E. V. Iljenkov's Concept of Ideal (in the Light of 95th Anniversary of Philosopher's Birth)

This article focuses on thinking on E. V. Iljenkov’s theoretical heritage in the light of 95th anniversary of philosopher’s birth. Evald Vasiljevich Iljenkov is recognized with good reason as one of the most famous and reputable Russian philosophers of the soviet period that influenced the generation of the sixties. E. V. Iljenkov was the author of the so-called activity orientated concept of ideal, that became the theoretical core of his philosophical heritage. Considering Iljenkov’s concept of the ideal in historical-philosophical retrospective, as the author thinks, it should be recognized that the philosopher brings the problem of ideal to the categorial level of development. E. V. Iljenkov defines ideal as the subjective image of objective reality, after critical examination of all previous definitions of the phenomenon of ideal; it is carried out directly as a way, form of engagement of human as a social being. Ideal in the conception of E. V. Iljenkov is directed to changing the image of the object and acts as the inner needs of human; ideal is the purpose that directs and regulates objective-real person’s activity as well; ideal grows from reality through ‘desobjectivation’ in work, not via the act of contemplation. These are axioms of Iljenkov’s concept of ideal covered in this article, that was upheld by a philosopher in polemics with representatives of informational (D. I. Dubrovsky) and ‘ontognoseological’ (M. A. Lifshits) concepts of ideal, that developed in the Russian philosophy of the Soviet period. Exactly the activity orientated approach, which was fruitfully used by E. V. Iljenkov in the analysis of the problem of ideal, has its rebirth in the modern philosophy. It acts as the methodological basis of the modern concept of constructive realism (V. A. Lectorsky), that has great heuristic potential towards many problems of the epistemology, bringing new perspectives in its studying. E. V. Iljenkov’s philosophical heritage is still actual, his ideas are directed to the future.