Whether «philosophy after Bucha» is possible: philosophical and theological considerations

Authors

  • Volodymyr Volkovskyi H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4674-3956
  • Roman Samchuk H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3480-6427

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2023-29-1-2

Keywords:

philosophy, theology, «civil religion», values, mythologised culture, messianism, neo-fascism, nihilism, «Russian world», genocide

Abstract

The article analyses the problem of the current state of philosophy in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is argued that contemporary philosophers are faced with the question: «How is philosophy possible after Bucha?». It is argued that, on the one hand, this questioning and situation is in many ways similar to similar discourses on «philosophy after Auschwitz» and «philosophy after the Gulag», and on the other hand, it shows a number of ideological and moral flaws in modern society and politics that made this question possible. Another consequence is the failure to learn the lessons of history, which leads to the emergence and growth of new totalitarian leaders who are ready to start wars to achieve their goals, which in the future threaten to escalate to the level of a new World War or the use of nuclear arsenals. Thus, there are grounds to state that not only international organisations such as the UN and the Red Cross are unable to resist authoritarianism and totalitarianism, but also that the worldview and value positions on which their activities are based are ineffective.

Particular attention is paid to the theological aspects of this problem, the peculiarities of its formulation and solution by contemporary theologians. The authors analyse the criticism by Ukrainian intellectuals-philosophers of the prejudices of the Western philosophical establishment, touch upon the doctrine of the «Russian world» as a civil religion with its corresponding dogmas, and finally offer some philosophical conclusions that, in the authors’ opinion, formulate, if not new imperatives, as they somewhat pretentiously call them, then at least new significant accents that Ukraine brings to the world philosophical sphere. Thus, Ukrainian scholars of the social sciences and humanities face a crucial task, not just to reflect or comprehend the reality of life «under the bombs», but to formulate new imperatives that can become the basis for a new post-war philosophy, politics and culture.

 

This project has received funding through the MSCA4Ukraine project, which is funded by the European Union.

Author Biographies

Volodymyr Volkovskyi, H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Ph.D, Research Fellow, Department of History of Philosophy of Ukraine; Research assistant at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Roman Samchuk, H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Ph.D, Research Fellow, Department of History of Foreign Philosophy, scientific secretary

References

Adorno, T. W. (2020). Education After Auschwitz. Trans., annotation and notes by V. Bryzhnik, edited by M. Boychenko. [In Ukrainian]. Philosophy of Education 25(2), 82–99. https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2019-25-2-4

Ardamatskaya, D. A. (2013). Philosophy «after the GULAG»: thinking about historical catastrophe. Studia Culturae 16, 256-264.

Aseyev, S. (2022). Shining Path: A Story of One Concentration Camp. [In Russian]. Lviv: Old Lion Publishing House.

Aseyev, S. (2018) In isolation / ed. Mariana Drach, Serhii Rakhmanin, Dmytro Krapyvenko; Illustrated by Serhii Zakharov. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Liuta Sprava.

Aseyev, S. (2022) Dostoyevsky and Bucha: Does Russian Culture Kill? [In Ukrainian]. Radio Svoboda. 18 May. 2022. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/rosiyskyy-fashyzm-putin-duhin-zahroza-svitu/31856995.html

Babynskyi, A. (2023). War for the ‘Russian World’ or ‘Holy Rus’? Ideological roots of Russian aggression. UCU Scientific Notes: Theology 10, 225-251. https://doi. org/10.47632/2075-4817-2023-10-225-251

Badiou, A. (2005) Meta/Politics: Is it possible to think politics? A Short Treatise on Metapolitics / Translated from French by B. Skuratov, K. Golubovich. (Pp. 26–34) Moscow: Logos.

Batuman, E. (2023). Letter from Tbilisi. Rereading Russian Classics in the Shadow of the Ukraine War. How to reckon with the ideology of “Anna Karenina,” “Eugene Onegin,” and other beloved books. New Yorker. 30.01.2023. [online: <https://www.newyorker. com/magazine/2023/01/30/rereading-russian-classics-in-the-shadow-of-the-ukraine-war

Bettelheim, B. (1988). An informed heart. A study of the psychological consequences of living under extreme fear and terror. Penguin Uk.

Bystrytskyi, Y. (2022). Ordinary Habermas. Ji Magazine. 6.05.2022 https://www.ji-magazine.lviv.ua/2022/bystryckyj-zvychajnyj-gabermas.htm

ВВС. (2022a) The untamed Musk. What he wrote about Ukraine again. BBC News Ukraine. 6 October 2022. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/news-63152394

ВВС. (2022b). Ukraine attention shows bias against black lives, WHO chief says. ВВС. 13 April 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61101732

Denysenko, A. (2019). Liberation theology. Ideas, criticism, perspectives. Kyiv: Spirit and Letter.

Editorial. (2022). They’ve managed to repeat it. How Putin’s propaganda copies Hitler’s. Important stories. 18 May. 2022. https://istories.media/opinions/2022/05/18/ sumeli-povtorit/

Fanon, F. (2016). The Wretched of the Earth. Trans. from French. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Vpered.

Habermas, J. (2022). Jürgen Habermas zur Ukraine. Krieg und Empörung. Süddeutschen Zeitung. 28.04.2022. https://www.sueddeutsche.de/projekte/artikel/kultur/ das-dilemma-des-westens-juergen-habermas-zum-krieg-in-der-ukraine-e068321/?reduced=true

Herman, J. (1992, 2016). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror. New York. Basic Books

Institute of philosophy. [2021]. Russian World as a Doctrine: Origins, Threats, Methods. Philosophical Dialogues’2021. Collection of scientific papers. Кyiv: H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy, NAS of Ukraine.

Isaiuk, O. (2021). Personal traumas of the Soviet era and current Ukrainian politics. Why do we cast dirt on our own leaders? Texty. 24 June. 2021. https://texty.org.ua/articles/103887/osobysti-travmy-zavdani-v-radyanskyj-chas-i-nynishnya-ukrayinska-polityka-chomu-my-oblyvayemo-brudom-vlasnyh-lideriv

Isaiuk, O. (2021b). One Hundred Years of Terror. Zbruch. 27.10.2021. https://zbruc.eu/ node/108378

Karpitsky, N., & Volchek, D. (2022) Necrophilic imperialism. Free will against the world of the Chekists. Radio Svoboda. 23 July. 2022 https://www.svoboda.org/a/ nekrofilicheskiy-imperializm-svoboda-voli-protiv-mira-chekistov/31953120.html

Kaszuwara, P. (2022). Rosyjski filozof o Putinie: To nekroimperialista. Jegocelem jest zabijać. Onet. 21.09.2022. https://www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/rosyjski-filozof-o-putinie-to-nekroimperialista-jego-celem-jest-zabijac/9x42kwf,79cfc278

Kommersant. (2008). Putin does not consider Ukraine as a state. «Kommersant”: 7 April 2008, https://www.rosbalt.ru/ukraina/2008/04/07/472258.html

Kretov, P. (2022). Philosophical reflections on people and war. Khmelnytsky Cherkasy National University. 30.03.2022. https://cdu.edu.ua/news/filosofski-rozdumy-pro-liudei-i-viinu.html

Meduza. (2022). Let’s dance the big war waltz. Meduza (9 June 2022). https://meduza.io/ feature/2022/06/09/stantsuem-vals-bolshoy-voyny

Miller, A. I. (2000), The «Ukrainian question» in the policy of the authorities and Russian public opinion (second half of the XIX century). St. Petersburg: Aleteia,.

Mokryk, R., & Koshkina, S. (2023). Ukrajina: osobní svědectví a geopolitické pozadí rusko-ukrajinské války. S předmluvou Petry Procházkové. Praha, Jota.

Okara, A. (2022). Is Russian culture possible after Bucha? Obozrevatel. 14 April 2022. https:// war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/2563-chi-mozhliva-rosijska-kultura-pislya-buchi.htm

Padevět, J., Mokryk, R. (2023). Hovory o Ukrajině. Praha. Academia, 2023.

Petrenko, R. (2022). The recipe for the destruction of Ukraine was suggested by the author of the poster about «three sorts of Ukrainians». Ukrainska Pravda 23. 4 April. 2022. https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2022/04/4/7337056/

Plokhy, S. (2023). The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History. New York : W. W. Norton & Company.

Pomerantz, G. (w. d.). Destructive tendencies in Russian culture. http://pomeranz.ru/p/ razrushenie.htm

Putin, V. V. (2021). On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians». Official website of the President of the Russian Federation. 12 July. 2021 http://kremlin.ru/events/ president/news/66181

Reva, I. (2020). Fear of being an owner. What are the consequences of the Holodomor that Ukrainians still feel today? BBC. November 28th 2020. https://www.bbc.com/ ukrainian/blog-history-55074954

Rocca, F. X. (2022). ‘Russian World’ Is the Civil Religion Behind Putin’s War. The Wall Street Journal. March 17, 2022 https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-world-is-the-civil-religion-behind-putins-war-11647539958

Rozov, M. (2022). Buča je tváří Osvětimi. Minulost se opakovat nebude, ale její variace hrozí / Pamět Národa. 6 жовтня 2022. https://www.pametnaroda.cz/cs/magazin/ pribehy/buca-je-tvari-osvetimi-minulost-se-opakovat-nebude-ale-jeji-variace-hrozi

Ryabchuk, M. (2011). Postcolonial Syndrome: Observations. Kyiv: K.I.S.

Ryabchuk, M. (2021). White skin, black language. The traumatic experience of colonial subjugation. Zbruch. 11.01.2021. Part 1. https://zbruc.eu/node/102635. Part 2. Shy colonialism. Zbruch. 19.01.2021 https://zbruc.eu/node/102782

Sergeytsev, T. (2022). What Russia should do with Ukraine. RIA Novosti. 03.04.2022. https://ria.ru/20220403/ukraina-1781469605.html

Sigov, C. (2023a). Le courage de l’Ukraine. Paris, Les éditions du Cerf,.

Sigov, C. (2023b). Philosopher sous les bombes: Penser l’Ukraine en résistance. Paris, PUF.

Sigov, C., & Mandeville, L. (2022). Quand l’Ukraine se lève: La naissance d’une nouvelle Europe. Paris, Talent Editions.

Sigov, K. (2023c). Poselství z Kyjeva. Praha: Bourdon.

Siniavsky, A. D. (2003). On V. Shalamov’s Kolyma Tales. A snapshot of the material. The Literary Process in Russia. (Pp. 337–342) Moscow: RGSU.

Smolii, V., & Yakubova, L. (2018). Historical context of the Russian World project and the practice of its implementation in Crimea and Donbas (Analytical Report). Kyiv, Institute of History of Ukraine.

Snyder, T. (2022). Russia’s genocide handbook. The evidence of atrocity and of intent mounts. New Yorker. 08.04.2022. https://snyder.substack.com/p/russias-genocide-handbook?s=r

Soloviy, R. (2022). Theology after Bucha. Politkom. 3.04.22. https://politcom.org.ua/ teologija-pislja-buchi

Spadaro, A. (2022). Pope Francis in Conversation with the Editors of European Jesuit Journals. La Civiltá Cattolica. 14.06.2022. https://www.laciviltacattolica.com/pope-francis-in-conversation-european-jesuit-journals/

Sukhovataya, V. (2012). «Philosophy after Auschwitz» and «Ethics after the Holocaust»: Reflections on the Nazi Genocide in Western and Post-Soviet Consciousness. Materials of the international conference «Crimes of totalitarian regimes in Ukraine: A Scientific and Educational Perspective» (21–22 November 2009, Vinnytsia). (Pp. 107–133). Kyiv: NIOD; Ukrainian Centre for Holocaust Studies.

Tarasiuk, A., & Marder, M. (2022). The genocidal logic of Putin’s war. Ideology without an idea calls for killing Ukrainians. Texty. 2.05.2022. https://texty.org.ua/articles/106558/ genocydalna-lohika-putinskoyi-vijny-chomu-kremlivska-ideolohiya-bez-ideyi-zaklykaye-ubyvaty-ukrayinciv/

Taylor, F. (2023). UCU Congress Calls For UK To “Stop Arming Ukraine”. ROAR. 29 May, 2023. https://roarnews.co.uk/2023/ucu-congress-calls-for-uk-to-stop-arming-ukraine/

Terekhova, L. (2022). Decolonizing the Mysterious Soul of the Great Russian Novel. Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Ukraine, 29.03.2022 https://ua.boell.org/en/2022/03/28/ dekolonizatsiya-zahadkovoyi-dushi-velykoho-rosiyskoho-romanu.

Thompson, E. M. (2000). Imperial knowledge. Russian Literature and Colonialism. Greenwood Press.

Ukrainian Institute. (2022). Decolonisation. A collection of articles and materials. Ukrainian Institute. https://ui.org.ua/sectors/decolonization-selected-articles/>, cit. 2023-03-15.

Veniavkin, I. (2022). The Man Who Invented to De-Ukrainianise Ukraine. The Story of Timofey Sergeytsev – Methodologist, Political Technologist and Ideologist of War. Kholod. 10.06.2022. https://holod.media/2022/06/10/sergeitsev

Vikhrov, M. (2022) Theology after Bucha. Verbum. No. 90: Gold and Blue. 27.04.2022. https://www.verbum.com.ua/04/2022/gold-on-blue/theology-after-bucha/ Volkovskyi. Volodymyr. (2021) Civil Religion or Official Ideology: Philosophical Aspect. Actual problems of history, philosophy and law in researches of young scholars: collected articles of the participants of the conference of young scholars / under general edition of Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Soloshenko V.V. Kyiv: State Institution “The Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”, 2021. P. 177–183.

Volkovskyi. V. (2021). Civil Religion or Official Ideology: Philosophical Aspect. Actual problems of history, philosophy and law in researches of young scholars: collected articles of the participants of the conference of young scholars / under general edition of Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Soloshenko V.V. Kyiv: State Institution “The Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”, 2021. P. 177–183.

Yablonsky, V., Zdioruk, S., et al. (2014) Ukraine and the Russian World Project: Analytical Report. Kyiv: NISS.

Yampolsky, M. (w. d.). Disappearance as a form of existence. http://www.kinozapiski.ru/ ru/ article/sendvalues/656/.

Yermolenko, A. (2022a). War as a socio-cultural phenomenon: Round table of “Philosophical thought”. Filosofska Dumka (3), 7–58. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9908-6144

Yermolenko, A. (2022b). Widerstand statt Verhandlung. Antwort auf Jürgen Habermas. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 20.05.2022. https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/ debatten/der-ukrainische-philosoph-yermolenko-antwortet-habermas-18044530.html.

Yermolenko, V. (2022). Rooted in reality. Ukrainians never wanted to leave their land. Linkiesta. 07.08.2022. https://www.linkiesta.it/2022/09/Українці-ніколи-не- хотіли-йти-зі-своєї/

Zabuzhko, O. (2022). The longest journey. Lviv, Komora., 2022. 168 с.

Zahrebelnyi, I. (2022). Do we need a «new theology after Bucha». Analytical and Research Centre for Political Theology. 3.04.22. https://politteo.online/materialy/chy-potribna-nam-nova-teologiya-pislya-buchi

ZAXID.NET. (2022). Andriy Dakhniy on the philosophy of the Russian World and its ideologists. The collective Putin is ready to bear poverty if he is feared. [In Ukrainian]. ZAXID.NET, 3 Jule 2022. https://zaxid.net/kolektivniy_putin_gotoviy_terpiti_zlidni_ yakshho_yogo_boyatimutsya_n1545606

Downloads

Abstract views: 612

Published

2023-07-21

How to Cite

Volkovskyi, V., & Samchuk, R. (2023). Whether «philosophy after Bucha» is possible: philosophical and theological considerations. Filosofiya Osvity. Philosophy of Education, 29(1), 22–51. https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2023-29-1-2

Issue

Section

Articles

Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.