“Total and Radical Liberation”: The Religious and Philosophical Background of Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s Revolutionary Ideas

Authors

  • Roman Bilyashevych

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18523/kmhj106708.2017-4.29-43

Keywords:

ideology, Ukrainian Revolution, religion, morality, concordism

Abstract

The article explores the religious and philosophical origins of Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s ideas of “honesty with oneself,” “omnilateral liberation,” and “concordism.” Two treatises, Vidrodzhennia natsii (Rebirth of a Nation, 1919–1920) and Konkordyzm. Systema buduvannia shchastia (Concordism. A System of Building Happiness, 1938–1945), illustrate the development of Vynnychenko’s worldview. In the first work, social revolution was considered as the answer to human problems, while, in the second, such a solution was found in becoming one with the universe. Despite his negative attitude towards religion, Volodymyr Vynnychenko actively used religious images and patterns in his writings. For instance, criticizing Christianity for its dogmatism, he nevertheless created his codex of thirteen rules of concordism, which had to harmonize the unbalanced forces of mankind with the universe. In this context, particular attention is paid to the significant influence of pagan concepts on Vynnychenko’s thinking.

References

Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Cleveland, New York: Meridian Books, The World Publishing Company, 1962.

Aron, Raymond. The Opium of the Intellectuals. Translated by Terence Kilmartin. New York: The Norton Library, 1962.

Averintsev, Sergei. “Yazychestvo [Paganism].” In Sofiia-Logos. Slovar, edited by Natalia Averintseva and Konstantin Sigov, 522–25. Kyiv: Dukh i litera, 2000.

Besançon, Alain. The Rise of Gulag. Intellectual Origins of Leninism. Translated by Sarah Mattews. New York: Continuum, 1981.

Hovorun, Cyril. “Ideology and Religion.” Kyiv-Mohyla Humanities Journal 3 (2016): 23–35. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18523/kmhj73933.2016-3.23-35.

Hundorova, Tamara. Konkordyzm Volodymyra Vynnychenka: trahedia odniiei utopii [Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s Concordism: The Tragedy of One Utopia]. In Konkordyzm. Systema buduvannia shchastia by Volodymyr Vynnychenko, 5–26. Kyiv: Ukrainskyi pysmennyk, 2011.

Lubac de, Henri. The Drama of Atheist Humanism. Translated by Edith M. Riley, Ann Englund Nash, and Mark Sebanc. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995.

Panchenko, Volodymyr. Volodymyr Vynnychenko: paradoksy doli i tvorchosti. Knyha rozvidok ta mandrivok [Volodymyr Vynnychenko: Paradoxes of Fate and Creativity. A Book of Searches and Travels]. Kyiv: Tvim inter, 2004.

Rosenstock-Huessy, Eugen. Out of Revolution: Autobiography of Western Man. Oxford: Providence, 1993.

Rudnytsky, Ivan L. “Volodymyr Vynnychenko’s Ideas in the Light of His Political Writings.” In Essays in Modern Ukrainian History, edited by Peter L. Rudnytsky, 417–36. Edmonton: Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 1987. Accessed February 24, 2017. http://www.ditext.com/rudnytsky/history/vynn.html.

Rudnytsky, Ivan L. “The Fourth Universal and Its Ideological Antecedents.” In Essays in Modern Ukrainian History, edited by Peter L. Rudnytsky, 389–416. Edmonton: Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 1987. Accessed February 24, 2017. http://www.ditext.com/rudnytsky/history/fourth.html.

Soroka, Mykola. Faces of Displacement: The Writings of Volodymyr Vynnychenko. Montreal & Kingston, London, Ithaca: McGill-Queen’s Press, 2012.

Syvachenko, Halyna. Poshuk mozhlyvykh alternatyv [A Search for Possible Alternatives]. In Nova zapovid by Volodymyr Vynnychenko, 341–49. Kyiv: Znannia, 2011.

Vynnychenko, Volodymyr. Konkordyzm. Systema buduvannia shchastia [Concordism. A System of Happiness Building]. Kyiv: Ukrainskyi pysmennyk, 2011.

Vynnychenko, Volodymyr. Leprozorii [Leprosarium]. Kyiv: Znannia, 2013.

Vynnychenko, Volodymyr. Nova zapovid [Nouveau Commandement]. Kyiv: Znannia, 2011.

Vynnychenko, Volodymyr. Vidrodzhennia natsii [Rebirth of a Nation]. In 3 volumes. Kyiv: Vydavnytstvo politychnoi literatury Ukrainy, 1990.

Downloads

Published

2017-07-10