Formation of Ukrainian Civilizational Identity: An Interdisciplinary Discourse

In: Ukrai͏̈noznavstvo, Heft 1(78), S. 12-28

Open Access

Abstract

Taking into account the methodology of Ukrainian and interdisciplinary studies, the available research on the theory and practice of identification processes, the article considers the phenomenon of civilizational identity of Ukrainians, its origins, formation, and current state from the standpoint of civilizational, anthropological, and sociocultural approaches. The concept of "civilizational identity" indicates the affiliation of an individual, ethnic group, or state to a particular civilization and is interpreted as a set of symbols, ideas, feelings, and self-awareness of their belonging to the Ukrainian cultural and civilizational community, which is based on national and universal values within the space of European civilizations and interaction with them.
The author analyzes theoretical and methodological foundations of civilizational identity presented in the works by A. Bergson, M. Weber, К. Wolf, S. Huntington, E. Gellner, I. Hoffmann, E. Husserl, J. Derrida, K. Eder, E. Erikson, G. Simmel, A. Camus, E. Cassier, A. Kuna, K. Levi-Strauss, G. Rickert, E. Smith, A. Toynbee, S. Freud, C. Jung, K. Jaspers, and others. He considers its Ukrainian features and structure: ethnic, national, cultural, religious, political, civic, European, and other components, shown in connection with the mentality and global nature against the background of historical progress and post-Soviet transformations, beginning from the Middle Ages, Kyivan Rus, the Renaissance, modernism and ending with postmodernism; emphasizes the historical mission of Ukrainian Cossacks as a national carrier of a new identity, tracks civilizational self-determination of the Ukrainian identity at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, as well as the role of consciousness, social psychology, and the national idea in the civilizational transformation of identity; highlights the causes of the identity crisis and schism in the conditions of totalitarianism, its devastating consequences for the identification process of Ukrainians in general.
The main focus is put on the study of the specifics of the civilizational identity formation in the conditions of independence of Ukraine; the role of its components – ethnic, religious, national, civic, and European; the contribution of T. Bevz, T. Voropaieva, M. Kozlovets, I. Kutsyi, L. Nahorna, M. Obushnyi, Yu. Pavlenko, Yu. Polishchuk, M. Popovych, O. Rafalskyi, V. Tkachenko, M. Shulha, M. Yurii, and others to the study of key aspects of the problem; the influence on the civilizational identification processes, European integration, and globalization of the modern world, Revolution of dignity, democratization of the society, interethnic relations, aggressive policy of Russia. The article highlights ways to preserve Ukrainian identity in the alien environment, the role of Ukrainians abroad in shaping civilizational identity.
Significant attention is paid to the importance of Ukrainian studies as an academic synthesis of historical, philosophical, ethnological, cultural, and psychological knowledge in the elaboration of scholarly bases for building the civilizational identity and summarizing the relevant accumulated practical experience. A number of proposals have been made to further research the problem, increasing the role of the state and civil society in activating the civilizational identification of Ukrainians and their prospects.