Ukraine begins with you: a student scientific-methodical seminar dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence

 Freedom is a fundamental characteristic of human existence, because freedom is not what people possess, but what they are in essence. As a universal characteristic of human existence, freedom refers to a person's ability to choose and control his being. Independence Day is the most important national holiday in most countries of the world, which expresses the expression of freedom for its citizens. Ukraine is no exception: August 24 is the main national holiday.

   30 years ago, on August 24, 1991, at an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR, the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine was adopted and an All-Ukrainian referendum was announced. This fateful decision marked the beginning of a new stage in modern Ukrainian history.
   To the 30th anniversary of Independence of Ukraine, the Department of Philosophy and International Communication of the faculty of humanities and pedagogy for students of 2nd and 3rd year of all faculties of NULES of Ukraine held a scientific seminar "Freedom as the highest value", a competition of creative works "Ukraine is incredible: on the way to independence". The purpose of the measures was to consider freedom in its various categorical interpretations: as the freedom of human will; as a public freedom of the citizen; as the spiritual freedom of the individual.

   The following topics were discussed during the seminar:
Independence Day of Ukraine: historical information about the introduction of this national holiday in Ukraine was presented by Andriy Kononuchenko. The idea of freedom in the historical and philosophical dimension was analyzed by Breyan Andriy. Hanina Veronika revealed the understanding of freedom in the realities of the XXI century.

   The problem of freedom in the philosophical dimension is complicated by the fact that many thinkers try to deduce from the essence of freedom the duty of man. But duty can never come from freedom itself, but only for ethical reasons. That is why Yana Pysarenko's report on freedom and responsibility provoked a lively discussion.

 
   Being unlimited in nature, freedom must include ethics, responsibility. Proof of the reality of freedom as such in psychology, according to Vita Yaroshenko, is the insult to a normal person's characterization as "irresponsible", which can not be responsible for the consequences of their actions, because it is not free (in the sense of freedom).

   The relationship between freedom and equality in a democratic society was revealed by Maryna Huryna. She stressed that the measure of freedom is the right to reconcile the freedom of the individual with the freedom of other members of society, adhering to the principle of equality.
    Man's fundamental capacity for freedom is manifested in the fact that, mostly without noticing it, we choose, assert by our own decision what is given to us once and for all by the inevitable course of events and no subjective support from us, it would seem, does not need . As paradoxical as it sounds, people choose their own origin and homeland, love, suffering and death, often demonstrating their true spiritual growth in this area of self-determination. They choose, at the same time choosing themselves.
   However, the main meaning of any human choice is, first of all, in the action that becomes possible on its basis. The vector of freedom of choice and moral self-determination directs human activity into a complex, full of conflicting interests world "here-and-now", where each action inevitably becomes a symbol of a certain subjective position, a demonstration of a system of moral values. In other words, it becomes an act.

Heiko Svitlana,
associate professor of the department of philosophy
and international communication