The Philosophy of War in Ukrainian Culture: A Past to Present

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to highlight the philosophical and ideological understanding and perception of war by the Ukrainian people during its cultural and historical development. Constant wars, which have become an integral part of Ukrainian history and culture, have formed a mental readiness for such challenges. In order to achieve the aims and objectives of the research, the author uses the traditional methodological arsenal for qualitative research, namely: analysis of sources that cover the philosophical dimensions of war in Ukraine; comparative analysis of the mental dimension of war in the past and present of Ukrainian culture; philosophical synergistic approach to determining the formation and interaction of ontological, axiological and anthropological constants of military realities. The results of the study point to the transformation of the philosophy of war in Ukrainian culture in the modern period. The current generation of Ukrainians perceives war in a new way and positions its realities in the context of cultural and historical national development and at the individual level of influence. Historically, for a long time, the wars that unfolded on the territory of Ukraine did not have a nationally oriented vector. Therefore, for the Ukrainian culture, the philosophy of war was mainly correlated with the existential aspects of other state entities, focusing on human manifestations (heroism, courage, fear, pain, suffering). The present day has added to these elements the value aspect of national identity. A promising area of research on the philosophy of war in Ukrainian culture is the actualisation of the axiological cluster associated with the real historical perspective of the establishment of Ukrainian national identity. Thus, the philosophy of war has always been a relevant concept reflected in the mentality and cultural traditions of Ukrainians.