Social Criticism of Acquisitiveness in the Works of Hryhorii Skovoroda as a Historical Dimension of Anti-Corruption Thought

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to provide a comprehensive historical and philosophical analysis of the social criticism of acquisitiveness in the works of Hryhorii Skovoroda as a component of the historical dimension of anti-corruption thought within the Ukrainian intellectual tradition. The research is based on a combination of general scientific and special historical methods, including the historical-philosophical, hermeneutic, historical-comparative, historical-genetic, and problem-chronological methods, as well as elements of intellectual history, which made it possible to reveal the meaning of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s ethical concepts in the context of the socio-political transformations of the second half of the eighteenth century.

The study examines the historical and socio-cultural factors that shaped the philosopher’s worldview and analyses his social criticism of acquisitiveness, greed, vanity, the pursuit of unjust enrichment, and the abuse of power, reflected in his fables, dialogues, parables, and philosophical writings. It has been established that although the concept of «corruption» in its modern sense is absent from Skovoroda’s vocabulary, his moral and ethical views possess a distinct anti-corruption potential based on the condemnation of personal gain, the cult of wealth, and the pursuit of power. Particular attention is paid to the concept of «congenial work» (srodna pratsia), which is substantiated as an ethical alternative to social practices grounded in careerism, acquisitiveness, and unjust enrichment. It is demonstrated that the principle of aligning professional activity with an individual’s natural vocation creates the moral prerequisites for integrity in public service and minimizes the risks of corrupt practices. The article argues that the anti-corruption meanings embedded in Hryhorii Skovoroda’s intellectual legacy are non-institutional in nature and are based on the principles of inner freedom, moral self-regulation, personal responsibility, and service to the common good.

It is concluded that the social critique of acquisitiveness in the philosopher’s works constitutes an important historical source for the formation of the Ukrainian tradition of integrity and represents a significant scholarly contribution to contemporary historical, philosophical, and interdisciplinary studies on anti-corruption culture, public service ethics, and the intellectual history of Ukraine.