HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING, AND SURVIVAL: A SOCIO-PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION ON THE UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE OF WAR AND PEACE IN LIGHT OF ULAS SAMCHUK’S CREATIVE HERITAGE

Abstract

This study provides a socio-philosophical interpretation of the concepts of happiness and well-being within the Ukrainian cultural experience of war and peace, offering a comparative analysis of pre-war and wartime definitions of these notions. The theoretical foundation of the research is the literary legacy of the Ukrainian writer Ulas Samchuk, whose work reflects the existential experience of Ukrainians navigating radical historical transformations. The methodology employs a synthesis of hermeneutic, axiological, socio-philosophical, and historical-literary approaches, facilitating an exploration of the interconnectedness between individual and collective Ukrainian experiences. Additionally, textual and comparative analysis methods were utilized to examine primary cultural models of prosperity and elements of existential philosophy, identifying the "limit situations" of human existence that emerge during war and post-war periods. The study posits that Samchuk’s creative heritage constitutes a vital contribution to the Ukrainian cultural landscape; in his works, well-being transcends material categories to become a socially conditioned state, happiness is portrayed as an existential category, and survival forms the bedrock of human existence amidst historical catastrophes. It is demonstrated that the concepts of happiness and well-being undergo profound transformations during wartime: happiness becomes intrinsically linked to survival, security, the preservation of identity, and solidarity, while the primary focus shifts from individual prosperity to collective welfare and from stability to the struggle for existence. The findings indicate that the traumatic Ukrainian experience of war has altered the perception of the existential dimension of well-being, with happiness assuming new forms manifested through resilience, dignity, and the capacity for recovery. Ultimately, the paper emphasizes that Samchuk’s legacy serves as a crucial source for conceptualizing the contemporary Ukrainian experience of war, allowing for a re-evaluation of value transformations within a cultural tradition where well-being is inextricably tied to labor, morality, and collective being.