Political “Event” and Law in the Philosophy of Vladimir Bibikhin

Ontic Aspect and Superhethic Dimension

Abstract

This article attempts to investigate the political modus of “event” in Vladimir Bibikhin's philosophy. It is assumed that Bibikhin's political subject is always in the sphere of political decision and cannot be excluded from it. However, the subject's ontic choice of political strategy in the political event can be supplemented by the eventic listening to the fall (Verfall) into the “being in the world”, due to which a historically concrete event can acquire the character of the “running ahead” (Vorlaufen) into the possibility. It seems that in Bibikhin's philosophical approach, the political event represents the hermeneutic closure of ontic and ontological plans of time, which directly entails the reconciliation of revolutionary and conservative-legal potentials of man in faith. However, although it transcends politics, the event does not abolish the political decision as a non-genuine modus of being. Nevertheless, the presence of the suprethical dimension of faith in the political event complements and completes the subject's ontic choice of the constantly “untrue” ideological attitude. Bibikhin's event as a community event does not provide human with means for political action but in faith, asserts only the possibility of politics and predicts its downfall. The “ontological” event can affect the “ontic” of politics, but not vice versa. The article concludes that, according to Bibikhin, the duality of event and politics cannot be overcome, but the event can still influence politics and make it resonate with itself.