The article interprets the Christian antithesis of Law and Grace, implemented by the Russian religious philosophers B.P. Vysheslavtsev and S.L. Frank. Based on the statements of Paul the Apostle and having translated the theological problem into the language of religious philosophy, they expanded the scope of the antithesis. Having moved away from its traditional interpretation as a contrast between the Old Testament and New Testament value systems, Russian philosophers saw in it the problem of the limits of application and effectiveness of any means of external forced regulation of people's behavior and solved this problem dialectically. Understanding the Law as the totality of imperative means from law to morality, Vysheslavtsev and Frank revealed their ontological conditionality. They showed that, on the one hand, external regulation of human behavior is necessary in the conditions of the “fallen world”, and on the other hand, they pointed out its insufficient effectiveness: the use of force in the fight against evil can only limit it, but cannot eradicate it. Contrasting the Law with Grace, by which Russian religious philosophers understand a special kind of influence of God on the human soul, they emphasize that faith is the condition for a gracious action. The action of Grace, replacing the action of legal and moral compulsion, changes the inner world of a person, gives rise to a free desire to do “good deeds”. Vysheslavtsev and Frank made a conclusion that has universal significance: forced rationing of life never reaches its goal, and the desire to eradicate evil without changing the inner world of people should be recognized as utopian.
Keywords: law, grace, natural law, positive law, morality, Paul the Apostle, B.P. Vysheslavtsev, S.L. Frank
DOI: 10.22250/2072-8662.2020.4.129-136
About the author
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Irina Yu. Kulyaskina – Dr. Sc. (Philosophy), professor at Study of Philosophy and Sociology (Professor at Study of Philosophy); |