‘ANATHEMA’ BY L. N. ANDREYEV AS THE BEGINNING OF EXISTENTIALISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

The article examines L. N. Andreyev’s drama ‘Anathema’ as a work that anticipated the ideas of existential philosophy of the 20th century. The purpose of the research is to analyze the philosophical issues of the play and reveal its existential potential, as well as to determine the place of the work in the context of the development of Russian existential literature. The scientific novelty of the work lies in unprecedented comprehensive analysis of the ontological and anthropological problems of the play ‘Anathema’ through the prism of existential philosophy. The study reveals parallels between Andreyev’s concept and the ideas of J.-P. Sartre, M. Merleau-Ponty, and A. Camus. The authors pay special attention to Andreyev’s original interpretation of the images of God and the Devil, as well as the problem of human freedom. The results of the research show that the drama ‘Anathema’ contains fundamental existential ideas about human freedom, relationship with the transcendental principle and other people. The authors conclude that Andreyev anticipated Sartre’s concept of being-for-others, Camus’ ideas of absurdity, and Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological approach. The play reveals a unique concept of human as a being capable, through bodily experience and perceptual knowledge, of gaining spiritual freedom and maintaining subjectivity in dialogue with the transcendent. The study makes a significant contribution to understanding the philosophical depth of L. N. Andreyev’s work and his role in the formation of the Russian existential tradition.