«Трагический иррационализм» Н.А. Бердяева и Л.И. Шестова

История философии. 2024. Т. 29. № 2. С. 5–17.

Porus V. N.

 

The article reveals the specifics of irrationalism, which habitually characterizes the philosophical
views of N. Berdyaev and L. Shestov, and the influence that F. Dostoevsky had on these views.
The irrationality of a person, as Berdyaev understands it, is expressed in the fact that the desire
for personal freedom is incommensurable with the desire for prosperity, pleasure, and benefit –
everything that is considered the rational goals of the individual and society. It elevates a person
above everyday life and leads to a rebellion against culture. Such irrationality is opposed not to
rationality as an epistemic value, but to “formal rationality” (in the sense of M. Weber), claiming
primacy among cultural universals. “Formal rationality” in modern culture has become a fake
value, under the sign of which hypocrisy and cruel indifference are located, especially when it
comes to the “unfortunate”, rejected by the culture of people. Therefore, Berdyaev’s “irrational ism” is nothing more than a protest against culture as a sphere of simulacra in the role of cultural
universals. The same protest is characteristic of Shestov. Both philosophers proclaim “human
tragedy” as the main theme of philosophy. The difference between them is that Berdyaev sees
an eschatological perspective in which the “philosophy of tragedy” leads to the apotheosis
of freedom, and Shestov, not trusting such a perspective, rearranges the craving for freedom of
specific religiosity, the meaning and content of which he persistently but unsuccessfully sought.

Keywords: культура, кризис культуры, трагический иррационализм, формальная рациональность, культурная универсалия, «философия трагедии»