The Linguistic-Philosophical Worldview Through the Prism of Fiction

Relevance of the research. The relevance of this study is driven by the need to comprehend the significance of the literary word in shaping human perception and awareness of values, meanings, and moral orientations. Fiction is not merely a reflection of reality, a means of aesthetic pleasure, or a factor in culture-building; it constitutes a distinct world model wherein linguistically articulated images, symbols, plot conflicts, and character traits represent deep seated concepts of human nature, society, good, evil, love, justice, dignity, and freedom.

Problem statement. The study investigates how fiction represents a linguistic philosophical worldview – specifically, how artistic images facilitate either the conceptualization or the distortion of fundamental categorical concepts, thereby shaping the value dimension of the individual. On the one hand, a literary work enables the disclosure of the profound meaning of human values by contextualizing them within specific life circumstances rather than presenting them abstractly. On the other hand, literature can romanticize contradictory or destructive behavioral patterns, generating flawed perceptions of love, happiness, freedom, pride, justice, or responsibility in the reader.

Analysis of recent research and publications. The interplay among language, imagination, thought, consciousness, and worldview has a long tradition of examination within philosophy, linguistics, and literary studies. Its theoretical foundations trace back to Wilhelm von Humboldt’s concept of language as an activity of the spirit shaping the mode of perceiving reality, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s thesis on the limits of language defining the limits of the subject's world, and Ernst Cassirer’s definition of the human being as a symbolic animal. The hermeneutic dimension of the problem is explored in the works of Hans-Georg Gadamer, Martin Heidegger, and Paul Ricœur, who emphasized the historicity of understanding, the openness of textual meaning, and the dialogic nature of the literary word. Philosophical categories such as beauty, justice, equality, responsibility, love, and happiness have been analyzed since Plato and Aristotle, further developed by Immanuel Kant and John Rawls, and continue to be investigated by contemporary thinkers including Timo Airaksinen, Martha Nussbaum, Svitlana Krylova, Myroslav Popovych, and Lars Svendsen. Despite this substantial body of research, the issue of the permissible substitution of philosophical concepts in literature – where an aesthetically appealing image may construct inaccurate perceptions of love, freedom, dignity, happiness, and other categorical notions – requires further conceptualization.

Research task. We are to analyze the characteristics of representing the linguistic-philosophical worldview in fiction through the prism of categorical concepts; to identify potential forms of conceptual substitution in literature and their influence on worldview formation via imagination and awareness; and to substantiate the significance of fiction as a space for philosophical reflection, moral interpretation, and the critical appraisal of human values.

Main material presentation. The article examines the linguistic-philosophical worldview represented in fiction through categorical concepts such as love, happiness, friendship, trust, justice, dignity, and freedom. It establishes that literary works not only reflect a given system of values but also actively shape the imagination and its modes of understanding. In this context, fiction emerges as a domain of symbolic modeling for human behavior, emotional states, and lived experience, wherein philosophical categories acquire emotional-figurative, linguistic, and plot-role manifestations. Special attention is devoted to the potential substitution of concepts within literary discourse and the resulting formation of misconceptions regarding these fundamental categories.

Conclusions. The study demonstrates that fiction serves as a unique domain for representing the linguistic-philosophical worldview, reflecting a culture's value system while actively constructing modes of understanding basic categorical concepts. Literature constitutes a vital resource for humanistic thought, moral self-knowledge, and philosophical education. Its significance lies not only in its aesthetic impact, but also in its capacity to reveal the multifaceted nature of human existence, delineate the boundaries of concepts, distinguish authentic meanings from false ones, and foster a responsible attitude toward language, values, and the Other.