20) Проф. пpoт. Т. И. Буткевич.

Schopenhauer's pessimism and its comparison with Christian asceticism. Right Review 1883. August. Bearing in mind Schopenhauer's own views, Fr. Butkevich considered it necessary, however, at the end of his article to touch upon Christian asceticism, mainly and strictly because Schopenhauer strives at all costs to prove the identity of his strictly ascetic demands with the ascetic prescriptions of “original and real Christianity.” According to Schopenhauer, “true Christianity positively bears that ascetic fundamental character which its philosophy indicates in the denial of the will to live”; “anti-cosmic tendencies” of Christianity are beyond any doubt.” 1339 With an apologetic task in mind, Fr. Butkevich makes an attempt to briefly characterize Christian asceticism from its foundations and essence, and in some cases the terminology itself is determined by the tasks of the comparative method. 1341 O. Butkevich finds a “formal 1342 similarity”, a certain point of contact in Christian asceticism with the asceticism recommended by Schopenhauer, since Christianity really and necessarily requires the denial of the egoistic will, the suppression and eradication of self-will, 1343 the subordination of the human will to the will of God. 1344 “The essential signs of Christian asceticism really need to be recognized as self-sacrifice and obedience” 1345 to the will of God. The driving principle in this case is not egoism, but pure love for God, and the consequence and at the same time the goal is not the destruction of the will of man, but the communication of its content and direction with the will of the Divine, so that the latter already becomes his (i.e., the Christian’s) will.” 1346 But the will of God is “full of life” (“I am the way, the truth and the life”). From here the path of renunciation of self-will leads the Christian ascetic “not to destruction, not to nirvana or nothingness, but to eternal life. 1347 In other words, a Christian becomes an ascetic in order to strengthen his will to live.” 1348 Indeed, “the Christian ascetic is far from quietism”; “his mental life is not poor, but, on the contrary, vibrant.” 1349 From what has been said, it is not difficult to deduce that “every true Christian is already an ascetic.” 1350 “Christianity” “requires asceticism” from every person, which “for every person is as necessary a matter as morality in general.” 1351 From this point of view, we are obliged to agree that “monasticism or hermitage is only a certain form of Christian asceticism, and not its essence.” 1352 But Christian hermits, ascetics in the narrow and special sense of the word, are far from corresponding to Schopenhauer’s type of ascetic, if we bear in mind, in particular, their attitude to the external world, to society. “The Christian hermit severed external ties with the world, but his internal connection became even stronger,” since the essential goal of his hermitage is to cultivate love for God, with which love for one’s neighbor is inextricably linked. 1353 If he renounces the world, then this renunciation concerns not the world in general, but actually and exclusively the bad world. 1354 The Christian ascetic left the world, but he did not abandon it and helps people with the means depending on him, mainly through prayer, advice and instructions. 1355 In general, the Christian ascetic is full of endless desire. because the object of his desires is endless life.” 1356 It is necessary to distinguish between the essence of asceticism and its secondary, non-essential accessories and accidental manifestations. So, for example, celibacy, not eating fast food, etc., belong not to the first, but to the second side. They cannot be considered “a necessary condition of Christian asceticism; they are only auxiliary means of asceticism and, moreover, purely external ones, that is, those that can be accepted, but without which a Christian ascetic can do without. 1357 This is – in its essential features and main provisions – the venerable professor’s reasoning regarding the essence and meaning of Christian asceticism. Expressing his thoughts as briefly as possible, as if concisely, without their detailed justification and detailed disclosure, Fr. prof. Butkevich offers thoughts that are generally correct and makes comments that deserve attention. Of these, we note the following: 1) asceticism is a general Christian requirement; 2) monasticism is only one of the forms of asceticism, but not its essence. Considering Christian asceticism in comparison with the asceticism of Schopenhauer’s philosophy, Fr. prof. sometimes uses terms taken from this philosophical system, but this does not harm the essence of the matter. More important is the fact that the venerable author of the article in question, wanting to sharper and more clearly highlight the understanding of Christian asceticism in contrast to the ascetic principle of Schopenhauer’s philosophy, in some cases allows exaggerations when, for example, he claims that celibacy is a purely external ascetic means that can be used and not used with the same right. This presentation of the matter is not entirely accurate. But these are relatively minor things. In general, the study is quite informative. Compare, for example, “a Christian becomes an ascetic in order to strengthen his will to live.” p. 606. cf. 612.