This paper argues that the foundation for Skovoroda’s philosophical evolution was laid by the elements of his existential experience: overcoming the fear of death; uncertainty of an individual’s existence in the world; friendship; a series of events in his social life, simultaneous to changes in his works. The most fundamental factor of this experience was Skovoroda’s Christian identity, particularly his continuous efforts to grasp the meaning of the most crucial dogma of Christian religion – the mystery of Resurrection.The totality of (...) these factors caused further development of Skovoroda’s doctrine. The article schematises the inner logic of this development as follows: discovery of the perspective of love, interpreted as being struck by divine beauty; interpretation of human condition as being on the edge of the created and the divine world; proper assessment of the fact that a human being discovers in its own essence the incorruptible beauty of divine image; comprehension of how love to this image arises; interpretation of man as a being that is capable to grasp the eternity of divine charity, and understand itself as a meta-historical entity that has its continuation in eternity.The existential experience brings Skovoroda to a unique and extremely powerful existential experience of the mystery of Cross, which causes a cathartic effect: having undergone the sufferings of the Cross, the material fire of human ἔρως transforms into the living water of divine ἀγάπη, and the confusion of a living creature lost in the world gives way to a tranquil wisdom of a heir of divine gifts and a friend of God. (shrink)

The article examines the metaphysical doctrine of being of the great Iranian philosopher and theologian Sadr ad-Din Shirazi, who fundamentally renewed philosophy in Islamic world. The following aspects of this doctrine are considered: primacy and hierarchy of being; the distinction between the concept of being and the reality of being; the difference between being and entity; the difference between being and quiddity. The article shows the similarity of Sadr ad-Din Shirazi’s doctrine and certain Thomas Aquinas’s conceptions, especially his doctrine of (...) the act of being. Both philosophers elaborated the ontological difference between being and entity. Therefore, they can not be included in the “oblivion of being” tradition which is the main feature of the history of European metaphysics, according to Martin Heidegger. (shrink)