1 the LIFE and THOUGHT of RUSSIAN | FIRST LAY THEOLOGIAN, GRIGORIJ Savvlfi SKOVORODA (1722-94)
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This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 70-6874 SCHERER, Stephen Patrick, 1939- 1 THE LIFE AND THOUGHT OF RUSSIAN | FIRST LAY THEOLOGIAN, GRIGORIJ SAVVlfi SKOVORODA (1722-94). The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1969 History, modem University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan © Copyright by Stephen Patrick Scherer 1970 ! THE LIFE AND THOUGHT OF RUSSIA*3 FIRST LAY THEOLOGIAN, GRIGORIJ SAWlfc SKOVORODA (17 2 2 -9 * 0 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillm ent of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Stephen Patrick Scherer, B.A., H.A. The Ohio State University 1969 Approved by ypftt-iLd&LP 0. )( 9 u ^u o A d v is e r Department of History There lived in L ittle Russia more than a hundred years ago a wise man by the name of Skovoroda. Because he was an Intelligent and learned man, the clerical and secular leaders offered him profitable and important positions, but he refused them all and lived his whole life as a wanderer. His only possessions were those which he carried in a sack over his back: a change of linen and some books. Everyone who knew him loved him, and rejoiced when he came to v isit. He censured no one, gave advise only when it was asked, and was always satisfied with everything. His favorite saying was: •I thank God that he made everything necessary easy, and only the unnecessary difficult. L. N. T olstoj, Na KaSdy.1 Den*. (For Every Day), Polnoe Sobranle SoS lnenl .1 t Comule te Works) 90 v o ls., Moscow & Leningrad: 1928-58, XLIIX, p . 2 3 9 . li PREFACE The subject of this study Is the eighteenth-century Ukrainian sage, GrigoriJ SawiiS Skovoroda, his life, activities and thought, Skovoroda, though not an original \ thinker, or even an influential one for later Russian phi losophy was the first man in Russia or the Ukraine to speculate freely and in an integrated fashion about the problems of knowledge, man, and God, It is precisely because his thought represents the first free and inte grated speculative effort in Russia and the Ukraine, rather than by his originality or later influence on Russian thought that Skovoroda is worthy of study. The primary sources used in this study are two editions of Skovoroda's collected works: 1) Vladimir BonS- BrueviiS (ed,), Sobranle So&lnenij G. S, Skovorody. St. Petersburg: 1912s 2) D. I, Bileckij, (ed.) G. S. Skovorodat Tvorl v Pvox Tomax, 2 vols,, Kiev: 1961. Both of these collections include the short sketch of Skovorodato life w ritten by his friend and disciple H, X. Kovallnskij (1751-1807)* about which more w ill be said in the intro duction to the chapter on Skovoroda's life. Besides the two editions of Skovoroda*s collected works mentioned above there are two others, both of which were published before the editions of Bon&-Bruevl& and Bilecklj respectively, i l l Neither of the two earlier editions are as complete as the ones consulted by this w riter, but the reader my s till wish to have them identified. The first is, I. T. Lisenkov (ed*) SoElnenl.la v Stlxax i Froze Grigori.1a Sawi&a Skovorod.v. St. Petersburg: 1861; the second, D. I. BagaleJ (ed.) So&lnenl.la Grigori.1a Savvl&a Skovorody: Jubilen.lnoe Izdanle (1794-1894). Kharkov: 1894. Though Skovoroda's works and M. X. K ovalinskiJ's biography of Skovoroda served as the most important sources for this essay, the w riter also surveyed much of the available secondary m aterial which touches on Skovoroda, especially the periodical literature. A rather large periodical literature on Skovoroda has developed over the course of the last century and a half, but since some of it is not aviliable in this country the w riter was unable to consult It a ll. What has been consulted appears in’ the bibliography at the end of the essay. This essay would not have been completed without the assistance and advice of Professor Michael Curran. His questioning and criticism forced me to rethink many elements of this work ,while his patience with my efforts encouraged me to continue. For his criticism and patience I am grateful, and X hope I may demonstrate this gratitude by extending sim ilar consideration to my own students. Finally, I owe an inexpressibly large debt of thanks to my wife, Carol, who has supported and encouraged my entire graduate education including the work on this essay. Along .................i v • with this she has spent many difficult hours turning my inelegant and barely legible scrawl into acceptable typed copy. While I am happy to acknowledge my thanks to those who have contributed to the completion of this work I must add that any errors or omissions are my own responsibility. v VITA April 20, 1939 Born - Cincinnati, Ohio 1962 .................... B.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, O hio 1962-1964 , . Teaching Assistant, Department of International Studies, The Ohio State U niversity, Columbus, Ohio 1 9 6 5 .................... M.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, O hio 1965-1968 • • Teaching Assistant, Department of History, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1 9 6 8 -1 9 6 9 . NDEA Fellow, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: History Studies in Russian History* Professors Miohael Curran and Charles Morley Studies In Ancient History. Professor William McDonald Studies in Middle Eastern History. Professor Sydney Fisher Studies in American History. Professors Francis Welsenburger and Harold Hancock Studies in Russian Literature. Professor Leon Twarog vi TABLE OP CONTENTS Page PREFACE ......................... ....................................................... i i i VITA ........................................................... ............................. v i C h a p te r I . THE LIFE OP GRIGORIJ SA W lS SKOVORODA (1722-9*0 . ....................................................... 1 Introduction Skovoroda's Life I I . SKOVORODA AND HIS SOCIETY ......................... 46 I I I . SKOVORODA'S THOUGHT ........................................ 6 l Introduction Knowledge Symbol and Bible Han M o r a lity The M aterial World God IV . CONCLUSION ........................................................... 162 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................. 173 CHAPTER I THE LIFE OF GRIGORU SAWlS SKOVORODA (1722-9*+) Introduction The chief source of Information concerning G. S. Skovoroda*s life Is w2izn* GrigoriJa Skovorody" (The Life of GrigoriJ Skovoroda) which was w ritten In the latter part of 179*+ by M. I. KovalinskIJ, Skovoroda*s student, fo l lower, and intimate friend.1 Besides Kovalinskij*s biog raphy, of course, Skovoroda's own writings provide bio graphical information* Skovoroda, however, intended his works to be Instructional not autobiographical and so, 1 This short biography (in printed form it runs to less than fifty pages) has been published five times as f o l l o w s : N. F*: Sumcov, *&Ltie Skovorody oplsannoe drugom ego M. I; Kovalinskim," Klevska.la Starina, 1886, #9. PP* 103- 5 0 ; D. I. BagaleJ (ed.), So&lnenlla Grigori.1a SavvlEa Skovorody: Jublle .Inoe Izdanle (1794--1894). Kharkov: l#9*+» 1-e otdel., pp; 1-40; A V. S. Arsenov, "Nefcto o G. S. Skovorode," Busski.1 A rxlv, 1911» #*+» PP« 601-3*+. V. BoniS'-'BrueviiS (ed.), M aterlaly k Isto rll i IzuSenl.lu Russkago Sektanstva 1 Staroobr.1 adSestva. part 5 , Sobranle So£lneni.1 G. 3. Skovorody. St. Petersburgi 1912, p p . l-*+£; D. I. BileckiJ (ed,), G. Skovoroda 8 Tvorl v Dvox Tomax, Kiev: 1 9 6 1, II, pp.' *+#7-535• while his writings provide assistance in the tinderstanding of his life, they do not present the detailed information which KovalinsklJ*s biography does, M. I, KovalinsklJ, who gave us the biography of Skovoroda, was born in 1751 In the region which was to be come the Kharkov guberni.la. In the early 1760*s he attended the Kharkov Academy, where he became a pupil, admirer, and close friend of Skovoroda, In the late 1760*s KovalinsklJ served with the m ilitary, and then in 1772 went abroad to complete his education. He spent three years in the West, mainly In Prance and Switzerland, and while in France studied at the University of Strasbourg. He returned from abroad In 1775 and- entered the service of the state. He achieved the rank of general-major, and for a period of years, probably in the 1780*s, served as the chief executive of the Riazan vice-regency. Early in 1801, Emperor Paul named him to the post of curator of Moscow University. KovalinsklJ remained In this position until 180*f when he retired. He spent several years in re tirem ent, and died in 1807.2 KovalinsklJ's biography of Skovoroda, marked as it was by economy and passion demonstrated both KovalinsklJ's 2 The information on Kovalinsklj is scanty. The brief sketch above Is based on: M. I. KovalinsklJ, "Zlzn* Grlgorija Skovorody," in D. I. BileckiJ (ed.), G. S. Skovoroda: Tvorl v Dvox Tomax. Kiev, 1981, II, pp. ^87- 535s Russki.1 Blograflttesklj Slovar*. IX, pp. 29-30. high level of eduction and his love for Skovoroda, There may he disadvantages connected with dependence on a pas sionate and brief biography for the account of a man's life, e.g., an excessively favorable bias",’or brevity to the exclusion of necessary detail.’ Though bias and brevity could have a negative Influence on a biographical account, the balance between generosity and economy apparent in KovalinsklJ's biography was Just the feature of his narrative which made it a perceptive and vital view of Skovoroda's life and activities. If KovalinsklJ's account had been charitable but not brief, it may have become a rambling and pointless panegyric. If it had been eco nomical but dispassionate it may well have deteriorated into a lifeless recitation of facts.