THE PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEM OF CONSTANTINE THE PHILOSOPHER (I)

Christian saint and missionary Constantine with monastic name Kyrill has an attribute The Philosopher. Appellative form of the word 'philosopher' ranks his personality of extraordinary significance to the world of philosophers. In this study we systematically try to determine what is meant by the concept 'philosopher' in the light of biblical texts, in the descriptions of the church fathers and the Christian writers until the 9th century and in the church service of the Eastern Church. All these are namely the sources of an educational and a spiritual formation of his personality. Inomissible is Constantine's lifelong desire for a monastic life 'similar to that of angels', which he managed to fulfil only at the end of his life. We try to find the profile of his philosophy in the opposition between the philosophy of the temporal world (antic philosophy), knowledge of God that allows anabasis directing to God, and the philosophy of the heavenly world (bios angelikos, foolery for Christ, Hagia Sofia) that represents the cathabasis of Logos.