His Character, His Deeds and Passions, His Search for the Meaning of Life": Understanding of man in the essays of Victor Astafiev in 1960 - early 1980s

The paper presents an analysis of the views of Victor Astafiev оп man, their nature and being in the world expressed in the essays of 1960 - early 1980s. The analysis shows an unexpected result - the triviality of the author's conception of man in comparison with the artistic expression known to us. This paradox is explained, first, by the originality of the thought of the writer who acts at this stage primarily as an artist; second - by the didactic purpose of his essays. The increasing complexity of the concept of man by the 1980s is associated with increased essayism when works gradually become a full-fledged form of ideological reflection. Understanding of man in Astafiev's essays is based on the idea of the uniqueness of each person. Simultaneously, the writer realized people's general similarity. On the one hand, each person has character, feelings and thoughts, makes acts, and is conceptualized as a unique entity that cannot be reduced to universal schemes and laws. On the other hand, when understanding the phenomenon of individuality in the aspects of the structure of its attributes and genesis factors, Astafiev is forced to address the issue of human nature. In the phenomenally unique, the general and the typical features common to all people are traced. The main basis of man's nature is feelings. This is the primary - unconscious, natural - form of man's attitude to the world which determines all the other, directs the thoughts and actions of a person. Obviously, Astafiev idealizes human feelings and does not consider negative emotional conditions. At the same time, in the reflections of the early 1960s, he sets the opposition of feelings and reason, emotions and consciousness, notes the dramatic non-integrity of a person which hinders their harmonious existence in the world. Man's thinking is directed at overcoming the contradictions of human existence.

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