ექსისტენციალიზმის ანალიზი და შეფასებები ქართულ ფილოსოფიაში კონსტანტინე (კოტე) ბაქრაძე

ანოტაცია

Existentialism is one of the most influential philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Its significance lies in the fact that it is not confined solely to philosophy but extends into literature, art, theology, and other spheres of intellectual and cultural life. In Georgia, existentialism began to attract scholarly attention in the 1960s. A decisive moment was the publication of Kote Bakradze’s extensive article “Existentialism” in the journal Mnatobi in 1960. Two years later, Bakradze published his book Existentialism, which, while largely an expanded version of the earlier article, offered a more systematic and refined presentation of the subject. Together, these two works laid the groundwork for the academic study of existentialist philosophy in Georgia.  During the 1970s, a number of Georgian philosophers engaged with existentialist thought in their own research. Scholars such as Begiashvili, Kodua, Kakabadze, Tevzadze, Gordeziani, Popiashvili, and Ramishvili produced works that examined existentialist themes, each from distinct perspectives. This body of scholarship indicates that existentialism had by then established a recognized place within Georgian philosophical discourse. Bakradze’s own approach focused on the central problematics of existence. According to him, existentialism addresses the fundamental conditions of human life: loneliness, abandonment, despair, helplessness, and the confrontation with nothingness. His analysis was grounded primarily in a critical reading of Heidegger. He emphasized Heidegger’s claim that things in themselves lack inherent meaning; it is human existence that confers meaning upon the world. In this view, the world is intelligible only in relation to human existence. One of the most significant aspects of Bakradze’s interpretation was his attention to Heidegger’s account of the movement from fear to freedom. For Heidegger, the fear of death compels individuals to flee into society and adopt impersonal roles, thereby losing themselves in “the They.” Yet this same fear can serve as a catalyst for awakening, directing the individual back toward authentic existence. Conscience, which Heidegger defined not as a psychological or theological category but as an ontological one, is central to this return. Conscience is an inner call that summons the individual away from inauthenticity and toward self-realization. It reveals guilt not as a product of moral wrongdoing but as an expression of human thrownness, loneliness, and abandonment in the world. In responding to this call, the individual attains freedom, authenticity, and truth. Bakradze was also notable for his critical stance toward existentialist thinkers, which he often framed in ideological terms – for example, contrasting “the fascist Heidegger” with “the anti-fascist Sartre.” It is difficult to determine whether these evaluations were shaped primarily by intellectual conviction or by the political context of the time. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the value of his analyses, which represent some of the earliest and most thorough studies of existentialism in Georgia. In conclusion, Bakradze’s contribution is clear: his article and subsequent book played a foundational role in the introduction and academic study of existentialism in Georgia. By critically examining the views of major existentialist thinkers such as Heidegger and Sartre, he not only disseminated existentialist ideas but also initiated their systematic evaluation within Georgian philosophical scholarship, opened the door for Georgian thinkers to engage critically with not only philosophers but also the broader existentialist tradition – carving out own distinctive voice in the dialogue. His work thus marks the beginning of a sustained engagement with existentialist philosophy in Georgia.