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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

149979

Iconic wonder

Pavel Florensky's phenomenology of the face

Alexander Kozin

pp. 293-308

Abstract

The key focus of this essay is the experience of encountering divine wonder in things. The examination of the divine encounter is staged against the phenomenological backdrop. Specifically, the concept of the divine wonder is taken in its original, Husserlian, definition as Verwunderung and is traced via Levinas and his concept of face (le visage) to the early 20th century Russian philosopher, Pavel Florensky (1882–1943), whose 1922 essay "Iconostasis" approaches divine representation (лuк) in icon painting explicitly and consistently as a phenomenon of wonder. More broadly, by connecting Florensky and his work to the phenomenological project at large, this essay aspires to show that the early 20th century Russian contributions to phenomenological thought go beyond adaptations and simulations of the traditional phenomenological prolegomena toward highly original philosophical encounters.

Publication details

Published in:

(2007) Studies in East European Thought 59 (4).

Pages: 293-308

DOI: 10.1007/s11212-007-9035-6

Full citation:

Kozin Alexander (2007) „Iconic wonder: Pavel Florensky's phenomenology of the face“. Studies in East European Thought 59 (4), 293–308.