On the essence of the symbol in the thought of Nikolay Berdyaev and Wladyslaw Stróżewski
The author analyzes the understanding of symbol by Nikolay Berdyaev and Wladyslaw Stróżewski. Both thinkers, in spite of their belonging to different cultures and philosophical traditions, paid great attention to the study of the symbolic in their works as they considered the symbol to be of real importance. Moreover, they came to similar conclusions. Thus, Berdyaev, in his existential-spiritualistic philosophy, claimed that the world itself is symbolic, and human creativity is kind of a symbolic representation of the divine creative principles that lie at the foundation of a culture. In this view, religion, culture and history are symbolic too, and the symbol itself “is a bridge thrown from a creative act to an intimate, ultimate reality”. The phenomenologist Stróżewski tried to make a phenomenological deconstruction of the symbol to describe its multi-layer structure. The Polish philosopher regarded the symbol as a sign relating to something absolutely inexpressible. To his mind, it is the religious symbol that has a special significance, which helps the consciousness of man to grasp the Absolutely Different. The symbol is not a merely linguistic construct as it “reaches the unknown and, leaving it unexplored, indicates the transcendence”. Therefore, he insists, the symbol can be interpreted as kind of a mysterious Devine gift. Thus, both Berdyaev and Stróżewski consider symbols as what can best refer to the reality which is outside of it and is absolutely different and inexpressible. Both philosophers emphasize the importance of the symbol and its reflection for a proper understanding of a culture and the mysterious relationship between God and human being. It is concluded that the ideas expressed by both Berdyaev and Stróżewski about the symbol have not lost their relevance at the present time.