«ВИДИМІСТЬ» І «ВИДІННЯ» У СЕРЕДНЬОВІЧНІЙ ФІЛОСОФІЇ: КОНТЕКСТ МІСТИЧНОГО

The article examines the problem of visual perception in medieval 
philosophy, which demonstrates a position in relation to the vision and sight of Divine Light and Divine Wisdom in the philosophy of great thinkers of that period. 
John Scott Eriugenа, claims the author, all concrete things as the epiphany 
(theophany) appear as a certain visibility, which hides the spiritual foundation that 
is not accessible to the eyes. Man is able to see only that God, which fills the created 
world of life. For Anselm of Canterbury, God is unattainable to human eyes; we can 
only perceive God rationally, through thinking. Tomas Aquinas points to the role of 
images as a useful tool in the education of believers. For medieval researchers, it 
is indicated in the article, the fact was that visual perception laid the foundation 
for our knowledge of material things. According to Robert Grosseteste, God creates 
light, and geometric laws of light propagation are constructive laws of the universe, 
available to human cognition.
Along with this approach, the peculiar discovery of the visual tradition finds 
in the philosophers who were guided by the mystical perception of God. From 
Meister Eckhart’s point of view, the mystic must contradict the attachment to 
any quinquinal representations of God. Only under this condition one can reach 
the possibilities of his inner contemplation, and thereby achieve unity with God. 
Therefore, mysticism is characterized by visions, which are a means of expressing 
of religious experiences that outweigh any familiar concept. The nature of mystical 
sights and visions, according to the author, due to the features of religious tradition. 
The domination of the mystical vision is inherent in monotheistic religions.
So medieval visuality is based on the ancient tradition of understanding the role 
of sight and vision in cognition. Based on this approach, the Augustinian tradition 
of illumination and the religious-metaphysical “vision” and “contemplation” is 
formed. In Augustinianism, Christ is called the “Light”, because it illuminates 
every person; the same person can return or turn away from the Light. On 
these ontological assumptions, the “theory of illumination” is built up, and it 
had a significant impact on medieval metaphysics and on the visual paradigm. 
The main task of medieval visualism is the desire to reach the level of spiritual 
«enlightenment» in which a believer can «see with the «intelligent eyes» the Divine 
Light. Due to this, illusions and obstacles on the way of spiritual contemplation 
are overcome. Medieval visualism opens the possibilities of both transcendental 
and transcendental contemplation. On this basis, the tradition of mystical and 
philosophical contemplation of God is formed.