UkrainianProfessional Education

Abstract

The article examines the pedagogical views of Ioann Maksymovych in the context of spiritual and moral education in Ukraine in the early 18th century. The study uses a set of methods, including historical and pedagogical analysis, biographical method, hermeneutic approach, comparative and historical method, as well as systematization and generalization. The significance of spiritual and moral development of the individual in the education system of that time is determined, the role of the Orthodox faith as the basis of moral education is outlined, and the basic principles of educational activities in church and parish schools are formulated. The pedagogical legacy of Ioann Maksymovych is analyzed, in particular his approaches to combining moral, labor, and intellectual education. Particular attention is paid to the concept of moral self-improvement through labor as a key means of personal education. His views on the interconnection between morality, religious motives, and universal norms of behavior are highlighted, and the importance of Orthodox family traditions in shaping personality in the following aspects is emphasized: humility before God as the basis of spiritual development: Ioann Maksimovich believed that humble submission to God’s will is a necessary condition for achieving inner peace and moral stability. He reveals this principle in «God-thinking for the benefit of the faithful», where he emphasizes the importance of awareness of one’s own sinfulness and repentance as the basis for spiritual growth; moral self-improvement through work. Maksymovych emphasized that work is not only a means of physical existence, but also an instrument of moral education. He believed that the absence of work leads to moral and spiritual decline of the individual; harmony between human and God’s will: In his work «Iliotropion, or the Harmony of Human Will with Divine Will», he uses the symbolism of a sunflower to illustrate the idea of man’s constant striving for God’s truth, renouncing selfishness and passions in order to follow higher spiritual ideals; the combination of religious and universal human values, namely, the interconnection of religious motives with universal human norms of behavior. The relevance of Ioann Maksymovych’s ideas for modern pedagogy is considered, and possible directions for their application in the system of education of young people in the 21st century are outlined. It is noted that turning to spiritual and moral traditions can contribute to the strengthening of public morality, the formation of civic responsibility, and the preservation of national identity

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