Merab Mamardashvili facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Merab Mamardashvili
Merab Mamardashvili on the cover of his book The Arrow of Cognition
Born	September 15, 1930
Died	November 25, 1990

Merab Mamardashvili (Georgian: მერაბ მამარდაშვილი) was a famous Georgian philosopher. He was born on September 15, 1930, and passed away on November 25, 1990. He is known for his unique way of thinking and teaching.

A Life of Learning

Merab Mamardashvili was born in Gori, a city in eastern Georgia. He loved to learn and study. In 1955, he finished his studies at Moscow State University. He earned a degree in philosophy.

Important Jobs

After university, Merab Mamardashvili held many important jobs. From 1968 to 1987, he worked for a science journal. It was called "Voprosy Filosofii," which means "Questions of Philosophy." He was a deputy editor there.

He also became a professor at Moscow State University. He was a senior researcher at the Moscow Institute of Philosophy. This institute is part of the Russian Academy of Science.

Later in his life, from 1987 to 1990, he returned to Georgia. He led a department at the Tsereteli Institute of Philosophy. He also taught as a professor at Tbilisi State University.

His Final Years

Merab Mamardashvili passed away on November 25, 1990. He had a heart attack at Moscow Vnukovo airport. He was buried in Tbilisi, Georgia, in his family's grave. In May 2001, a special monument was put up in Tbilisi to honor him.

What He Taught

Merab Mamardashvili was a very special teacher. He did not publish many books during his life. Instead, he gave many lectures. People often called his lectures "dialogues" or "conversations." He was even called the "Russian Socrates" or "Georgian Socrates." This is because he taught by asking questions, just like the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Sharing Ideas Abroad

His lectures were recorded and later published. This was done by his student, Yuri Senokosov. Merab Mamardashvili also traveled to other countries. He gave talks in Germany, France, and other places. He shared his ideas with many people around the world.

His Main Ideas

Mamardashvili was inspired by other great thinkers. These included René Descartes and Immanuel Kant. He focused a lot on how we understand the world. He believed that our consciousness (our ability to think and be aware) is very important. He thought it was the main subject of philosophy.

He had many famous sayings. One was: "consciousness is paradoxicalness impossible to get used to." This means that being aware and thinking is a strange and amazing thing. It's something we can never fully get used to. He also said that "loneliness is my profession." This showed his deep focus on individual thought.

A Special Philosopher

People described Merab Mamardashvili as a fascinating person. They said he had a wonderful style and was very kind. His main interests were about people. He thought about what makes a person unique. He also thought about freedom and responsibility. He believed philosophy helps us understand life and our place in the world.

Documentaries

• Socrates in a duel (directed by Tamara Dularidze)
• Georgian Kant (directed by Olga Rolengoff)
• The way home (directed by Nikolai Drozdov)
• Time of Merab (directed by Olesya Fokina)
• Merab Mamardashvili (directed by Valery Balayan)

See also

• Evald Ilyenkov
• List of Georgians
• Philosophy in the Soviet Union