Conceptual Worldview in the Works of Ukrainian Writers: The Renaissance Creativity

Abstract

This study explores the peculiar features of the conceptual worldview of Ukrainian writers active during the Renaissance (late 15th-16th centuries). Its ultimate goal resides in analyzing the most common interpretations of the concepts of history, state, freedom, ruler, and war by authors working on the territory of Ukraine during the Renaissance period and defining the conceptual ideas represented by these concepts. The relevance of this research is explained by the fact that the Renaissance authors appeal to the concepts significant for any epoch. The specifics of the interpretation of history and its representation in the artistic perceptions of the authors of this period are based on an authentic tradition, the European Renaissance trends, and the revival of ancient heritage. In general, the study is grounded on the semantic-cognitive analysis of the works of Renaissance representatives working on the that-time territory of Ukraine (Adam Chagrovsky, Mikolaj Hussowski, Martin Pashkovsky, Sebastian Klonowic, Szymon Pekala, Maciej Stryjkowski, and Stanislaw Orikhovsky). The conceptual fields of each concept selected for analysis were developed in accordance with the individuality of the notions by which Renaissance authors described them. In sum, this paper argues that the worldview of Ukrainian Renaissance litterateurs is characterized by the awareness of the sociopolitical and cultural-literary need to write about history, its role, and place in the context of world processes. No less critical here is their understanding of the mission of personality in history and the analysis of the activities of historical figures and the reality of that time. Thus, the work of Renaissance authors is predominantly characterized by an expressive anthropocentric, humanistic, and patriotic direction. The practical significance of this research lies in the possibility of applying the semantic-cognitive approach to the analysis of leading concepts in Renaissance creativity.