The Philosophy of Inner Silence

Review of the book: Oleg Krishtal. To the Singing of Birds:A Private Journey to Myself. New Edition. Amazon Publishing,USA, 2025. 276 p.

Abstract

This review examines the new English-language edition of the book “To the Singing of Birds: A Private Journey to Myself” (2025) by Ukrainian scientist and philosopher Oleg Krishtal. The publication is analyzed as an example of humanistic reflection, combining literary essayism, philosophical meditation, and autobiographical narration. Particular attention is given to the book’s fragmentary structure, interpreted as an ethical gesture and a form of mindful attention. The article highlights the text’s key philosophical coordinates — existentialism, phenomenology of perception, ethics of silence — and explores its resonance with Ukrainian spiritual traditions, particularly the works of Hryhorii Skovoroda. Krishtal appears as an investigator of inner experience, in the spirit of Wilhelm Dilthey. The book may be of interest to scholars in the fields of cultural philosophy, neuroethics, and the humanities, as well as applicable in educational contexts.