Sobornost and the Public in the Philosophy of Vladimir Solovyov

Abstract

The category of conciliarity is currently gaining relevance in connection with the declaration of universally valid ideals, the need for their meaningful content and conceptualization. Sobornost is considered as the basis of traditional values, which are postulated in modern society as the goals of activity, personal and social development. In this regard, it is important to define the ontology of sobornost, the meaning of which in the philosophy of V. Solovyov expands beyond the limits of exclusive ecclesiasticism and is seen as a reflection of sobornost in the public. Through the application of the dialectical method, which is immanent in Solovyov's texts, we have revealed that the church community, the secular community, and the church-secular community at their core contain the conciliar principle. A person in his activity realizes sobornost in the public. In the Solovyov texts there are such dialectical stages of the disclosure of concord as its realization in the church community. Conciliarity is preserved at the level of the secular public, where the eternal principles referred to the absolute sphere are defined in a contradictory meaning. The present reality is a stage, a step on the way to the eternally existing, to what should be, or conciliarity in the church-secular community, which Vl. Solovyov calls "normal society", free community, solidarity.

Acknowledgements: The  study  was  performed  with  financial  support  from  the  Russian  Foundation for Basic Research, as part of a research project  No. 21-011-44127 “Interaction of secular and religious worldviews as a theological problem: social risks, challenges of digitalization and the foundations of civil dialogue”