Socio-ethical dimensions of ancient rationalism

Abstract

The article explores current issues in philosophical and anthropological inquiry within ancient philosophy, focusing on the principles and priorities of the anthropological dimensions of classical and post-classical ancient spiritual culture.

The study outlines dialogical forms of philosophical, socio-ethical, and anthropological exploration, which display an extraordinary plurality of perspectives and ideas. This pluralism is evident both in the diversity of normative models of conduct and in attempts to define the ideal structure of the human being. The article emphasixes that during the era of the first ethical reflections, philosophy in antiquity had a profoundly pragmatic character. This pragmatism encompassed both moral rationality and the theoretical aspects of the philosophy of values. For the individual in antiquity, it was necessary to consolidate theoretical and empirical life-goal orientations, combining spiritual-ethical values with the pragmatism of transient social existence.

The analysis shows that, from an anthropological perspective, during the period of ancient classical philosophy, the observational approach to understanding the world gave way to an active, even transformative, approach to life, reflecting the productive, dynamic, and creative nature of human existence. The individual’s active status is defined through practical engagement with the world, nature, and the self. It is noted that it was the Classical and Late Classical periods of antiquity (5^th–4^th centuries BC) that the philosophy of the human being developed most significantly, directing philosophical thought toward personal world-creation, the harmony of the inner spiritual world, and intellectual, rational cognition. The pragmatism of the early Greek philosophers, initially reinforced by their psychologically significant authoritarianism, gradually gave way to philosophical-gnoseological reflections on the problems of inner dialectics and harmony, socio-ethical life of a person of Ancient Rationalism.