The concept of conscience in Iskander’s later work

Abstract

Many researchers have noted the humanistic orientation of Iskander’s works. One of the key concepts in his work is the concept of conscience. The article aims to characterize the specific features of the concept of «conscience» in the collections of notes and essays published by Iskander during the post-Soviet period of his career. Conscience, according to Iskander, is not solely related to God, as for example, Berdyaev believed. It is also in general irrational, as it can replace intelligence and even limit knowledge. The flammability is one of the most recurring features of conscience in his works. That is, Iskander notes both the creative and destructive power of conscience. He gives an interpretation of conscience as the foundation for the soul. Iskander sees in conscience a symbiotic creature assigned to animals by God, from which humans evolved. It is also worth noting that the concept of the state of conscience may have been influenced by Darwin’s ethical ideas. If one considers Struve’s classification, then Iskander could be classified as a subjectivist or idealist. It is interesting to note that Iskander’s descriptions are not particularly imaginative, but when he does use metaphors, he often fails to maintain a consistent figurative language. It reflects not only Iskander’s own associative and fragmented thinking, but also his lack of coherence in his writing.