LIGHT IDEAL against tyranny IDOLS

PAPHOS AND POETRY OF THOUGHT
"We are spiritual beings. A childhood - is the land and soil of our souls, that heaven of our souls "- said in a recent interview with actor and director Rolan Bykov. And the essence of what was said, of course, does not that man - a being incorporeal. It is that maturing of the human soul - is a delicate process and, simultaneously, majestic. The process is comparable except that with becoming the harmony of the universe, and perhaps even more significant.
But if the laws of the universe can learn from the science of astronomy, then where you can read about the laws of the human spirit?


It is quite clear and exhaustive answer to this question the interested reader will find the book well-known Soviet philosopher Evald Vasilyevich Ilyenkov, which he called "dialectical logic. Essays on the history and theory. This is the second edition of the author, whose works have had their good-ful influence on several generations of philosophers, and simply cultured people, not only in our country but also abroad.
What is it, this book?
This book is about thinking and its laws. On the history of logical science. The significance and role of thinking in human life and his destiny. On the materialist dialectic as the logic of the communist world outlook of our contemporary, efficient spiritual weapon in the struggle for happiness.
What is the ideal? Thinking whether the brain or a person with a brain? What is preferable, and a decent man: to think abstractly or to think concretely? What is universal: it exists only in the human mind, or universal, as the abstract, is in reality itself? Is it always an integer greater part? Could be a whole part of their own part of the same, as part of a whole, for its own whole?
"Mystery of the thinking of the body" - so designated EV Ilyenkov knot of these, as well as other difficulties and problems for many, many centuries trying to cope the best minds of mankind. It is through dialogue and lively dialogue with such luminaries of philosophy of science, as Aristotle and Spinoza, Descartes, Kant, Hegel and Lenin, Marx and Feuerbach, the author leads his readers to comprehend this mysterious "thinking body", as distinct from the body of an unthinking.
What people have thought - this is known to everyone. But, in fact, not all that we with you "well known", can be regarded as deeply and thoroughly understood. How about a man rashly judged by what and how he thinks of himself, and said so, and of thinking can not be judged by his conceit. Much more useful to see what and how it actually does, not even realizing that a clear and correct record.
For example, people often think that they think only when the set of items purchased by a single, universally occurring feature, calling it "concept" of things. It is for this very occasion we encounter in the book and an amusing philosophical parable: Lives in a hen house chicken. Every day the owner comes and gives her a peck seeds. Chicken, of course, make the conclusion from this: the appearance of the host - is associated with the emergence of seeds. But one day the owner will be in a chicken coop with no grains, but with a sharp knife, amply proves the chicken that it would not hurt to have a more subtle understanding of the ways of scientific analysis. And this "chicken thinking," If we stick to it not in words but in deeds, can take you at every step ...
Browse for a long time met by white swans, from which I concluded: all swans are white! And they were convinced of this until, while in Australia were not detected ... black swans.
Only through the inclusion of logical science of human affairs and actions you can understand how people think. That is why it should be, says our author, to look at the thinking of both the human capacity for such activities, which finds its energy not only in the "speaking", but throughout the exciting process of creating culture, all the substantive body of human civilization, including the tools here and statues, shops and churches, factories and government offices, political organizations and the legal system.
... It so happened that walks in the light of the opinion that before thinking gaze of the world should fade all the colors of life. Book Illenkov firmly and irrevocably refute this current prejudice. With great benefit for himself read it a boy and girl, older students and students, young workers and Komsomol propagandist, any person of culture. Leafing through its pages, we unwittingly find ourselves trapped by poetry and pathos of the sublime spiritual work, which has long (and good reason!) It is the human mind.
1984 - 85 year.
LIGHT IDEAL against tyranny IDOLS
Pondering BOOK
Man can not live without ideals. This - is generally recognized. But there are still there at the light of such, without which no man could live. For example, without food and drink, clothing and shelter, work and leisure ...
So, actually, what is ideal? How not to confuse that, for what is worth living, so with the help of which we exist? It could be briefly summarized as the central issue of a new book by talented Soviet philosopher Evald Ilyenkov, which is called "ART AND THE COMMUNIST IDEALS. Selected articles on philosophy and aesthetics. M., "Art", 1984.
This book - not an easy reading. As, however, is not easy and carefree life itself, its contemporary readers, employed real creation and creativity. A product Illenkov - a sober and honest expression of that life. Because, as Spinoza said, after the author himself, he belongs "to the estate of philosophers, designed not to cry, not laugh, but to understand".
What ideals are - known to everyone. But what is known - is still far is not necessarily understood. And on the difficult but rewarding way of knowing the author leads his readers to an old philosophical question: what is perfect? And what is the ideal?
It might at first sight seem that the philosophical problems in general - is the problem for philosophers. However, it is not so! It is not because there are such problems that there are philosophers. And vice versa: because something is in the light of the philosophers, that this problem exists. And with the acute rises in most of our life.
The real challenge - both in life and in science - is not to discriminate and oppose each other all that is in the mind of an individual, everything that is outside the individual's consciousness. Make it fair to the author, is almost always difficult. The real difficulty is to distinguish the world collectively practiced representations (which, too, is outside the head of the individual), and the real, material world. "This is where, and only here - wrote Ilyenkov - distinction between 'ideal' and the 'real' ... and becomes a serious scientific meaning, and precisely because in practice the mass of people now and then confused with one another, take one thing for another with the same ease with which they take a "wishful thinking", but that with things done and do it themselves - for their own forms of things. "
... In this context, comes to mind is a consideration. American capitalism during his youth, gave rise to a collective historical illusion of "equal society", which was named "American Dream". Its essence is that the remarkable skill, hard work and personal initiative "geniuses" of the bourgeois business given to them, as they say, "by nature". They are - ordinary working people, like millions of other Americans. So, "earned" their millions - the natural outcome of and reward. That is why the attack on this system is unnatural and unfair. A de encroach on the fruits of their labor, or "idlers and loafers," or "red" ... And live, despite the millions of unemployed and hungry, the old story about the Christmas that any shoe shiner can become a millionaire ... I found this legend warm sympathy in the same disadvantaged Americans to believe that capitalism is not bad for them, but just the opposite: they are - losers - in themselves bad for the "good" capitalism.
Mix, to confuse, to issue one after another - a collective form of life for them as a collective representation, and vice versa - this is the usual focus of contemporary bourgeois propagandists in their ideological sabotage against socialism and "their" workers.
So cool it and dispassionate philosophical whether this old, old, old "problem of the ideal"? Does not it securely equips us in the class struggle of ideas, helps us today and always confide WORD - cause. Exposing those who prefer to evaluate their work not on the actual state of affairs in his area of competence, but by the number of resolutions, decisions and any kind of instructions?
As shown in his book the author, a vital life lesson taught us classical traditions of philosophical materialism, is as follows: for the ratio of the ideal - a real, proper - a sentient being, the ideal - a fact we must always see the relationship between human beings. Namely: the relation of man to another man, nature, finally, his attitude - to himself.
It is on this life-realistic, sober materialist foundation brilliantly and convincingly revealed in the book topic that could indicate as follows: terrestrial misadventures of a beautiful ideal.
What is the origins of these misadventures? What is their meaning and are not insured if we, the contemporaries of scientific and technological revolution, safely and permanently from the tragic mistakes of the past?
"It depends on the circumstances! - Convinces us of the author. - Because there are ideals and there are idols ... "For example, the ideal of good merciful Christian God even today for millions of people on the planet is not quite lost its appeal. Of course, in this age of scientific and technological revolution to believe that "God created man in His own image" - it would be very naive and non-modern. But that man created God, just as he created books and statues, huts and temples, the bread and wine, science and technology - this is not a fairy tale, not a myth, but a serious science.
And if so, if God - this is only self-portrait of man, what's wrong with the worship of him? Moreover, the people on the icon shown exclusively with the best of his hand. "God" is only an alias of the ideal man, ideal poetic model of the Perfect Man. The ideal, given the man himself, Highest Goal of human self ... And all the evil, evil to be overcome and human traits are depicted in another self-portrait as "the Devil" ...
All this is true. The only trouble is - explains Ilyenkov - that refractor religious heaven does not reflect a real good and real evil, but only his own ideas about man that is good and what is evil. And this, alas, not one and the same.
After all, what is the real man - that and his God. And if so, then heaven religion does not reflect the person that what he "should be", and then what it actually is. With all its pluses and minuses. But the disadvantages are reflected in a mirror, not as disadvantages, but as pluses. And vice versa.
Because of this religion draws a person is the way it should remain. She always gave out "an existence" of the ideal man for the top of any possible perfection, whose people can not and must not overstep. In the form of the religious ideal of man is presented the image of his own yesterday. Religion has always attributed the "golden age" of the past.
This "optical-ideological" перевертыше lies the secret of making any "ideal" in the "Idol", ie a peculiar spiritual chain, which under the guise of self-improvement and self-realization in this world voluntarily imposes on himself a man.
"And it would be naive to think - the author convinces us - that the mystery of this HRE is known only to the religious consciousness." Religiosity, idolatry is possible not only in strictly religious, but in the secular, so to speak, even atheistic and scientific-technical sphere. It is because there exists not only in the form of the merciful Christian God, but "in the form of a truly religious belief in the magical power of securities in the creative power of the circulars in the inscrutable wisdom of offices and much more.
Religious idols ... on the basis of atheism and science? - Another reader exclaim in bewilderment. But what about the "radical opposition" of science and religion? Is there not, so to speak, "round square" or "wooden iron." Put simply - the absurdity?
Alas, no! Adoration of the "idols" is not only motivated by prejudice. Happens and it is motivated by professional development mind. That is science. And not only science but also technology, unless, of course, forget that these are just helpers and servants of their human rights in the same life, and not vice versa.
Sometimes, unfortunately, and vice versa! "This new absolute spirit -" scientific spirit "in that whatever the cost - has long had its priests and priests. One of the servants of the "new Lord God" with satisfaction, after hearing a notice on the incineration of Hiroshima: "What a brilliant experiment in physics!"
Is it not sad and not funny - continues Ilyenkov - when we see, hear or read, as some highly respected scientists with a comically serious expression involved in the problem of "simulation-Man" (because the search for God in style is now the case) and draw icon depicting the coming of the Savior in the form of machines smarter than man ... "?
Of course, science and technology - a great thing. Without them, there is no civilization - is its backbone, its skeleton. Appliances (no matter what - whether dental equipment business, or vehicle control or poetry) is the most precious asset of man, his wealth, which must be preserved and multiplied. But the deified technique, like all deified - this is human poverty. Deity is not without misery. Has long been known that the more a person ascribes to God, the less he keeps.
The freedom of man in general - and the freedom of imagination as it is a special case - there is nothing but an act consistent with the need. That's why - we read in the pages of the book - the aesthetic education of man helps transform an individual from a passive object of external influences - in the amateur subjects of historical action, creative individuality that creates Communism is alien to all and sundry idols.
Communism is becoming a reality in exactly the extent to which each person becomes "totally developed individual, develop their imagination, thought and will, and working at the forefront of human culture. "And the realization of communist ideals in any case can not be postponed" until tomorrow ". It has to be implemented today, right now, "- concluded by their joint reflection with the reader.
V. Molchanov, Doctor of Philosophy, a member of city council workshop on Russian, German and Greek philosophy "Russian Logos.

"Science of Ural", June 6, 1985, edition of 2000.