Kant’s criticism of the ontological proof for God’s existence in the philosophy of S. L. Frank (1877-1950)

The article is devoted to considering the interpretation of I. Kant's criticism of the ontological proof for God's existence in the philosophical heritage of a bright and deep Russian 20th century thinker, a representative of the all-unity metaphysics, Semyon Lyudvigovich Frank (1877-1950). It is noted that the proof for God's existence was a topic widely considered by the late 19th and early 20th century representatives of Russian philosophical theism due to the need for a solid, reasonable substantiation of the truth amid the spread of skeptical sentiments and atheistic views. The works by the thinkers of the time are of great interest in today's secular society, and they need scientific research and disclosure of their significant apologetic potential by modern scholars. It is demonstrated that S. L. Frank was an exponent of absolute realism, in which the theme of ontological proof is central. In his works, S. L. Frank, as well as I. Kant, points out the limitations of reason in the field of knowledge. But despite this similarity between S. L. Frank and I. Kant, their conclusions differ significantly. Russian thinker was convinced that Kant's criticism, contrary to his own will, had not only negative, but also creative consequences for a believing reason. It did not neutralize the ontological proof, but directly contributed to its disclosure on a new philosophical level. As a result of the research carried out, the article's authors come to the conclusion that S. L. Frank's ontognoseological system, which includes the ontological proof, does not so much destroy I. Kant's criticism as remove all critical arguments of the German idealist from the agenda.