Title of the article

Faith and Reason in the Traditions of Spiritual Academic Philosophy of the 19th Century

 Authors 

Vera N. Babina —  Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the sub-department of Philosophy and Social Communication, Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya street, Penza, 440026, Russia, vera.babina@mail.ru

 Category 

HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

Year,.Volume, Number 

2021, Vol. 9, № 3 (35)

 Pages 

131-143

 Article type 

Original article

 Index UDK 

1(091)

 DOI 

10.21685/2307-9525-2021-9-3-13

 Abstract 

Background. The article analyzes the epistemological concepts of the 19th century thinkers articulating the spiritual academic philosophy. The conflict between faith and reason arose in Western European philosophy back in the Middle Ages. However, its relevance maintained in the religious philosophy of modern times. The new and ingenious ideas of academic philosophers (F. A. Golubinsky, F. F. Sidonsky, I. M. Skvortsov, V. N. Karpov, P. S. Avsenev, etc.) led to the development of the professional philosophy in Russia, development of the philosophical categorical framework and systematic formulation of Russian philosophizing. Regarding the truth in science, all spiritual academic philosophers denied that the absolute truth could be achieved rationally. The main criterion of the truth was the correspondence of human knowledge to the reality created by God. Generally, the preference was given to irrational ways of cognition: feelings, intuition, insight, revelation. Only combining scientific achievements with moral grounds enabled truly penetration into the secrets of the surrounding world. The epistemological topics in the works of professors of theological academies were characterized by an ontological component, a harmonious combination of religious experience with the latest achievements of European philosophy of the 19th century. The problem of the relationship between faith and reason was seen in academic philosophy from a new angle, through the synthesis of knowledge of religion, philosophy and science. Materials and methods. The research is based on the method of a comprehensive historical and philosophical analysis of sources, which allows tracing the development of epistemological ideas in the spiritual academic philosophy of Russia in the 19th century. The features of the research necessitate merging logical conceptual and historical critical approaches to the explored topic, as well as using the textual analysis. Moreover, the historical genetic and comparative methods are applied in the research. Results. The article reveals the features of spiritual academic philosophizing in solving basic epistemological problems. The aspiration of academic philosophers to achieve a harmonious unity of knowledge and faith is analyzed. To know completely means to know deeply and intimately. The process of cognition cannot be presented as entirely rational. All cognitive actions of the soul aimed at cognizing the integrity of things illuminate and color the existing reality, thus acting as the horizon of reality, within which it is only available as such. The synthesis of philosophical and theological thinking leads to the creation of unitotality metaphysics, which in epistemological terms is "integral knowledge" based on the inextricable relationship of science, philosophy and religion. Conclusions. The Russian spiritual academic philosophy built on the combination of the ideas of rational knowledge and intimate contemplation mainly tends to be a type of existential philosophizing, which is characterized by the desire to break through to existence, i.e. individual human being. The epistemological constructions of academic philosophers can be used by modern science to find a way out of a deep crisis coming from the ideological and ethical features of the modern era. The extensive research of the ideological heritage of academic philosophers makes it possible to reveal the philosophical and scientific potential of the views of Russian thinkers and answer many questions of modern times.

 Keywords 

spiritual academic philosophy, truth, cognition, God, faith, reason, F.F. Sidonsky, I.M. Skvortsov, F.A. Golubinsky, V.N. Karpov, P.S. Avsenev

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References

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For citation

Babina V.N. Faith and Reason in the Traditions of Spiritual Academic Philosophy of the 19th Century. Elektronnyy nauchnyy zhurnal "Nauka. Obshchestvo. Gosudarstvo" = Electronic scientific journal "Science. Society. State". 2021;9(3):131–143. (In Russ.). doi:10.21685/2307-9525-2021-9-3-13