Symbolic role of Pavlo Kopnin in the critical period of activities of the Institute of Philosophy (Article 1)

Abstract

The Institute of Philosophy in Kyiv (Ukraine) was created in Soviet times, when Marxist-Leninist paradigm dominated there. Its political function was the substantiation of the ruling regime policy, idealization and mythologization of social reality. In that critical period after dethroning the cult of personality in the second half of the 1950’s and early 1960’s the Institute of Philosophy was headed by Pavlo Kopnin. The success of his undertakings was favored by the combination of talents of a researcher, scientific manager and generator of new scientific ideas. Innovations were realized, firstly, in rationalistic resensing of the subject, essence and methodological functions of authentic Marxist philosophy. Secondly, investigations beyond the limits of the subject of Marxist philosophy, first of all, in the field of logic, methodology and philosophy of science took a leading place at the Institute of Philosophy. That became a basis for defining changes in the philosophic life of Ukraine as the Kyiv philosophic school.