Kudaev A.E. Civilization Versus Culture in Nicholay Berdyaev's Philosophy

Abstract: This article is the continuation of Kudaev's previous work "Nikolay Berdyaev’s Philosophy of Culture in Terms of His Concept of Tragedy" (published in 'Philosophy and Culture' Journal, Issue 1, 2015) in which Kudaev analyzes one of the most important topics in Berdyaev's creative heritage - his philosophy of culture. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that this subject is viewed in terms of Berdyaev’s concept of tragedy which allows  to understand metaphysical grounds of being and existence including being and existence of culture. This is the subject of the present research article. The article is focused on one of the most paradoxical contradictions of culture: the ontological conflict with life itself, tragic opposition to existence and inevitable transition of culture into civilization. Kudaev shows their internal relationship and tragic antagonism which Berdyaev considered to be inevitable and which could be worded as follows: when society, represented by its prominent representatives, directs the creative energy to create cultural values, it is forced to restrict and even to suppress the will to live, to sacrifice the "thirst for life" to culture. On the contrary, when the society has the "will to live" and the thirst for power and strength, then culture is sacrificed. This antagonism can't be overcome and generates, in its turn, a whole number of contradictions (between goals and means, the meaning of life and the meaning of existence, the creator and his creation) with all the ensuing consequences for the development of culture, civilization and the entire creative fate of human. The research is of integrated nature at the confluence of cultural studies, philosophy, esthetics, religious studies and history which, in its turn, has determined a complex historical-philosophical and philosophical-cultural methodology. The scientific novelty of the article is caused by the fact that the author reconstructs the basic provisions of Berdyaev’s philosophy of culture exclusively from the point of view of Beryaev’s concept of tragedy. 

Keywords: