The epoch of cynicism and its critics In Krytyka, No. 10 (72), 2003, pp. 11-14.

The article is a review of the book by Peter Sloterdijk «Critique of cynical reason» (trans. from. German by Andrii Bohachov, Kyiv: Tandem, 2002). The author analyses Sloterdijk’s philosophical conception ant distinguishes two poles, that stand in opposition to idealism and through which the history of philosophy is interpreted. These poles are: cynicism as a philosophy of life in times of crisis for ordinary people and cynicism as a philosophy of the ruling classes, manifested in ideology and masquerade. Hennadii Aliaiev pays particular attention to the critique of the Enlightenment, which transformed from excessive rationalism into the cynicism of the authorities and society, particularly in the spheres of education and politics.

The article also compares Sloterdijk's concept of cynicism with the realities of Soviet and post-Soviet Ukraine and proposes an alternative to cynicism in the form of Christian realism.

This article is a review of Peter Sloterdijk's work Critique of Cynical Reason (translated from German by Andrii Bohachov, Kyiv: Tandem, 2002). The author examines Sloterdijk's philosophical concept, highlighting two opposing poles that emerge as alternatives to idealistic thinking and determine a specific perspective for interpreting the history of philosophy. The first of these, cynicism, appears as a philosophy of life in times of crisis, characteristic of the common people, while the second, cynicism, is interpreted as the philosophy of the “master,” embodied in ideological forms and masquerade culture.

Hennadii Aliaiev pays special attention to the criticism of the Enlightenment, which, in his opinion, has undergone a transformation from rationalist enthusiasm to the cynicism of power and society, particularly in the educational and political spheres.

The review also compares Sloterdijk's concept of cynicism with the sociocultural realities of Soviet and post-Soviet Ukraine, and proposes the concept of Christian realism as a possible alternative to a cynical worldview.