PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF WAR: THE EVOLUTION OF CONCEPTUAL IDEAS ABOUT HUMANS, MORTALITY, AND THE PHENOMENON OF HEROISM

Abstract

The turn in philosophical anthropology that took place in the twentieth century intensified humanistic tendencies concerning the idea and understanding of human nature, presenting man as the primary creator of the history of civilization. However, life during wartime actualizes and brings to the surface collective experiences related to the vulnerability of human existence and its violent termination. This, in turn, alters the structure of habitual human life and transforms the category of death into a symbol of social unity, thus acting as a unifying factor. The purpose of this article is a theoretical study of the anthropological transformation of the modern idea of the human being, as well as of the phenomena of death and heroism in wartime. The relevance of this study is determined by the realities of the Russian-Ukrainian war and its influence on society. The results indicate that war is an integral phenomenon of civilization, which transforms the philosophical and anthropological meanings of social life during wartime and reshapes both personal and national identity through traumatic experience. The article argues that the identity of the Ukrainian nation is undergoing a rapid phase of existential and cultural metamorphosis, expressed through the perception of such phenomena as trauma, solidarity, dehumanization, and heroism. Together, these form a unique national and cultural code of resistance of both society and the state. This code is based on sacrifice as an act of conscious civic responsibility, on solidarity and partnership, on the sense of heroism, and on the humanization of life through the comprehension of personal and national death, as well as through a deepened awareness of freedom and the value of life. Death is characterized as the beginning of a new stage in the identification of both the individual and the people during wartime, while heroism is interpreted as the possibility of preserving life, protecting society, and establishing peace. Prospects for further research include a deeper exploration of the symbolism of the category of death in the life and folklore of the Ukrainian people.