The Ethics of Creativity in the Philosophical Thought of Nikolai Berdyaev

Abstract

The world is faced with a deep ethical crisis which is the source of all other crises. This article examines the contribution of Nikolai Berdyaev’s philosophical reflection on the development of ethical thought. We shall also look into his proposal on the ethics of creativity to see if it can help us today in resolving many of the problems which have been accumulating primarily due to the moral crisis. With a detailed analysis of the development of ethical awareness throughout the history and with a philosophical reflection on human freedom and his obligation of free creativity, we come to a conclusion on the originality of Berdyayev’s proposals on the ethical dimension of the human creative work. We wish to demonstrate how a correct understanding of man — the image of God on earth — and his freedom and creativity leads to the fulfillment of the ethics of creativity which in turn lays the correct groundwork for a life worthy of man.