Russian Philosophical Thought: Sign and Symbol in the 19th – 20th Centuries

Abstract

In the modern world, there is an increasing impact of iconic and symbolic systems on the acceptance of identity and the expression of individual experience. The authors consider the main milestones in determining the meaning of a sign and a symbol, identify unique features of the Russian philosophical tradition, and describe changes in the semantic content of the concepts of "symbol" and "sign" from the pre-revolutionary philosophical tradition to modern philosophy. It is shown that the Russian philosophical tradition, in defining the symbol and sign, paid special attention to the spiritual impact of the iconic and symbolic on the individual, the cultural peculiarities of national and religious experience. The analysis of the main points of view on the problem of the sign and symbol by A.A. Potebnya, L.S. Vygotsky, A.M. Losev, Y.M. Lotman and E.V. Ilyenkov revealed that, despite different approaches to the problem of the sign and symbol, Russian philosophers emphasized the important role of these categories in the process of understanding reality, shaping thinking and culture. The results obtained contribute to the development of cultural and historical theory.