A.N. Parshin (1942–2022): Volunteer of the Best

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the memory of Alexey Nikolaevich Parshin (1942–2022), an outstanding mathematician, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a scientist with universal interests, who devoted a lot of attention to general problems of science and culture. The author of the article uses the rich philosophical and theoretical heritage of A.N. Parshin, archival materials and personal memories. Initiator of the seminar on Russian philosophy, A.N. Parshin in his works on Russian philosophy traced in particular the theme of its inter­action with natural and exact sciences. The article shows that the axis of A.N. Parshin’s Weltanschauung was Christian Platonism, like that of Pavel A. Flo­rensky, whose work made an indelible impression on him and introduced him to the world of philosophy. The author of the article reveals the specifics of A.N. Parshin’s approach to the humanities, to the problem of the unity of knowl­edge and religious culture. Special author’s attention is paid to such a problem as that of cycles and rhythms in the structure of time, which combines the ideas of various sciences and cultural traditions. This problem was of particular interest to A.N. Parshin. The article also gives the general characteristic of the creative personality of A.N. Parshin, which is based on the concept of heroic philoso­phy, referring to the later stage of the philosophical evolution of F. Ravaisson, the French spiritualist, the predecessor of H. Bergson.