Individualism in Karel Vorovka’s Scepsis and Gnosis

The article traces elements of individualism in Skepsis and Gnosis, the main work of the Czech mathematician and philosopher Karel Vorovka (1879–1929). The goal is to describe the specific form in which individualism manifests itself in Vorovka’s thinking and how it differs from radical individualism, as described by Masaryk in his Humanistic Ideals. For this purpose, the article presents an analysis of two main concepts of Vorovka’s work – the concepts of conviction and gnosis. The purpose of conviction is to differentiate the philosopher from the rest of the society by creating his identity and “sealing it” in front of both himself and other people, and for this reason the author considers it an individualistic theme. Gnosis is Vorovka’s method of how one can achieve an authentic conviction, which is by committing individual acts of faith and by attempting autognosis – mystic attempts at attaining self-knowledge. In the final section, Vorovka’s individualistic position is analysed as diverging from the position of radical individualism, which Masaryk in his Humanistic Ideals practically equates with solipsism and ethical egoism.