Devil's advocate (hermeneutics of L. Shestov)

The authoress offers the new method for comprehension of L. Shestov's philosophy its interpretation as the hermeneutics. Shestov grasped the meaning of the hostile opposition of the personal and common human beeing by investigation of another's fictional, philosofical, theological textes. The struggle between individual existence and "vsemstvo" ("the common") was interpreted by Shestov as any trial, the philosopher supported always an individ's position. Stressing the problem, Shestov opposed a criminal act and the moral; in this "trial" he played the advocate's role and overthrew generally accepted moral. The comparison of the Shestov's ethical paradoxical position with the equivocal and absurd image of advocatus diaboli (the personage in catholic Church's procedure of beatification) helps to understand it.