Savęs pažinimas ir kultūros krizė Vosyliaus Sezemano filosofijoje

Abstract

Sesemann raises questions about the crisis of culture through the analysis of self-awareness. Socrates is regarded as a symbol of intellectualism and therefore his name is closely related to the rise and crisis of the Western culture. Sesemann illustrates that the duality of Socrates’ personality is interrelated with the problem of self-awareness. Self-awareness is not based on drawing a dividing line between the subject and the object but on involvement in living through experience, which is defined as a non-objectifying self-consciousness. In his epistemiology Sesemann developed the notion of non-objectifying self-consciousness entering into polemics with Neo-Kantian Natorp and drawing on the arguments of Husserl and other phenomenologists. According to Sesemann, non-objectifying self-awareness is absolutely necessary when we deal with phenomena of human reality. These phenomena cannot be analysed on the basis of contrast between the subject and the object. Such an analysis requires emotional intimacy and connection with familiar objects. Sesemann finds the source of this knowledge in the pre-reflective awareness, which is understood as a foundation of any objectifying reflection. It is important to note that self-awareness is not theoretical knowing, it is related to caring about oneself which changes the person himself. Since Socrates relates self-awareness with awareness about the good – in Sesemann’s opinion it means that self-awareness is practical self-perfection. Understanding the good doesn’t mean formulating its theoretical or logical definition, but rather discovering the way of bringing it about in one’s own life. Life that seeks to understand itself creates culture. Therefore it is important which form of self-awareness becomes the iškilidominant one. The crisis of culture arises when the moral (non-objectifying) self-awareness is neglected and the entire attention is focused on objectifying logical knowing. I want to demonstrate three things: 1) Sesemann’s concept of self-awareness is close to the notion of self-consciousness developed in Husserl’s phenomenology. 2) Self-awareness is not mere theoretical knowledge but also practical self-perfection. 3) If the practical aspect of self-awareness is neglected, culture becomes devoid of meaning and descends into crisis.