Our contemporary philosopher Reeds came to philosophy from mathematics. He is not just a philosopher, but continues the dynasty of Orthodox Russian philosophers, including P.A. Florensky, N.A. Berdyaev, V.V. Rozanov, and at a later time P. Florensky, A.F. Losev, S. S. Averintsev and others.
Orthodox philosophy as a bright direction appeared in the 19th century and does not lose relevance today. Orthodox philosophers try to answer the questions that we most often ask ourselves throughout our lives. Especially when problems lead us into a dead end.
Philosopher from the capital
Vitaly Nikolayevich Trostnikov was born in 1928. He lived all his life in Moscow, where he was born, with the exception of the war period. In 2017, the writer passed away. It happened on September 29th. Reed was 90 years old.
After Trostnikov, numerous works remained. Of the most frequently quoted books by Viktor Nikolayevich Trostnikov - “Who are we?”, “Orthodox civilization”, “Faith and Reason”, “Thoughts before dawn”, “Thoughts before sunset”, published in 2015. Thoughts Before Sunset won the Golden Delvig Literature Prize.
From mathematics to philosophers
What brought mathematics to philosophy? Viktor Nikolaevich graduated from the Physics and Technology Department of Moscow State University, received the title of Associate Professor, and taught.
At the age of 42, he defended his Ph.D. thesis with brilliance. Not on mathematical topics, but in the field of philosophical sciences.
How to become a dissident
In 1980, his first book was published. The first of those that the author devoted to the problems of religion in modern life, "Thoughts Before Dawn." In it, he discusses the theory of Darwinism, the higher industry, what science achieved when he went in his explanations about the creation of the world by the ancient Greek method: to understand the truth, you need to bring the initial data to the point of absurdity.
Viktor Nikolaevich reasonedly analyzes Darwinism and its problems, also writes about the origin of atheism in the 19th century. The book was published in Paris, and this was enough to become a dissident.
Mathematicians, they have been looking for a solution to formulas all their lives. What formula prompted Trostnikov to the divine? What topic took him from the history of mathematics and logic to God? After all, abandoning the usual way of life, the mathematician was recorded as a dissident, lost his job at the department.
For the sake of his beloved business, Reeds was ready to accept hardships. Having lost his position at the university, he worked as a watchman. Up until perestroika.
But, having gone into laborers, he continued to write about faith and the meaning of life. To this period of life refers to "Dismissal." In this work, the author reflects on the prospects for the spiritual development of the country.
Reeds is friends and communicates with many famous representatives of the scientific and cultural intelligentsia of that time. In a journalistic story, he talks about his meetings and friendship with Vladimir Vysotsky.
Viktor Nikolaevich met him at meetings of writers from the Metropol almanac. This work is the texts of such famous writers as E. Rein, B. Akhmadulina, A. Voznesensky, V. Vysotsky, Yu. Karabchievsky and others. These authors were rarely printed or not printed at all. The collection was published by samizdat in the amount of 12 journals.
New creative life
Since the 90s. Viktor Nikolaevich has often been published in various periodicals, his books are published.
For many years, he served as professor at the University of Orthodoxy.
If the first book devoted to philosophical problems was called “Thoughts Before Dawn”, then the last book of Viktor Nikolaevich Trostnikov is called “Thoughts Before Dusk”. The author throws the bridge between the beginning of a philosophical career and the end of his life's journey. However, after “Thoughts Before Sunset”, Reeds managed to finish the really last book - “After the Written”. It was created during 2016, and a book was published in the winter of next year.
Victor Nikolaevich Trostnikov's work “Thoughts before the Sunset” begins with a quotation from Blessed Augustine: “If I understand the time, I will understand everything.”
History as God's Providence
Viktor Nikolaevich Trostnikov was also published in a collection devoted to one topic - historiosophy and reflection on history. The collection is called History as the Providence of God. Under the same cover here are the historiosophical reflections of Orthodox thinkers G. M. Shimanov, V. Yu. Katasonov (international economist) and V. N. Trostnikov (Orthodox thinker, writer, one of the ideologists of the Russian national revival). All works are united by an attempt to understand the meaning of universal history and, in more detail, Russian history. “History as the Divine Providence” by Viktor Trostnikov was born in 2014.
In the texts, Viktor Trostnikov reflects on the universe, the modern problems of civilization from the perspective of Orthodoxy. Reeds dreamed that those who live in Russia would know the history of the country and embark on the path leading to God. The path, according to the philosopher, lost by Western civilization and therefore doomed to destruction.
One of the favorite topics of Viktor Nikolayevich Trostnikov is the philosophy of history, reflections on it from the point of view of Orthodoxy. Books such as The Way of Russia in the 20th Century, Having Life, Returned to Death, God in Russian History, Orthodox Civilization, Earthly and Heavenly Russia, and Being Russian are Our Fate are dedicated to this idea. .
Philosophical talk
Acquaintances of Viktor Nikolaevich note his encyclopedic mind, excellent knowledge of the subject and tell that Reeds knew how to captivate with stories on the history of people of different ages and easily captured the attention of children.
The program “Philosophical Conversation” was also popular, where Viktor N. Trostnikov conducted philosophical conversations, talking about famous thinkers of mankind.
The central idea of Trostnikov was that history is written to us from above. And the multipolarity of civilizations is an element of divine design. And that God's business, despite the cataclysms, saves the Orthodox country from destruction.