Lev Shestov’s philosophic solitude and his influence on the European philosophy of the XX century

Abstract

Lev Shestov (1866 – 1938) is one of those few thinkers whose views do not fit any existing philosophic systems. Generally he objected to any system: when he criticized and dissociated from Solovyov theory of religious philosophy, then he dramatically departed from D.Merezhkovsky school, criticized philosophic positions of N.Berdyaev, disagreed with E.Husserl, argued with M.Buber. L.Shestov's paradoxical speeches as though don't get at all to the course of the Russian philosophical tradition and seem a voice of the single which can't be conformable to any chorus – neither Slavophiles, nor Westerners, metaphysicists, gnoseologists, theologians. On a deep belief of the Russian thinker system as itself kills free creativity, putting it in advance prepared close borders. Shestov’s idea about the individual truth got in absolute solitude was one of the basic moments of the "polyphonic" esthetics which has played an important role in development of the western art of the XXth century. In "Sola fide" Shestov finally separates the internal human life alien to any norms, from truth announced by it. Shestov insists on the view that the person incapable to transfer to "others" the truth learned by him without notable losses. The truth itself is lost in the course of transfer. Therefore the solitude which is deeper than anything underground and at the bottom sea is the beginning and the main condition of approach to the last secret, the last truth born in the deepest solitude. In this regard we can speak about Shestov’s views influence on formation and making process of such French philosophy representatives as A.Camus, J.Maritain, J.-C.Marcadé. Reception of Russian thinker positions is accurately traced in works of G. Marcel and German philosopher M. Buber. L.Shestov's religious philosophy had rather strong influence on B. Martin who translated the main works of the philosopher into English as well as on D. Vernham who focused his attention on philosophical fights between L.Shestov and N.Berdyaev. Actually we can speak today surely about receptivity of Lev Shestov’s philosophical ideas in European philosophical thought of the XXth century.