Поняттєвий апарат у дискурсі українських церковних інтелектуалів XVII ст.: до постановки проблеми

Abstract

The article claims the necessity of reflection on those meanings which were given in the 17-18th centuries to the words/concepts/terms used nowadays. The author confirms that the identity of the old semantic content comparing to some interpretations seems illusory. Therefore, researchers working with the old texts often fill them with non-core meanings. Thus the culture of 17-18th centuries can be unjustifiably upgraded and even distorted. According to the author’s hypothesis, the analysis devoted to the correlation of some abstract concepts with already established lexemes among the Ukrainian intellectuals who only started acquiring its terminological nature, will facilitate future investigation of philosophical elements of thinking in Early Modern Ukrainian culture. Indeed, their ability to feel the nuances of philosophical and theological notions signifies (1) certain skills of “philosophizing”; (2) conscious reception of “another” multi-confessional and foreign sources; (3) understanding the subtle semantic text modulations. Finally, we can reasonably assume that clear distinction of meanings concerning same words depending on the level of word consumption (ordinary or “high” theological-philosophical) is the marker that indicates the beginning of conscious philosophizing. As an example, the concepts of “good” (dobro) and “boon” (blago), in the early 17th century are usually synonymous and refer solely to different language usage (respectively, ancient Ukrainian and Church Slavonic). However, by the end of the century the “good” is gradually established as the reference to moral virtues and material attractiveness, and the “boon” as the reference to heavenly (metaphysical) gifts and expectations of the bliss of “future age”.