpiece of slogans, dogmas and doctrines. However, even in the totalitarian system philosophical thought of Ukraine did not extinguish completely. Those years formed a galaxy of interesting, creative thinkers, namely: V.A. Yurynets, M.I. Khvyliovyi and S.Y. Semkovskyi. Cultural renaissance of the twenties ended tragically and entered in the history as the "shot Renaissance.”

Certain changes took place at the end of World War II. In 1944, the Faculty of Philosophy at Kyiv Shevchenko University was established, and in 1946 the Institute of Philosophy of the Academy of science of the USSR was founded. Thereby the foundations for institutional reproduction of philosophical life were laid in Ukraine, though these opportunities were extremely limited. Only during the so-called Khrushchev thaw (1956), when the pressure of Bolshevik party upon the spiritual life was somewhat eased, philosophical quest activated in Ukraine.

In 1962 P.V. Kopnin (1922 - 1972), a talented organizer of science, philosopher, humanist, highly educated and progressive man was appointed the director of the USSR Institute of Philosophy. He introduced several innovative philosophical directions of research, such as problems of logic, epistemology and methodology of scientific knowledge, conducted detailed research of philosophical heritage of Kyiv Mohyla Academy thinkers, studies of human lifebeing, its ethical, aesthetic, social and psychological principles. P.V. Kopnin initiated establishment of the first in Ukraine concrete social research department in the Institute of Philosophy; since that time it has been developed into the Institute of Sociology of National Academy of Science of Ukraine.

P.V. Kopnin united talented young people who passed a thorny path of scientific, artistic, social and civil tempering over the last decades of the twentieth century and in present time they are the pride and glory of the modern Ukrainian spiritual culture. Among them are I.V. Bychko, P.F. Yolon, S.B. Krymsky, V.I. Mazepa, V.M. Nichyk , M.V. Popovych, L.I. Sokhan and others.

After P.V. Kopnin’s appointment the director of the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences, his disciple and follower Shynkaruk V.I. (1928-2002) took the post of the director of Kyiv Institute of Philosophy. In developing the trends of philosophical investigations V.I. Shynkaruk deepened and expanded researches in humanistic orientation. Just in the works of the scientists of the Institute Dialectical materialism acquired the "human face." Philosophical works of V.P. Ivanov, A.I. Yatsenko, M.O. Bulatova, M.F. Tarasenko, V.G. Tabachkovskyi were focused on philosophy of culture, philosophy of worldview, philosophical anthropology and the problem of freedom. The Program work in this direction is the book "Man and the World of Man" (1977).

The new revival of Ukrainian philosophy began in late 1980s - early 90s, when new historical conditions of Ukrainian statehood were being created. They produced critical understanding of philosophical issues, ideological liberation from dependence and the transition toward common worldview values. Philosophical faculties of Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv universities became the centers of philosophical thought.

Basic concepts and categories:

Ukrainian baroque – (fr.Ital. “barocco” meaning freakish, bizarre) – is a creatively synthetic direction of European culture that arose between the Renaissance and Enlightenment epochs. Development of Baroque in Ukraine coincides with the Hetman’s state existence, the spirit of which manifested itself in praising military exploits, Knights virtues, holy sacrifice, and achievements of spirit and victory of life over death.