The phenomenon of conscience in the “subjective” philosophy of Ivan Ilyin

Abstract

The famous Russian philosopher I. Ilyin, through his experience of the spiritual and moral state of his contemporary society and the fall of public morality that took place in all spheres of state, social, public and church life, tried to comprehend the causes of the global violation of the moral foundations of human society. One of such reasons he saw in the contemporary man’s oblivion of his own conscience. Calling him to overcome this oblivion, Ilyin offers him a deep, theological and philosophically meaningful understanding of this extremely important phenomenon in human life. The basis of such an understanding in Ilyin’s work is not philosophical speculation on the topic of conscience, but the experimental comprehension of that inner “voice” in man, which is popularly called the “voice of God”. His reflection on the conscience of Ilyin accompanies the establishment of an internal connection between conscience, free will and the responsibility of man, indicating that “conscience is one of the surest paths to innerspiritual freedom.”