THE HUMANISM OF ACTION AS THE EXISTENTIAL BASIS OF CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN RESISTANCE

Abstract

This article presents a philosophical and anthropological analysis of the transformation of the humanistic paradigm in the context of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (2022–2026). The author conceptualizes the phenomenon of “humanism of action” as a radical form of affirmation of human subjectivity, where action becomes the only reliable evidence of the preservation of dignity in conditions of complete dehumanization. In contrast to the classical “humanism of speech”, which often demonstrates signs of “pacifist helplessness”, humanism of action appears as a life-affirming strategy. In this model, the protection of the right to life is achieved through direct actions: armed resistance, voluntary solidarity and inflexibility of moral guidelines in border situations. Using a polemological approach, the study reveals the role of higher education in the formation of individual intellectual resistance. It is argued that the integration of paxology and victimology allows students to distinguish the “abstract” war of textbooks from the “real” reality, transforming theoretical knowledge into “intellectual power”. This becomes the basis for a critical understanding of propaganda and effective counteraction to hybrid threats in the modern information space. Special attention is paid to the existential challenges of the “border state” – the experience of being in captivity and in temporarily occupied territories. It turns out that under such circumstances, rank humanism takes the form of the highest spiritual heroism, which involves a conscious rejection of moral collaboration and the preservation of internal freedom. The article concludes that the Ukrainian experience of resistance forms a new global ethical paradigm in which the priority of “human reality” over all imperial ideologies becomes key to the legitimization of political decisions. It is demonstrated that rank humanism is the basis of social stability, ensuring not only physical survival, but also the superiority of values over the aggressor. The results of the study indicate the need for a radical rethinking of the architecture of global security, in which the protection of human dignity and the "right to protection" are recognized as key criteria for a lasting and just peace