The GULAG cycle as the philosophical last will of Karsavin
Abstract
The cycle of philosophical and poetical-philosophical texts written by Lev Karsavin in 1949–1952 before his death in the concentration camp Abez in the Polar Urals is interpreted as the final integrating result of the work of the philosopher summing up all the leitmotifs of his thought. It is shown that the integrating principle of the cycle is the conception of deification, which was the central conception of the Orthodox theology since the Patristic Age. For this reason the analysis of the GULAG cycle is performed in the comparative perspective, by means of the comparison to the patristic conception as presented, in the first place, by st. Maximus the Confessor. The personological aspect is put to the forefront: it is reconstructed how man’s personality is changed in the course of the deification described by Karsavin as “ontological drama” embracing both the world and God. This aspect makes us draw attention to the concluding stages of the deification, at which all the cosmos becomes involved into the deifying transfiguration. St. Maximus describes the cosmic dimension of the deification on the basis of the idea of “cosmic liturgy”, which establishes a profound connection between the deification of the cosmos and the ecclesiastic phenomena of the liturgy and the Eucharist. It is argued that the conception of deification in the GULAG cycle is generally in accordance with the patristic idea, although it does not include some of its essential elements. Some distinctive features of Karsavin’s conception such as his treatment of death, perfection and the apogee of development are also discussed.
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