The Idea of Giftedness in the Concept of the “True Man” and Its Realization in the Energy of Spirituality by Hryhorii Skovoroda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63437/3083-6433-2025-2(35)-04Keywords:
giftedness, inner man, heart, spirit, self-knowledge, talentAbstract
The article analyzes the problem of giftedness in the works of the outstanding Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda. The author notes that Skovoroda is not merely a “lover of wisdom”, but rather a “friend of wisdom” who, through personal effort, seeks it in the existential wanderings of a person of “true nature”. It is emphasized that solving this task first of all requires self-knowledge, which enables a person to “find oneself” and, in this way, truly become a person.
It is shown that for the Ukrainian thinker, the human being exists in two dimensions. The “outer man” represents corporeality – a passive shell that therefore signifies “nothing”. In contrast, the essence of the “inner man” is thought, which appears as a manifestation of spirituality. The author notes that God endows the human being with the energy of spirituality, through which a person receives a gift – giftedness and talents.
An important indicator of Skovoroda’s understanding of giftedness, the author emphasizes, is the principle of symphonism employed in his works. Symphonism is understood as an ensemble of creative ideas expressing actual potentials contained in the soul and the heart and realized through intellectual activity. Human giftedness is revealed through symphonicity rather than through logical-linguistic forms. For the “inner man”, the spiritual dimension is primary, as it represents the deepest and eternal essence.
Within the context of spirituality, giftedness is likened to a grain in which the code of the plant is hidden – a code necessary for germination and the emergence of something new. The creative energy generated by giftedness and talents, the author notes, makes a person irreplicable and unique, a quality emphasized by internal factors such as the heart and the soul. The realization of giftedness signifies a second birth of the human being – a spiritual one. This birth manifests itself through the spirit of faith, hope, mercy, counsel, insight, and purity. A person endowed with these qualities, the author concludes, becomes a model to be followed by the entire community.
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References
Використані літературні джерела
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