At the Crossroads of Science & Mysticism: On the Cultural-Historical Place and Premises of the Christian World-Understanding by Pavel Florensky & Boris Jakim

Author:Pavel Florensky & Boris Jakim [Florensky, Pavel & Jakim, Boris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781621380856
Amazon: 1621380858
Publisher: Semantron Press
Published: 2014-11-07T23:00:00+00:00

1. content of

content of

notions is giv

notions is giv

en not to abstr

en not to abstr

act thought but to experience.

act thought but to experience. Ritual is

Ritual is the most primordial thing that can be ex the most primordial thing that can be excavated b ca y vated by a historian,

a historian, qua

qua

historian.

historian. The cultic f

The cultic f

act. (This is according to the sacr

act. (This is according to the sacral theory al theory.) More than

.) More than anything

anything else, it resemb

else, it resembles tr

les tr

uth. We uth. We distinguish reality fr

distinguish reality fr

om meaning, con-

om meaning, concreteness of

creteness of

being fr

being from consciousness

om consciousness

. Meaning is the existent tr

. Meaning is the existent truth. W uth. W

e

e dis-

distinguish

tinguish activities directed at reality fr

activities directed at reality fr

om those directed at meaning. R

om those directed at meaning. R

eality

eality is utility.

is utility. They are reducib

They are reducib

le to instr

le to instr

uments

uments

. Can these activities be non-unit-

. Can these activities be non-unitable?

able? Consciousness w

Consciousness w

ould then split into tw

ould then split into two. W o. What unites them is that there hat unites them is that there exist

exist pr

pr

oducts of

oducts of

our activity w

our activity w

hich, at the same time, are realities and mean-hich, at the same time, are realities and meanings.

ings. This is cult. W

This is cult. Work ork

s of s of art resemb

art resemb

le cult. They are a union (though a

le cult. They are a union (though a some-

somew

w

hat exter

hat extern

nal one) of

al one) of

thing and meaning... There must be real mean-

thing and meaning... There must be real meanings and ings and abstr

abstr

act realities; otherwise complete unity of

act realities; otherwise complete unity of

consciousness of

consciousness of self w self

ould

would not exist. Human activity can be exhaustiv not exist. Human activity can be exhaustiv

ely re

ely re

presented as the com-

presented as the combina-

bination of

tion of

three elements:

three elements:

Instrumenta

Instrumenta,

, Notiones

Notiones,

, Sacra

Sacra

—INS

—INS

. Each gr

. Each gr

oup

oup can

can ha

have ve three modifications (N-I-S

three modifications (N-I-S

, N-S-I, etc.).

, N-S-I, etc.). . . . S.

, . . S

N, , N, and I are three

and I are three coor-

coordin

din

ates or aspects of

ates or aspects of

ev

ever ery cultur

y cultur al phenomenon, but to different

degrees.

degrees .

. .

. . Ev

.

er

. Ev y cultural phenomenon has a sacral coordinate, having ate, ha

some relation to the Church. .

some relation to the Church. .

. . W

.

hat is the principle that unifies the three

. W

elements? If we wish to explain culture, we must derive it fr we wish to explain culture, we must deriv

om culture itself.

We

W can explain organism on the basis of

e

organism itself—in its embryo

y . And

o

a work of

a w

art can be explained not on the basis of the materials but on the basis of the creative conce

the creativ

ption. We

ption. W must seek the explan

e

ations in the depths

of human personality. This is called m

ality

ysticism. Mysticism is the center at

. This is called m

which all three coordin

w

ates originate. The three are given at the same time.

ate. The three are giv

What is centr

W

al is a certain mystical experience—the r

al is a certain m

oot.”

[88]

Lecture Eleven

Three elements form culture: Instrumenta, Notiones, Sacra (Instruments, Notions, Sacra)—INS.

Three theoretical groups (I—economic; N—ideological; S—

religious) multiplied by 3 = 9.

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