THE PICTURE OF THE WORLD IN APHORISTICS BY STANISŁAW J. LETZ

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the axiology of dominants and worldview of Stanislaw Jerzy Letz, the article examines the features of the artist's world picture, which made a significant contribution to the world aphoristics of the twentieth century. The main factors that determined his ideological and artistic position are identified, and the philosophical nature of his work is emphasized. It is found out that the priorities for the writer are anthropocentric and ontological problems. In the center of the aphoristics by S. J. Letz an individual appears in their existential and axiological dimensions. Despite the dominant satirical pathos of the writer's work, the idea is proved that the positive programme of the thinker correlates with the moral foundations of life, with trust in a person. Humor and satire in the artistic system of Stanislaw Jerzy Letz become means of understanding the world and a kind of form of resistance against unacceptable reality. The role of cultural and historical memory, the connection of generations in overcoming universal evil is understood. There are selected concepts that identify the artist's world picture such as freedom, an individual, belief, time, law, history, a reason, power, an idea, and a word. The principles of the artistic structure of aphorisms are analyzed. Considerable attention is paid to the study of the means which allow one to get into the deep meaning of the utterances and expand their semantic capacity: paradoxical, metaphorical, parodic transformation, language play, associativity, oxymoronicity, and semantic shifts. The development of the concepts and vectors of intertextual connections, the features of their verbalization in the artist's world picture are considered on the specific examples. The complex system of internal overlaps between aphorisms is studied. They reflect various aspects of thought and illustrate its multidimensional nature, complexity of human existence, and at the same time encourage the reader to a dialogue and intensify their intellectual activity. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the genre specifics of Letz's aphoristic heritage, which, combining lyrical and satirical components, is distinguished by a philosophical view of the world. As a result of the study, it is claimed that the key to the author's picture of the world by Stanislaw Jerzy Letz is freedom as a philosophical and social category, freedom as a prerequisite for creativity.