Merab Mamardashvili (Georgian: მერაბ მამარდაშვილი, September 15, 1930 – November 25, 1990) was a Soviet philosopher. Doctor of Philosophy (1970), professor (1972). Professor at Moscow State University.

Biography

He was born into a Georgian family. His father was a career military man, Konstantin Nikolaevich Mamardashvili (d. 1970), and his mother, Ksenia Platonovna, came from the old Georgian aristocratic family of Garsevanishvili. M.K. Mamardashvili considered Lechkhumi to be his small homeland. Since childhood, he spoke Georgian, Russian and English fluently, and later independently mastered German, French, Italian and Spanish, and could also speak Greek and Czech.

He spent his childhood before the Great Patriotic War in the Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa, where his father served, where Merab went to first grade; before that, the family lived in Leningrad, where the head of the family studied at the Military-Political Academy in 1934-1938, and after that — in Kiev. After the war began, Konstantin Nikolaevich went to the front, and the family was evacuated to Tbilisi. Here, M.K. Mamardashvili studied at the 14th secondary school and graduated in 1949 with a gold medal. He entered the philosophy department of Moscow State University, which he graduated in 1954. The beginning of M.K. Mamardashvili’s friendship with Ernst Neizvestny dates back to the time of entering the university.

In the early 1950s, a number of heated debates on current philosophical issues related to the death of I. V. Stalin took place in Moscow. A number of informal groups emerged at the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University, which played an important role in the development of philosophical thought in the USSR, including the so-called group of gnoseologists (E. V. Ilyenkov, V. I. Korovikov, etc.) and the Moscow Logical (later Methodological) Circle (A. A. Zinoviev, B. A. Grushin, M. K. Mamardashvili, G. P. Shchedrovitsky, etc.). M. Mamardashvili was one of the founders of the Moscow Logical Circle.

In his fourth year, M. K. Mamardashvili failed the exam on the political economy of socialism. The newspaper «Moscow University» reported on January 6, 1953: «The excellent student Mamardashvili was unable to correctly understand the question of the dual nature of peasant farming.» Already during his studies at the university, he was interested in human consciousness; the nature of thinking is a recurring theme of his philosophy. Under the supervision of T. I. Oizerman, he defended his diploma thesis «The Problem of the Historical and the Logical in Marx’s Capital.»

In May 1954, a discussion was held on the «Gnoseological Theses» of Ilyenkov and Korovikov. The final formation of the «dialectical easel painters» circle took place (A. A. Zinoviev, B. A. Grushin, G. P. Shchedrovitsky, M. K. Mamardashvili).

In 1954-1957 he studied at the postgraduate school of Moscow State University, and during those years he participated in the work of the logical-methodological seminar under the supervision of A. A. Zinoviev.

After completing his postgraduate studies, he worked as an editor-consultant in the journal Voprosy Filosofii, where his first article, «Processes of Analysis and Synthesis» (1958), was published. In 1961, he defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of philosophical sciences at the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the topic «Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Doctrine of the Forms of Knowledge». At the same time, he joined the CPSU.

In 1961, the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPSU sent Mamardashvili to Prague to work for the journal Problemy Mira i Sotsializma, where he was the head of the criticism and bibliography department (1961-1966); the philosopher spoke about this period of his life in one of his many interviews during the perestroika era). At that time, he read the cycle of novels by M. Proust «In Search of Lost Time», which played a significant role in his further work. He went on business trips to Italy, the FRG, the GDR, Cyprus. Then there was a refusal to extend the business trip to Paris, Mamardashvili was recalled to Moscow, becoming «barred from leaving the country» for several years.

Mamardashvili worked in research institutes in Moscow, including in 1966-1969, he headed a department at the Institute of the International Labor Movement of the USSR Academy of Sciences, together with such philosophers as P. P. Gaidenko, Yu. In 1968-1974, he was deputy editor-in-chief of the journal Voprosy Filosofii (Problems of Philosophy) under I. T. Frolova, at the latter’s invitation. At the same time, he lectured at the Psychology Department of Moscow State University (Problems of Consciousness Analysis). Mamardashvili’s friendship with Yuri Senokosov and Alexander Pyatigorsky began at that time. M.K. Mamardashvili also lectured at the Institute of Cinematography, at the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors, at the Institute of General and Educational Psychology of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, and in other cities — in Riga, Vilnius, Rostov-on-Don, at the invitation or recommendation of friends. These lectures, or conversations, as he called them, mostly recorded on tape, formed the basis of his creative legacy.

In 1970, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Tbilisi State University on the topic of «Forms and Content of Thinking», and two years later he was awarded the title of professor. In 1970-1971, he lectured for foreign students at the Institute of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU.

In August 1973, he gave a report «Science and Values ​​- Infinite and Finite» at a round table on the topic of «Science, Ethics, Humanism».

In 1976, he presented a report entitled “The Obligation of Form” at a round table organized by the journal “Problems of Philosophy” on the topic of “Interaction of Science and Art in the Context of the Scientific and Technological Revolution.”

In 1974–1980, he was a senior research fellow at the Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. At that time, he lectured on the topics:

“Problems of the Analysis of Consciousness” (Institute of General and Educational Psychology of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences)
“Introduction to Philosophy” (1978-1980) (VGIK)
“Modern European Philosophy: 20th Century” (1978-1980) (VGIK)
“Lectures on Ancient Philosophy” (1979-1980) (VGIK)
“Philosophy of Art” (Higher Directing Courses)
“Analytics of Cognitive Forms and the Ontology of Consciousness” (1979-1980) (Riga, Rostov-on-Don, Vilnius).
In 1980, M.K. Mamardashvili moved to Tbilisi, Georgia, at the invitation of the Director of the Institute of Philosophy of the Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, Academician Niko Chavchavadze. He worked at this institute as a chief research fellow (until 1990) and gave lectures and special courses, including on Descartes, Kant, Proust and phenomenology, at Tbilisi State University, at the Union of Graduate Students of Georgia, and at the Theatre Institute. He was also a research fellow at the Institute of General and Pedagogical Psychology. He conducted seminars in Tbilisi, Borjomi and other cities of Georgia. Friends, meetings, conversations — all this was, as a rule, in a narrow, almost homely circle. But even then, Mamardashvili was a philosopher with a world-famous name. In 1981-1982 he gave lecture courses:

on the philosophy of Descartes («Cartesian Meditations»), published in 1993 and on the philosophy of Kant («Kantian Variations»), published in 1997 (Moscow, Institute of General and Educational Psychology of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences; lectures for postgraduates of the IOPP and VNII);
the first course of lectures on Proust (Tbilisi State University);
speeches at seminars and schools of the Interdepartmental Council on the Problem of «Consciousness», created by the State Committee for Science and Technology of the USSR and the Council of Ministers of the USSR.
In 1983 he gave a report at the Second All-Union School on the Problems of Understanding Consciousness («Classical and Non-Classical Ideal of Rationality»).

In 1984:

gave a course of lectures «Experience of Physical Metaphysics» (Vilnius);
published a book in Tbilisi «Classical and Non-Classical Ideal of Rationality»;
gave a second course of lectures on Proust (Tbilisi State University), on the basis of which the book «Psychological Topology of the Path: M. Proust, «In Search of Lost Time»» was created and published;
gave a report at the Third All-Union School on the Problems of Understanding Consciousness «Consciousness and Civilization» in Batumi, in February he gave a report «Literary Criticism as an Act of Reading» at a round table on the topic «Literature and Literary and Artistic Criticism in the Context of Philosophy and Social Science», organized by the journal «Problems of Philosophy».
In 1986, M.K. Mamardashvili acted as the host from the Soviet side (participants — R.A. Bykov, R.A. Medvedev and Yu.A. Levada) in the teleconference «Moscow — Boston» between Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and Tufts University on the topic «The Nuclear Age. Culture and the Bomb». The American side was represented by Martin Sherwin (host), Kurt Vonnegut, Edgar Doctorow and Robert Lifton.

In 1986-1987, a course of lectures on the aesthetics of thinking (Tbilisi State University) (published in the books «Conversations on Thinking» (1991); «Aesthetics of Thinking», 2000).

In 1986, he gave a report «Organs of Ontology» at the Institute of Philosophy in Moscow.

In 1987, he made his first trip abroad after a twenty-year break, to Italy. In the same year, he gave reports at the Fourth All-Union School on the Problem of Consciousness and at the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the topic of «The Problem of Consciousness and Philosophical Vocation».

In 1987-1990, he took an active part in the political life of Georgia, speaking out against the nationalism and extremism of Zviad Gamsakhurdia. In his interview «I Believe in Common Sense» in 1990, he said: «If my people choose Gamsakhurdia, then I will have to go against my own people in terms of my views and sentiments. I do not want to believe it»

In 1988:

took part in the conference «Man of Europe» in Paris;
took part in the Dortmund Conference in the USA;
in December, he gave a report «Phenomenology — an accompanying moment of any philosophy» at the round table «Phenomenology and its role in modern philosophy».
In April 1989, he suffered a heart attack. In November, he gave a series of lectures in Paris.

In 1990, he took part in the Caucasus-Central Asia Conference in London and gave a lecture tour of the United States.

He died on November 25, 1990, of a heart attack in the Vnukovo Airport terminal, heading to Tbilisi to participate in the final round of the Georgian presidential election campaign. By that time, he was the main opponent of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who later won the presidential election. He was buried in Tbilisi at the Saburtalo Cemetery, next to his father’s grave.

Family
Wife — Nina Filippovna, née Mordasova, mathematics teacher, programmer
Daughter Elena (born 1959).

Views
Like many philosophers since Aristotle, Mamardashvili saw the meaning of life in self-realization, in «being fulfilled as a Man.» As a figurative explanation of what he means, he uses the biblical phrase about man as the «image and likeness of God», but he uses it symbolically, in a humanistic spirit (bringing to the forefront, like Kant, the «dignity of man»). Mamardashvili describes man as «a being whose emergence is continually renewed» (autopoiesis). In his opinion, man is characterized by feeling himself «unique, irreplaceable, not superfluous». He calls the identification of the real state of affairs with the «walking ideal» a «fatal error» of thinking. Mamardashvili saw the nature of social evil in infantilism as «the underdevelopment of social matter».

Understanding his «living philosophy» requires the reader to work on himself. This is largely presented in the posthumous «decoding» of his ideas, which are presented in audio recordings of lectures, in interviews for magazines and television, in reports at various conferences and round tables.

M.K. Mamardashvili sometimes called his philosophizing «Socratic», meaning not only the dialogic nature, but also the fact that he did not leave a written legacy. At that time, he gave many lectures (including on R. Descartes, I. Kant, M. Proust, problems of understanding consciousness, etc.) at universities in the Soviet Union (Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Tbilisi, Riga, Vilnius) and abroad (France, Germany, USA). During his lifetime, his works were almost never published «for ideological reasons», and in many ways for this reason he wrote comparatively little.

Definition of Philosophy

As a philosopher, Mamardashvili insists that there is “real philosophy” and there are philosophical systems. Real philosophy is the problems that philosophy deals with, listed in the definitions below.

Philosophy is: “consciousness out loud”;
an act that consists in recognizing what is in reality; philosophy is a part of our life, our ability to establish what is actually happening, including in relation to what we feel. In other words, philosophy allows us to understand what our feelings will be like after we have established what our feelings really mean (from “Lectures on Proust”);
one of the tools of human self-construction. According to Mamardashvili, man is an extra-natural, supernatural entity that cannot be reduced to natural forces and, accordingly, cannot be expressed in terms of natural forces. The main thing is that man develops himself, and he does not need nature for this. Nature is the subject of his activity;
the doctrine of being as an explanation of why the world is exactly as it is, why man exists, why there is precisely such a relationship between man and the world;
the doctrine of thinking: Mamardashvili proceeds from the identity of being and thinking. Since man is a thinking being, and being is where a thinking being is and acts, then there is no difference, being is the existence of a thinking man;
the doctrine of the mystery of being: the main mystery of being is conscience, the presence of ethical relationships; therefore, the distinction between good and evil is the core of philosophy;
the doctrine of freedom and its conditions;
hygiene, which is necessary when understanding ignorance, as a way of allowing a person, under the conditions of the colossal pressure of the ignorance surrounding him, not to succumb to it and not go crazy;
«experience machine» as a schematism of explaining meaning;
philosophy as a doctrine of eternal problems: in this sense, the subject of philosophy is itself.
Criticism
In Alexander Zinoviev’s novel «Yawning Heights» Merab Mamardashvili is depicted satirically in the image of the Thinker.

Mamardashvili’s political views have received varying assessments. Thus, candidate of philosophical sciences Yu. V. Pushchaev believes that:
The main problematic of Mamardashvili’s Vilnius lectures is the integral inclusion of consciousness in the socio-historical order, as well as the understanding of consciousness as a necessary condition of this order, since for the author as a phenomenologist «the element of consciousness is inescapable from social and historical phenomena …» <…> However, the idea of ​​representation in such a semantic context is unlikely to be accepted by a bearer of religious consciousness.

Memory

On May 26, 2000, on Georgia’s Independence Day, a monument to M.K. Mamardashvili by Ernst Neizvestny was unveiled on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. In 2001, a monument to M.K. Mamardashvili was erected in Tbilisi. The portrait-monument was commissioned by the country’s government. In fact, it is a gift to Georgia in memory of a friend from the sculptor Ernst Neizvestny.

In 2010, a stele with a sculptural portrait of M.K. Mamardashvili was installed at the entrance to Gori.

The M.K. Mamardashvili Philosophical and Interdisciplinary Research Foundation was established, which has been holding philosophical readings annually since 1992.

Main Works

The process of analysis and synthesis (1958) («Процессы анализа и синтеза»)
Forms and Contents of Thinking (1968) (Формы и содержание мышления)
Converted form [1970] («Форма превращенная» — article for the Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Symbol and Consciousness (Символ и сознание), (1974), together with A. Piatigorsky (published 1982)
The Problem of Objective Method in Psychology (1977)
The Arrow of Cognition (1978)
Classic and Non-classic Ideals of Rationality (1984) (Классические и неклассические идеалы рациональности)
Phenomenology and its Role in Contemporary Philosophy (1988)
How Do I Understand Philosophy? (1990) (Как я понимаю философию)
Kantian Themes (1990) («Кантианские вариации», published 1991 in the philosophical almanac «Quintessence» p. 120-158)
Conscious and the Philosophical Calling (1988)
Cartesian Meditations[1986] (published 1993) (Картезианские размышления)
Aesthetics of Thinking [1987] (published 1993) («Эстетика мышления»)
Psychological Topology of Path (Lectures on Proust) [1981] (published 1997) (Психологическая топология пути (Лекции о Прусте))

Documentaries

Socrates in a duel (dir. Tamara Dularidze)
Georgian Kant (dir. Olga Rolengoff)
The way home (dir. Nikolai Drozdov)
Time of Merab (dir. Olesya Fokina)
Merab Mamardashvili (dir. Valery Balayan)